Doing business with Cheshire East Council
This section will give you guidance on how you can become a supplier to the council, details of our contracts and current tender opportunities.
The council has to follow its Financial procedure rules, which regulate how it conducts its business. In addition as a public sector body we are bound by the Public Contract Regulations (PCRs) for those contracts exceeding the thresholds above which we are obliged to publicly advertise our contracts throughout the UK.
More information, including our social value policy, is available on our Social Value page.
Tendering process
Depending on the price of the purchase the council's procurement procedure varies:
Purchases below £10,000
3 quotes are advisable but not mandatory.
Purchases between £10,000 and £25,000
A minimum of three quotations should be sought by services.
Purchases above £25,001 and below PCR threshold
The council has introduced a risk based sourcing approach to procurement above £25,001 and below the relevant Public Contract Regulations 2015 threshold. A minimum of 3 quotations shall be sought via the council's etendering portal, subject to a risk assessment being carried out by the Corporate Procurement Unit. This will determine the route to market using an appropriate Request of Quotation (RFQ) and appropriate terms and conditions.
Quotation / tender opportunities
Details of current procurement opportunities (where formally advertised) can be found on The Chest website. Tenders with a value that exceeds the current threshold will also be advertised in the Governments’ Find a Tender website.
For further advice and guidance on tendering to the public sector, visit the GOV.UK website.
All details of contracts can be found on the North West Contracts register.
National - central government contracts finder system
- A National Contracts Finder helps providers to search for public sector contracting opportunities over £10,000 for central governments and over £25,000 for local government.
- Local authorities are able to make their tender opportunities available on Contacts Finder through their existing e-procurement provider.
National – find a tender service
At 11pm on 31 December 2020, the Find a Tender service replaced Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) in the UK public procurement process. UK buyers who previously published OJEU notices on TED will now do that on Find a Tender. Notices published before this change are still on TED.
You can use find a tender service to search for high-value opportunities or awarded contracts, typically over the Public Contract Regulations threshold of £213,477 but varying in some cases, across the whole of the UK.
Requirements to publish on other services are unchanged, and you can find information on contracts over £10,000 (or £25,000 outside central government) on:
Guide to suppliers
The selling goods and services to the council guide (PDF, 639KB) sets out how we work, what we buy and how who to contact. You can refer to our supplier guidance on completing procurement documentation (PDF, 702KB)
Fraud and corruption
Fraud within the public sector costs the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds each year. Detected cases of fraud and corruption are on the increase especially in the current economic climate. Cheshire East Council is committed to fighting fraud and corruption and actively encourages reporting by anyone who suspects fraud or who has any concerns about any aspect of the Council's work.
Where to find help
If you know of anyone committing any kind of fraud, whether an employee of the council, a member of the public or a company who may be contracted to work for the council then you need to report your suspicions. Referrals will be treated in the strictest confidence. See the whistleblowing policy.
Whistleblowing policy
The council's whistleblowing policy covers all employees of the council, contractors, agency staff and the council's partners.
The policy enables both providers and staff of the council to report, confidentially, serious concerns about any aspects of the Council's work in which you may suspect criminal, fraudulent behaviour or other forms of malpractice.
For further information and guidance along with details as to how to make such a disclosure, refer to the whistleblowing policy (PDF, 122KB) or email whistleblowing@cheshireeast.gov.uk.
Payment to suppliers
Automated payment direct into your bank account (e.g. payment by BACS - Banker Automated Clearing Services) is the council's preferred method of payment as it is cost effective, efficient and secure. To apply for payment by BACS please submit your banking information on your organisation’s letterhead, signed (with an original signature) and dated by an authorised officer.
We do not accept scanned,photocopied, computer generated or faxed signatures.
This must be ink.
Send details to:
Cheshire East Council
PO Box 3655
Chester
CH1 9PP
Cheshire East has a no purchase order no pay policy.
Contact Corporate Procurement Unit
Page last reviewed: 31 October 2024
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