Before you start an RFQ
Before you start a new request for quotations (RFQ) process, you must check:
- if any special conditions may apply to your purchase
- whether one of our pre-approved contracts can meet your needs
Some purchases are affected by conditions that mean you'll need to follow a different buying process.
Special conditions that may apply to your purchase
These conditions include considerations related to:
- Clinical governance
- Construction
- Consultancy services
- Healthcare services
- Information governance
- Research services
- Safeguarding
- Technology and software
- Transfer of Staff (TUPE)
You must check whether any of these conditions apply before you start a procurement activity.
Mandated contracts (pre-approved suppliers)
Mandated contracts are pre-approved suppliers that all employees can use to buy items and services that are frequently needed.
When you need to buy something, you must check the list of mandated contracts (pre-approved suppliers) first to see if your need can be met using an existing contract.
Research potential suppliers
You should try to identify at least 3 suppliers who could potentially provide the thing you want to buy. We support local businesses, so you should try to include suppliers whose headquarters are located in Essex.
You will need at least 3 responses from suppliers before you can evaluate and award a contract.
If you cannot find 3 potential suppliers or do not get at least 3 responses, you will need to complete a procurement waiver instead.
Buying technology and software
If you're buying technology goods or services such as software, websites or non-standard equipment, you must first get approval.
If you are using grant funding
If you are using grant funding to make a purchase, you must make sure the goods or services you need to buy meet the relevant grant conditions.
To arrange for the grant to be paid to your supplier, contact your service area's finance business partner. You should be able to find out who your finance business partner is by asking your line manager or head of service.
Awarding on price and minimum standards
The procurement process asks suppliers to give you a price against your requirements. It also asks suppliers to answer supporting questions about quality to make sure that what they are saying they will provide you meets your minimum standards.
Where these minimum standards are met, we say that this means the tender is being evaluated on price only.
If you need more quality assurances other than minimum standards, contact procurement.team@essex.gov.uk to get advice on your next steps.