Blog Post

Top Tips for Contracting with Charities for Public Services

  • By John Chudleigh
  • 01 Nov, 2012
At a meeting yesterday with a Social Enterprise, one director mentioned that ‘we are OJEU exempt’ – Boy!  Is THAT a can of worms.
Whilst investigating, I came across this list from law firm, Dundas Wilson. Written back in April 2011 in the wake of Cameron’s The Big Society’ drive it shows how the treatment of charities under the procurement regulations varies and how to avoid the pitfalls:
Dundas Wilson top tips for charities
By John Chudleigh 31 Jan, 2024
The thresholds at which public procurement opportunities are subject to the full suite of UK regulations governing public contracts have been updated.  Below are the  revised thresholds for public contracts, utilities contracts and concession contracts from 1 January 2024, as per the amendments made to the UK regulations via the Public Procurement (Agreement on Government Procurement) (Thresholds) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

The Public Contracts Regulations

Supplies & Services (except subsidised services contracts)

  • Central Government bodies  £139,688
  • Others £214,904

Subsidised services contracts

  • All bodies £214,904

Works (including subsidised works contracts)

  • All bodies £5,372,609

Light Touch Regime for Services

  • All bodies £663,540

Small lots

  • Supplies and services £70,778
  • Works £884,720

The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016

Supplies and Services

  • All sectors £429,809

Works

  • All sectors £5,372,609

Small lots

  • Supplies and Services £70,778
  • Works £884,720

The Concession Contracts Regulations 2016

  • Concession contracts £5,372,609

The Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011

Supplies and Services

  • All sectors £429,809

Works

  • All sectors £5,372,609

Small lots

  • Supplies and Services £70,778
  • Works £884,720







By John Chudleigh 26 Jul, 2021

The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 set out a number of rules for publication of public procurement notices on the Contracts Finder portal. For SME's and  voluntary or charitable organisations (VCSEs) Contracts Finder offers easier access to public contract opportunities under the WTO GPA procurement thresholds necessitating publication on Find A Tender (FTS).

The notice types found on contract finder are:

1. Early engagement

Inviting feedback from industry on early procurement ideas (also known as ‘pre-procurement dialogue’).

2. Future opportunities

Information on procurements that are likely to be published in the future. The notice can be used to indicate when existing frameworks, or approved supplier lists or contracts are going to be available to be bid on.


3. Opportunities

Live invitations to tender. Used to seek to seek supply chain partners to bid for open public sector opportunities, or to tender for
subcontracts in support of delivering a public sector contract, or for lower value contracts.


4. Awarded contracts

Procurement opportunities that have been awarded to a supplier/suppliers.


By John Chudleigh 29 Jan, 2021
On the 1st of January 2021, OJEU/TED was replaced by a Find A Tender (FTS) service for UK  procurement. If contract spend is over the current WTO GPA thresholds then tenders legally need to be posted on Find a Tender.

 We have successfully adapted our multi-lingual search & alerting service to continue to work with the EU's TED / OJEU portal (TED Alert) and the UK's new Find a Tender System (FTS Alert)  providing additional alerting flexibility for our customers. 

By John Chudleigh 04 Jan, 2021
The UK procurement thresholds are governed by the WTO’s GPA. These thresholds are not subject to review or change until January 2022 and are: 

The Public Contracts Regulations


Supplies & Services (except subsidised services contracts)

Schedule 1 bodies £122,976
Others £189,330
Subsidised services contracts
All bodies £189,330
Works (including subsidised works contracts)
All bodies £4,733,252
Light Touch Regime for Services
All bodies £663,540
Small lots
Supplies and services £70,778
Works £884,720

The Utilities Contracts Regulations

Supplies and Services

All sectors £378,660
Works
All sectors £4,733,252
Small lots
Supplies and Services £70,778
Works £884,720

The Concession Contracts Regulations

Concession contracts £4,733,252

The Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations
Supplies and Services
All sectors £378,660
Works
All sectors £4,733,252
Small lots
Supplies and Services £70,778
Works £884,720
By John Chudleigh 02 Mar, 2019

NHSX is a new joint organisation that will be responsible for digital, data and technological initiatives across the NHS.  It aims to take forward  digital transformation initiatives within the NHS and  introduce the latest digital services and technology in the healthcare system.

A statement from the Department of Health and Social Care states that, among its responsibilities, NHSX will reform procurement by:

“helping the NHS buy the right technology through the application of technology standards, streamlined spend controls and new procurement frameworks that support our standards”

NHSX will work closely with the NHS and the wider digital economy, to ensure that patients and staff have access to world-class digital services. Training will be part of this to ensure that staff are “digital ready”.


By John Chudleigh 13 Jan, 2018

The new threshold values  have been increased by  6% and  apply from January 1, 2018

For contracting authorities such as central government departments/agencies and local authorities:

  • €144,000 for  contracts  awarded by central government bodies.
  • €221,000 for  contracts  awarded by local or regional government bodies, or for authorities operating in the defense sector.
  • €5,548,000 for works contracts to be awarded by any contracting authority.

For contracting authorities in the utilities sector:

  • €443,000 for  contracts as part of procurement for services.
  • €5,548,000 for works contracts.

By John Chudleigh 18 Nov, 2017
civil engineering and infrastructure framework
By John Chudleigh 29 Sep, 2017
Public procurement news
By John Chudleigh 02 Sep, 2017
Public contracts and SME's
By John Chudleigh 02 Feb, 2017
Ten national contracts for the provision of procurement services have been advertised by the Department of Health worth £1900m 
https://www.hsj.co.uk/topics/finance-and-efficiency/bidders-sought-for-190m-nhs-procurement-services...

 
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