The rules and regulations we follow when we let contracts
Procurement rules and regulations
We spend approximately £30 million each year on a wide variety of goods, works and services. These are sourced from a range of suppliers, contractors and consultants. You can find details of contracts agreed and purchase orders issued, over £5,000 in value, on our transparency page.
As a local authority, we have to follow particular regulations and rules when we let contracts. The key regulations we follow are listed below.
Public Contracts Regulations 2015
These regulations apply to almost all public sector procurement. They require us to advertise tenders on the Government’s website Find A Tender if the total contract value is estimated to be above:
- Supplies: £214,904 including VAT
- Services: £214,904 including VAT
- Works: £5,372,609 including VAT
Smaller value contracts are advertised on another Government website, called Contracts Finder.
The Public Contracts Regulations also impose restrictions on the:
- way that we manage our procurement processes
- information that we supply to organisations bidding for contracts
- way that we evaluate tenders
New Legislation - Procurement Act 2023
Public Contracts Regulations 2015 are due to replaced by the Procurement Act 2023, which gained Royal Assent in October 2023 and is due to come into force in February 2025.
Further information about transforming public procurement can be found on the GOV.UK website.
The Government has also provided some short guidance videos which are available on The Official Transforming Public Procurement Knowledge Drops page.
Contract Standing Orders
We have our own rules called Contract Standing Orders. These rules regulate how we conduct our business, and staff employed by us (including consultants and contractors) must follow them.
The rules are designed to promote fairness, transparency and integrity in our procurement processes. And they ensure that we get the best value for the public money that we spend.
You can view our Contract Standing Orders policy below.