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Council tenders and contracts
As a council we purchase a wide range of goods, services and works from a range of organisations, following our council procurement rules and national public procurement legislation.
We have the option, depending on the value of the contract, to procure (buy things) in a number of different ways. This includes direct award, informal quotations, or formal tenders all with the intention to get best value from public funds. We also have the option to use local, regional and national framework agreements.
Registering to work with us
To be able to see more information about the opportunities available for you to work with us you'll need to register on YORtender (our official procurement portal) and the government's Find a Tender service.
Registering will also give you access to opportunities for lots of other public sector organisations, including Berneslai Homes.
Registering on YORtender
Registering on YORtender is free and will provide you with access to all of our advertised opportunities. For help or support when registering, email uksupport@eu-supply.com or call 0800 840 2050.
Registering on Find a Tender
Registering on the Find a Tender service is free and only needs to be completed once. You'll need to create a GOV.UK One Login during registration if you don't already have one of these. See the Find a Tender factsheet and Find a Tender registration guidance to help you with registering.
Finding opportunities
We advertise opportunities to bid for contracts on YORtender. Relevant opportunities over £25,000 are also advertised on Find a Tender as well. Both adverts will include instructions on how to bid for the opportunity.
High value contract threshold
Contracts over a certain value are subject to the Public Contract Regulations 2015 if advertised before 24 February 2025, or the Procurement Act 2023 if advertised or awarded after 24 February 2025.
These require us to:
- advertise and award contracts via Find a Tender
- follow specified timescales
- award contracts on the basis of most economically advantageous, which may include price, quality and social value considerations, depending on the contract
The regulations apply to contracts that exceed the following amounts (as of 1 January 2026):
| Type of contract | Value excluding VAT (assuming standard rate of 20%) | Value including VAT (assuming standard rate of 20%) |
|---|---|---|
| Goods and services | £166,176 | £207,720 |
| Works | £4,154,400 | £5,193,000 |
| Light touch regime (LTR) | £552,950 | £663,540 |
The thresholds vary from time to time and have traditionally been amended every two years on 1 January. These threshold amounts from 1 January 2026 do not affect any procurement which commenced before this date.
All public sector procurement, regardless of how much is being spent, is governed by the principle of equality of treatment, non-discrimination and transparency.
Our contracts register
You can find about what we buy, how much we spend, and with whom in our contracts register.
You'll also find information on when current contracts you might be interested in bidding for are due for renewal so you can plan ahead.
Future opportunities (procurement pipeline)
Our procurement pipeline provides a summary of what procurement activity we have planned for the next 12 to 18 months and general information about the requirements and when they are needed. We aim to update this summary every six months as a minimum but it should be noted that our planned procurements are subject to change, so new projects might be added or dates for publication might change. To make sure you don’t miss opportunities to bid we advise monitoring YORtender adverts as well as the pipeline.
There's no guarantee any published opportunity will lead to a tender publication or contract award, but it gives you the opportunity to speak with us about your interest in bidding and time to prepare for a procurement.
A decision to procure a project in the pipeline is subject to the council’s decision-making and approval process, and the publication of value is an estimation for indicative purposes only so will be confirmed in the procurement notices. For all planned procurements for the next 18 months over £2 million we will also publish notices to Find a Tender service at the start of the financial year (April/May).
How to bid for opportunities
You need to use YORtender to register your interest in an opportunity, get access to the tender/request for quote documents, and submit your bid. See the YORtender supplier video to see how to participate and respond to a tender.
When bidding for an opportunity, you'll need to provide your Public Procurement Organisation Number (PPON) from Find a Tender in the following format: PPPP-PPPP-PPPP. Do not submit your smart code.
Guidance for bidding
Be on time
Make sure you provide any required information by the deadline date. If it doesn't arrive promptly, we won't be able to consider it. We have to act fairly and transparently by giving everyone the same opportunity.
Understand what is required
The initial advert is your chance to decide whether or not your business can undertake the contract. In offering the opportunity to quote/tender, we'll provide you with a scope of services, goods or works which are required.
If you have questions that need answering before you can decide whether or not to bid, contact us through the online tendering platform or speak to the officer who's asked you to quote.
Invitations to tender
If you receive an invitation to tender, you're being invited to make an offer which we may accept.
You must comply with all the requirements, as the decision on who is chosen will ultimately be based on the criteria listed in the contract notice or invitation to tender.
Make sure you provide all relevant information requested in respect of the price and quality criteria. If you're unsure, ask us. As well as the quality criteria, make sure your offer is also competitive and offers value for money.
How we award contacts
To meet the council’s best value duty we follow set procedures to ensure we get the best value from all our contracts. The process we follow will be determined by a range of factors, including:
- value of contract
- number of suppliers in the market
- the complexity of our requirements
- timescales
Regardless of the process followed, all bids are evaluated according to clear, pre-published criteria by a panel of experienced officers. Contracts are awarded on the basis of value for money; a balance of price, quality, social value, and alignment with our key strategies.
Social value
The Public Services (Social Value Act 2012) places a duty on us to have regard to economic, social and environmental wellbeing in connection with public services contracts, and for connected purposes.
The act puts a legal obligation on us to consider social value in any procurements subject to the public sector procurement rules and our own contract procedure rules. As good practice, it should also be considered in procurements which are below these thresholds.
The act requires us to consider economic, environmental and social benefits at the pre-procurement stage. As part of our obligations we consider the following:
- How what we're proposing to procure might improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the 'relevant area'.
- How in conducting a procurement process it might act with a view to securing that improvement.
- Consultation prior to procurement - eg communities and users of services, local firms, voluntary sector and other local organisations.
Read our social value policy for more information about how we embed social value principles and make it the duty of everyone involved in commissioning, procurement and project delivery to be responsible for the delivery of social value.
Measuring social value
Where applicable, we utilise the National Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) Framework for measuring and reporting social value. This framework is nationally recognised and was launched by the National Social Value Taskforce.
During the tendering process, you'll be asked to make commitments to provide specific social value themes, outcomes and measures as part of the bidding stage. These commitments forms part of our evaluation process, and the delivery of these is contract-managed to ensure the social value identified is added.
Notifying you of an award
If you're awarded an opportunity you've bid for, you'll be notified through YORtender.
You can find out who has been awarded contracts for the council and all other public sector organisations on Find a Tender.
More information
Help to find and tender for contracts
Go4Growth provide support to organisations who want to develop their knowledge and understanding of bidding for contracts for the public sector. The support is provided free of charge, and is designed to aid smaller organisations in any sector to enter or grow in the public sector marketplace.
You can register at Go4Growth to access support, and book to attend a Go4Growth webinar or training event.
Terms and conditions
You can find our standard terms and conditions for the purchase of goods and services which are done with a purchase order only and not a formal signed contract below:
- Standard terms and conditions for the purchase of goods under £70,000
- Standard terms and conditions for the purchase of services under £70,000
Seven day payment pledge
Our standard payment terms are 30 days from the receipt of a valid undisputed VAT invoice.
In line with our inclusive economy agenda, we're keen to support suppliers and pay invoices as promptly as we can, and commit to pay suppliers within seven days. However, please note: this is not a contractual obligation.
Transparency
As part of the government’s commitment to greater transparency, we have to make information on procurement visible. We include a freedom of information clause in our standard terms and conditions that requires suppliers to acknowledge that we're subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
If you're awarded a tender, the resulting contract between us will be published. In some circumstances, limited redactions will be made to some contracts before these are published to comply with existing law.
Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023
The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 provided a framework for public procurement in England and Wales, aiming to ensure that procurement processes are fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory. Any contracts issued before 24 February 2025 are subject to this legislation.
On 24 February 2025 the Procurement Act 2023 came into effect, making some changes to how goods, works and services are procured within the public sector. You can read the Procurement Act 2023 short guide for suppliers and also find out about transforming public procurement.
Supplying the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO)
We are one of the founder members of the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO), along with 12 other local authorities in the north of England. The YPO supplies goods and services both through its catalogue and through framework agreements where direct supply contracts are arranged.