Procurement
Page updated: 29/11/2024
We spend in excess of £376 million per annum on goods, works and services, and this has a significant impact on the quality of life for the community. It is vital that we have a strategic approach to procurement to ensure that goods, works and services are procured as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We have a devolved approach to purchasing, where the purchasing activities of each of the Council’s five departments are the direct responsibility of individual budget holders who have the ability to place orders and tender for contracts.
The Procurement Unit’s role is to ensure that Departmental Lead Officers have the appropriate support and guidance to procure goods, works and services professionally. All procurement activity adheres to relevant procedures, rules, and regulations to ensure we obtain best value for money at all times and is undertaken in an open, transparent and non-discriminatory manner.
As a reminder the process that should be followed when seeking quotes are as follows,
- For Purchases valued up to £10,000 our Contract procedure Rules require Officers ‘should be satisfied that best value for money has been obtained, and that reasonable care has been taken to obtain goods, works or services of adequate quality at a competitive price.’
- For Purchases between £10,000 and £25,000 ‘a minimum of 3 quotations should be sought from competitive sources and confirmed in writing, by letter, fax or e-mail.
- An Expression of Interest (EOI) is required to request any support to undertake a procurement exercise which is in excess of £25,000
IMPORTANT – When estimating purchase value, officers must account for ongoing, similar requirements by calculating their total value over time, known as the principle of aggregation.
For ongoing requirements, contracts should be based on a 48-month period when estimating the total value. (see CPR clause 6.1.4 for further detail).
Procurement Strategy
The Council’s Procurement Strategy for 2023-2028 supports the aspirations of the Cabinet’s Vision Statement. Through our Strategic Priorities we aim to support local business and economic growth, tackle poverty and meet our pledge to become a net zero carbon local authority by 2030.
Significant legal changes are ahead of us as with Royal Assent being given to the UK Procurement Bill in October 2023. The Procurement Act will replace the procurement rules that currently regulate the way public contracts are procured. This new Act provides a simpler, flexible and more transparent system, which will allow for more focus on social value and help reduce barriers to entry for smaller businesses and social enterprises. The existing legislation will apply until the new regime goes live, which is anticipated to be October 2024.
Our strategy supports this procurement reform and sets out how the Council’s procurement activities will continue to contribute to achieving the Council’s objectives over the next five years.
Contract Procedure Rules - September 2023
The CPR’s set clear Rules for the procurement of goods, services and works, so that we can obtain best value for money, whilst ensuring a system of openness, transparency and non-discrimination.
The Contract Procedure Rules have been updated to take account of a number of recommendations in a Task and Finish Report on procurement arrangements and frameworks within Carmarthenshire County Council.
Please see the new Procurement Guidance section to help you understand the Rules and procedures that must be followed when purchasing goods, services and works.
Category Management Approach
Since 2017, our procurement officers have been working to reduce both duplication and to identify areas of opportunities for cashable savings.
The Procurement Team has a Procurement Manager for Contracting and Commissioning leading each of the 3 different category spend areas and a Procurement Manager for Policy and Compliance (please see category list below):
Procurement Manager: Strategy and Compliance - Clare Jones
Procurement Manager: Contracting and Commissioning - Gemma Clutterbuck
Social Care and Transport – Jennifer Maughan
Construction, Waste, Building Maintenance and Highways & Parks – Matthew Hughes
Corporate, Professional Services and Facilities Management – Stephanie Howells
ICT - Gemma Clutterbuck
This approach will provide the Council with the skills, capacity and resilience to respond to the increasing scale and complexity of operational procurement activity.
Exception Reporting
Officers requesting approval for an Exception and Waiver to the Requirement of Competition under the Contract Procedure Rules (clause 12) need to complete an online form using the system Procurement Exception Report Form.
The completed form will be sent to the Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer for consideration.
We have created a guidance document to help in the completion for an exception request.
Ethical Employment in Supply Chains Policy
The aim of this policy is to set out clearly the context for ethical trade and employment practices for Carmarthenshire County Council within our own organisation and our supply chain. We are committed to ensuring a high standard of practice to eradicate acts of modern day slavery and human trafficking within our business and multi-tier supply chain.
This Policy has been written by the Corporate Procurement Unit and will be embedded throughout the Council.