Before using this agreement, you will need to read the RM6183 Buyer GuideThis file will download. This document will help you to select the right award procedure for your needs.
You can buy services under this agreement in two ways:
- further competition (including accelerated competitions)
- direct award
You will need to complete Framework schedule 6 (order form template and call-off schedules) before taking part in either a further competition or direct award.
Apart from Framework schedule 6, there are no templates that you need to complete as part of your call-off procedure. You may use your own internal tender documents as part of your bid pack.
You can use our eSourcing tool to run your further competition or direct award. If this is your first time using the eSourcing suite, you will need to register an account.Opens in new window If you have already registered, you can log into your eSourcing account.Opens in new window
You should check your own internal policies and processes to make sure they follow your standard operating procedures.
Further competition
To award a call-off contract through further competition you should:
- develop your specification and identify the suppliers who can meet your needs
- use Framework schedule 6 to refine your contract deliverables (what you need).
- develop your further competition award criteria
- invite all identified suppliers to submit a tender in writing – this could be by email or through your preferred e-Sourcing tool (contact details for each supplier representative can be found in the supplier contacts documentThis file will download)
- set a time limit for the submission of tenders, (take into account the time needed to create and submit tenders and the complexity of your needs)
- keep each tender confidential until the time limit set out for the return of tenders has expired
- apply your published award criteria to each submitted tender
- award your call-off contract by sending a completed and signed Framework schedule 6 to the successful supplier (this can be done electronically)
- provide unsuccessful suppliers with written feedback on why their tenders were unsuccessful
- publish your contract on contracts finder for transparency purposes
Accelerated further competition
Where an accelerated competition is needed, the steps outlined above will need to be followed, however:
- your time limit for tender returns will be shorter and will be driven by the urgency and / or complexity of your needs
- your award criteria should be appropriate to your timelines and you should consider simplifying your evaluation questions or applying restrictions to tender submissions (such as limiting the number of words / pages used)
- you must clearly state in your tender documents that your procurement is being run using the “accelerated competition” process
Direct award
To direct award under this agreement you should:
- develop a clear specification of your needs
- use the supplier prospectuses to establish which supplier provides the most economically advantageous solution – use these to apply the direct award criteria and to make sure that they are capable of meeting your specification
- award the call-off contract by sending a completed and signed Framework schedule 6 to the successful supplier (this can be done electronically)
Direct awards will be priced based on maximum agreement rates. You should consider whether you can get better value for money through an accelerated competition before awarding a direct award.
