Procurement

Procurement at Derby Homes

Procurement is the obtaining of goods, works and services, from identifying a need through to the end of a contract or useful life of an asset. We work with other organisations to share resources and leverage combined spend. We strive to ensure we are open, transparent and deliver best value.

You can read and download our contract registers from this Contracts registers tab on this page. Although there is no guarantee current arrangements will be replaced, the registers may indicate likely future procurement. This process usually starts nine to twelve months before the end of a current contract, but can vary depending on each requirement.

Employees will use existing corporate contracts whenever possible. If there is a requirement with a value of £10,000 or less, we can obtain quotes and are encouraged to do so from at least three local companies if possible, using our Terms and conditions for the purchase of goods and/or services. Otherwise, Derby Homes can use a Framework or advertise an opportunity and run a competitive process.

Our Procurement Policy is available to view within our Key policies and documents section. In addition to our own policies and procedures, we follow public procurement policy.

Frameworks from other Buying Organisations

We use frameworks provided by purchasing consortia where efficiencies can be delivered. Such organisations include, but are not limited to:

We advise companies to register with such organisations wherever possible if relevant to what the company provides. Responding to notices placed by these organisations can lead to supply opportunities with ourselves and a number of other public sector organisations.

Notification of an opportunity

Depending on the estimated value, the opportunity will be advertised via notice on the Contracts Finder and Find a Tender Service. The thresholds for Find a Tender Service notices from 1 January 2024 (including VAT) are:

Works - £5,372,609
Services/Goods - £214,904
'Light touch regime' services - £663,540

The Light Touch Regime applies to 'social and other specific services'.

Contracts we estimate with a total anticipated value at or exceeding the above thresholds also require processes that follow a number of detailed rules that must be followed. These include minimum times for tender submissions to be returned from the date advertised, and a 10 day 'standstill period' between notification of the successful supplier(s) and awarding the contract(s).

Specialist contracts may also be advertised within the trade and national press.

Advertised competitive process

The following applies where Derby Homes leads on the competitive procurement process.

Where possible, our competitive procurements are run electronically via the Delta eSourcing portal. This is a free service companies can register with in order to be notified of and bid for the opportunity to provide to Derby Homes and other authorities. It is used by us to issue and receive quotation and tender documents.

When registering with Delta, companies will be asked to enter the appropriate Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes for their business. CPV codes refer to different types of works, goods, or services. Companies should ensure they choose all CPV codes relevant to what they provide. The free BIP Solutions allows companies to search CPV codes.

Depending upon the nature of the contract a company is bidding for, information may be requested of the company, to enable the assessment of the organisation against our requirements, such as:

Company details - Including company trading status, registered address, and contact names
Competence - To assess a company has the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to perform our requirements. For some categories of work, trade body accreditation is required.
Financial – To assess financial viability for trading. If submitting a bid as a group of companies, assessment is of the primary contracting company.
Insurance – Types and value as determined by Derby Homes to be relevant to the requirement. Contract award criteria, usually a mix of quality and price, will be stated within procurement documents. Companies should expect competition for contract opportunities. Ensuring the following does not provide a guarantee to success but helps ensure effective bidding.
Be on time – Bidders need to make sure information is provided by the deadline instructed. If a bid does not arrive promptly or is incomplete, we will be unable to consider it.
Understand what is required – A notice should help a company decide if they can undertake the opportunity and contain details of how further information can be obtained. Questions, requests, and comments must be carried out via Delta’s messaging portal.
Provide information for pre-qualification requested -. Bidders must provide all pre-qualification information requested, for Derby Homes to check they can then consider the bid.
Provide evaluation information requested - Weighted criteria is listed in notices and invitation documents. Bidders must provide all information requested in respect of such criteria, and ensure their offer is competitive and offers value for money. Bids which pass pre-qualification will be evaluated against responses to these criteria, then bidder scores compared to reach a decision on who will be offered the contract(s).

Companies will be informed as to whether or not they have been successful in the process. If a company is unsuccessful there will be feedback as to which aspects of their bid were assessed as being inferior those offered the contract(s).

All companies awarded contracts are monitored throughout the contract period and will be subject to several performance reviews. They must ensure that quality and performance stated in the contract are maintained (or improved) throughout the contract period.

Contract registers

Our contracts register is a list of the contracts we currently hold. We also have a register of Derby City Council contracts that are accessed by Derby Homes.

Information in the register includes:

title of contracts
scope and description
provider's name
award value
term, start and end dates