Breaking down barriers
Let’s cut to the chase – Public Sector Procurement can be arduous and encompassed with E-Procurement; it can be daunting.
However, we aim to break down barriers and get maximum engagement. This is achieved via early market engagement, meeting the buyer events, supporting guidance, and a Procurement Manager willing to support the Procurement Portal whether you are tendering or completing your approved supplier application.
Balanced supply base
We are endeavouring to create a balanced approved supply base. This means that we wish for all types of organisations to bid when we conduct a procurement. So whether you are an organisation with 1 to 50 employees or more than 50, if you are classed as a sole trader, limited company, voluntary community social enterprise, or your organisation is BAME, we would welcome you bidding if your organisation meets the requirements of the procurements to deliver of works, goods and services.
The best way to engage is to take part in early market engagement events, express an interest in our procurements, review the documents and take part in meet the buyer events.
Early Market Engagement
This does not happen on every procurement, but it does occur more on our more significant procurements or where we seek to learn more about products and services before we go out to market. By being more informed, we can shape specifications that meet PA’s needs and fit with the market. This means that we are ensuring that our procurements can be realised and the market can engage.
To be involved with these, we will utilise In-Tend, our E-Procurement Platform, and invite suppliers to register and manage the engagement transparently.
Meet the Buyer Events
This does not happen on all procurements, but when they do take place, it is a great way to learn about PA Housing, our requirements, and how we will conduct the procurement. These are hosted over Microsoft Teams to ensure suppliers do not have to travel for a meeting that will only take an hour. It is a great way to ask questions and at the end of the session, PA posts the slides and supplies a clarification log with answers to the questions raised in the event.
Resident Involvement
Where procurements directly impact residents, residents will be involved from two perspectives. The first is to support shaping the specification and the service delivery, and the second is to evaluate procurement submissions as part of an evaluation panel. By involving residents, we ensure that residents have an input to the services that affect them and their communities.
Guidance and Support
We want to get maximum engagement in our procurements, and so, we like to ensure that suppliers – from sole traders to multinationals – understand the In-Tend portal. We use In-Tend for our procurements and our approved supplier application. We have provided notes in the guidance section and various ways to ask for support. If you are involved in procurement, we can’t give you the answers, but we can support you to get your responses loaded. Some wise words: the key to both managing the procurement and the approved supplier application is preparation.
Let’s talk about In-Tend
If you would like to obtain support on In-Tend via a Teams Meeting, let us know. We have earmarked Friday afternoons to discuss the supplier application and tender questions. If you would like a discussion about In-Tend, please contact us.
