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As Council continues to invest in our community, we need a diverse range of services including trades, landscaping, catering and specialist consultants.

Northern Beaches Council plans to spend over $405 million in operational spend and $102 million in capital works in 2023/2024 to deliver quality services to our community.

https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/council/publications/delivery-operational-plan-and-budget/budget-highlights

Doing Business with Council

Our Procurement policy provides the framework for Northern Beaches Council to achieve value for money from our procurement whilst being fair, ethical and transparent.

The following principles guide all procurement activities:

  • Value for Money
  • Ethics and Probity
  • Equity
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Social Sustainability and Local Supplier engagement
  • Compliance
  • A Robust Framework

Our procurement policy ensures we adhere to legislative requirements and best practice. We also let you know what to expect from us, such as being accountable, seeking value for money and treating everyone fairly. Read our Statement of Business Ethics

Financial thresholds define the procurement process for different levels of expenditure:

  • $250,000 (including GST) is the tender threshold, all contracts over this threshold must be procured through a tender process as outlined in the Local Government Act. Exceptions this include panel contracts (see below) and contracts established by prescribed organisations including NSW Procurement (Procurepoint / NSWBuy), Local Government Procurement (LGP) and Procurement Australia.
  • $50,000 to $250,000 – require a formal request for quotation process through Tenderlink with a minimum of three written quotes which are evaluated by a panel.
  • $5,000 to $50,000 require a minimum of two quotes, best practice is 3 with at least one being a local supplier.

How to get invited to quote? Register with Tenderlink and with Vendorpanel Marketplace. Make yourself known to the relevant managers.

Note: information on this page is intended as general advice only.

VendorPanel Market Place

Register your business with VendorPanel Market Place to make yourself known to relevant Council teams. Council staff are encouraged to seek quotations from local suppliers and this tool helps them to find your business.

Select supplier categories that relate to your business to receive emails when opportunities are available to submit quotes.

Tenders

Northern Beaches Council uses an electronic tendering system for all tendering, quotation and expressions of interest services associated with Council’s procurement program. This system is used where spend exceeds $50k value.

 Register in Tenderlink to:

  • Receive notifications each time a requirement is published within your industry category
  • Download requests and respond electronically
  • Access a transparent process with equal access to questions and answers

You can view open, current and past tenders and read the frequently asked questions for more information.

Top Tips: If you are able to supply a component of a larger project, contact relevant contractors to collaborate on an application.

Alternatively, you can look at the tenders recently awarded page to see which contractors have recently won work – they may be looking for sub-contractors!

Panel Contracts

Panel contracts are used for frequently used goods and services. Examples include temporary staff, IT services, stationary, trades and consulting services.

Panel contracts reduce repeated tender and RFQ processes – saving time and cost for both Council and suppliers.

How it works - a single tender process takes place to appoint a selection of suppliers to a panel. Panels are usually in place for 3-5 years. During this time teams within Council can purchase from panel suppliers by requesting a simple quote regardless of the value!

Panel contracts are also known as period contracts or standing offer.

  • They include an agreement under which goods or services are supplied at a predetermined price and terms and conditions for a certain period on an ‘as required’ basis.
  • Estimated quantities may be provided during the tender stage however there is no minimum commitment.
  • A contract is formed when an order is placed on the supplier

Panels are tendered every 3-5 years and will be notified through Tenderlink. We encourage you to register your business on Tenderlink so that you don’t miss these opportunities!

Responding to Tenders & Quotations

Responding to Tenders, Requests for Quotations (RFQ) and Expressions of Interest (EOI) can be a lengthy process and there are some tips and tricks involved to improve your chances of success.

A successful quotation or tender response will:

  • Provide all the information in the format requested
  • Meet all Mandatory Requirements
  • Address the evaluation criteria
  • Alternative Offers – if an option make sure you provide a complying response as well
  • Submit on time!  Late responses will not be accepted, upload documents at least two hours before closure.
  • If unsuccessful request a debrief

Know your customer -  understand our business:

Probity – Council employees are not permitted to accept gifts, benefits or hospitality from suppliers. Gifts will not be accepted and your reputation may be tarnished.

Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) requirements include that suppliers must be fully compliant with the NSW WHS Act. Key criteria include SWMS, First Aid and Workers Compensation or Income Protection if sole trader.

Insurance Requirements – Standard requirements include Public Liability ($20M) and Professional Indemnity (where applicable) - $10M or as required based on risk. There is an option to take out or upgrade your policy if successful (this must be costed in your response).

If these requirements are prohibitive for your business, we encourage you to query it through the tenderlink portal or to the relevant officer as these requirements can be amended depending on overall risk for the project.

Further Links and Resources: