Doing business with the council: glossary

Procurement

This covers all activities that involve buying, contracting, purchasing, sourcing or tendering. The Local authorities procure a wide variety of goods, services and works ranging from pencils to foster-care to new school buildings. Good Procurement does not mean simply buying the cheapest option but rather seeking to achieve value for money by considering a combination of cost and quality to meet the requirement.

Specification

This is a written statement that will define the local authorities' requirements. The specification will vary according to the product or service concerned. For a simple product the specification may be a brief description, while in the case of a complex service it will be comprehensive document, perhaps running to many pages in length.

Tendering

This is a purchasing procedure whereby potential suppliers are invited to make a firm and unequivocal offer of the price and terms which, on acceptance, shall be the basis of the subsequent contract.

Contract

An agreement between the purchaser and the supplier that is enforceable by law.

Pre-Tender Questionnaire

This is a document that potential contractors are required to complete, providing the purchasing authority with various pieces of necessary information by which the local authority can shortlist those contractors from which a tender will be sought.

European Procurement Directives

European Procurement Directives are the European rules that govern all public sector contracts. There are different requirements depending on the type of contract (services, supplies, utilities and works) and the nature of the contract.

SME – Small or Medium sized Enterprise

Categorised as any organisation that employ less than 250 employees.

VCO – Voluntary and Community Organisation

A voluntary organisation is: non-profit distributing, non-statutory, autonomous, may be charitable.

A Community sector organisation is active on a local or community level, usually small, modestly funded and largely dependent on voluntary, rather than paid, effort. Can be seen as distinct from the larger, professionally staffed agencies which are most visible in voluntary sector profiles. Hence the phrase voluntary and community sector (VCS) to encompass the full range.

EU – European Union

The European Union (EU) is a family of democratic European countries, committed to working together for peace and prosperity. The rule of law is fundamental to the European Union. All EU decisions and procedures are based on the Treaties, which are agreed by all the EU countries. For further information please visit: http://europa.eu.int/

More Information

Downloads

Useful links

Things you can do:

Contact details:

Telephone:
01722 434451

email:
procurement@salisbury.gov.uk...

Postal address:
Procurement Manager
Salisbury District Council
PO Box 2117
Salisbury
SP2 2DF