Business Opportunities and Tenders
Kent Business Portal
If you're interested in doing business with us you are required to register with the Kent Business Portal. Tenders and quotations over £25,000 are advertised on this site. It's free to register and you will get email notifications of new opportunities.
Invitations to tender will be managed by the Kent Business Portal.
For contracts under £25,000 we use existing suppliers or identify relevant companies.
Subject to financial thresholds, advertisements are also placed on the Contracts Finder. As of 1 January 2021 these adverts will also appear on the Find a Tender website, which is the UK’s alternative to the OJEU and will be the new home for all high-value notices.
These adverts will instruct suppliers to register on the Kent Business Portal, download, and submit tender documents.
Contracts register
Under the Local Government Transparency code 2015, any commissioned activity, purchase order, framework agreement and any other legally enforceable agreement with a value that exceeds £5,000 must be published. We comply with this code via our contracts register which must be published on a quarterly basis. View our contracts register.
Financial thresholds
The financial thresholds listed below help guide us to choose the most appropriate procurement route.
Estimated contract value | Type of contract | Procedure |
---|---|---|
Under £25,000 | Works, supplies or services | Obtain at least one written quotation |
£25,000 to £189,330* | Works, supplies or services | In line with Contract Standing Orders – Advert/Tender – Kent Business Porta/Contracts Finder |
£189,330* or more | Supplies and services | In line with Contract Standing Orders – Advert/Tender – Kent Business Portal/Contracts Find/Find a Tender |
£189,330* to £4,733,252* | Works | In line with Contract Standing Orders – Advert/Tender – Kent Business Portal/Contracts Finder |
£4,733,252* or more | Works | In line with Contract Standing Orders – Advert/Tender – Kent Business Portal/Contracts Find/Find a Tender |
* Find a Tender Threshold (FaT)
Contract Type | Previous Threshold (net of VAT at 20%) | New Threshold (including VAT at 20%) as of January 2022 | New Threshold (excluding VAT at 20%) as of January 2022 |
---|---|---|---|
Supplies and Services | £189,330 | £213,447 | £177,897 |
Works | £4,733,252 | £5,336,937 | £4,447,447 |
Note:
- ** EU rules apply
- Some specific services are subject to a 'light-touch' regime under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015
What we buy
We buy a wide variety of good and services for use by all departments within the council. Some examples include the following:
Goods | Services | Works |
---|---|---|
Clothing | Accommodation | Building maintenance |
Computer hardware and software | Banking services | Construction |
Sport and gym equipment | Catering and hospitality | Repairs |
Litter bins | Courier and postage | Refurbishment |
Stationery | Printing | Car parks |
Play equipment | Marketing and event management | Property new builds |
Vehicles | HR services | |
Training and development services |
Who does the buying?
We have a Procurement and Contract Management team that help us to spend public money better. The team provide procurement and contract advice and support and guide council officers through the process of appointing a supplier. This includes helping with specifications, advice on how to gain quotes or tenders and monitoring the contract effectively. Every officer of the council must comply with the contract procedure rules whenever they take part in procurement.
The government has produced a comprehensive guide called 'Sell goods or services to the Public Sector'. This guidance provides practical advice on the procurement process, procurement regulations and helps suppliers understand the tendering process for public sector contracts.
Community Right to Challenge
Under the community right to challenge (included within the Localism Act 2011) a broad range of alternative service providers can submit an expression of interest to run a service, with the potential to trigger a council procurement exercise.
We will consider expressions of interest that are submitted and that meet the statutory criteria as set out in the relevant regulations. These submissions must be received in line with the following dates set out in the report Amendments to the Councils Community Right to Challenge Procedure [pdf] 70KB.
For multi-year contracted services of two years or more
The time frame during which Ashford Borough Council will accept the submission of an Expression of Interest will be a one month period ending 18 months before the date of the end of the contract (ignoring any extension to the contract granted under its terms).
For contracted services where the contract term is between 10 months and one day to two years
The time frame during which Ashford Borough Council will accept the submission of an Expression of Interest will be a one month period ending nine months before the date of the end of the contract (ignoring any extension to the contract granted under its terms).
The end dates of our contracts can be found in our Contracts Register, which is updated quarterly. You can download them from the links list below:
- April 2022 Contract Register [xlsx] 49KB
- January 2022 Contract Register [xlsx] 49KB
- October 2021 Contract Register [xlsx] 29KB
- July 2021 Contract Register [xlsx] 29KB
- April 2021 Contract Register [xlsx] 28KB
- January 2021 Contract Register [xlsx] 28KB
- October 2020 Contracts Register [xlsx] 28KB
- July 2020 Contracts Register [xlsx] 44KB
- April 2020 Contracts Register [xlsx] 24KB
- January 2020 Contracts Register [xlsx] 31KB
- October 2019 Contracts Register [xls] 29KB
- July 2019 Council Contract Register [pdf] 488KB
- April 2019 Contracts Register [pdf] 380KB
- Jan 2019 Contracts Register [pdf] 549KB
- October 2018 Contracts Register [pdf] 370KB
- April 2017 Contracts Register [xls] 192KB
- January 2017 Contracts Register [xls] 186KB
- October 2016 Contracts Register [xls] 181KB
- July 2016 Contracts Register [xls] 182KB
- April 2016 Contracts Register [xls] 185KB
- October 2015 Contracts Register [xls] 198KB
- July 2015 Contracts Register [xls] 183KB
- April 2015 Contracts Register [xls] 174KB
- January 2015 Contracts Register [xls] 181KB
Procurement Strategy
In 2012 the council identified the need to establish a specialist procurement function and procedures within the authority. The aim was to promote effective procurement across the whole organisation, using innovative, sustainable, consistent and modern procurement methods.
View Ashford Borough Council's Procurement Strategy [pdf] 197KB.
Transparency
We are committed to being open and transparent and we follow the code of recommended practice for local authorities on data transparency.
View the rules of procedure in our constitution.
View our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement.
Procurement and contract related enquiries should be sent to procurement@ashford.gov.uk.