We’ve listened to your feedback and simplified our processes to make it easier for you to tender for our capital construction works opportunities. We want to make it as quick and easy as possible for you to win work by:
- increased transparency and fairness, so as many of you as possible get the opportunity to bid for work
- reducing the amount of paperwork you have to complete, so you can spend more time focusing on your day jobs
We no longer hold any ‘approved supplier lists’ for capital construction works.
Works up to £500,000
We usually invite tenders from contractors registered on Constructionline with silver level membership (or above). This minimises the documentation you need to complete and enables us to promote opportunities directly to smaller, local businesses with the minimum of paperwork needed.
We use Constructionline’s database to shortlist tenderers based on the type and value of works. We prioritise Sheffield-based businesses first, and then cast the net wider to Sheffield City Region if we cannot secure effective competition within Sheffield alone.
If you are already registered on Constructionline, please make sure all your details (including references and values) are up to date, and that you are registered against the correct Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes.
We usually use a single stage tender process to keep things simple. You will need to respond to a short Request for Quotation (RFQ) or Invitation to Tender (ITT) document.
Works over £500,000 to Find a Tender Service (FTS) Value
If we’re not using a public sector framework, we usually follow a two-stage procurement process.
For the first stage, you’ll need to complete a Supplier Selection Questionnaire (also known as an SSQ or PQQ). This will test your experience of similar works. Our questionnaire is based on PAS91 so you should find it easy to complete. We then evaluate the SSQs and shortlist applicants to progress to the second, Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage – where we will assess your suitability to undertake the tendered works.
Depending on the nature of the project, the ITT itself may either be a single stage or two stage process. We may use a two stage process for schemes when we want a contractor on board early to develop designs with us.
Works over FTS Value
When we need to tender a scheme over the FTS threshold (£5,336,958 incl VAT for Works Contracts and £213,477 incl VAT for Services - as from 1 January 2022) we will advertise using an ‘FTS Notice'.
Frameworks
We often use framework contracts to procure projects across all of the values above. This allows us to procure quickly and cost-effectively without the need for SSQs or OJEU advertisements (depending on value).
YORbuild2, YORcivil2 and YORconsult2 are the regional ‘YOR’ frameworks we use most often (although we have previously used other frameworks, such as SCAPE and ESPO).
If you are not a member of one of the YOR frameworks, YORscep (Supply Chain Engagement Programme) gives access to clients’ build / civil demand pipelines and sets out subcontract packages available for tender – so you may still be able to win work through this.
UK Steel
We want to promote the use of British Steel wherever possible. The Council is a signatory to the British Steel Charter.
Any major procurement where steel is a critical component will include details of our requirements within the tender documentation. Major procurement projects could include:
- infrastructure – such as roads
- construction – such as the building of and/or refurbishment of housing, Community Centre's, bridges and schools
- flood defences
- energy related projects