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Tenders and contracts

Current and prospective suppliers need to contact Bedford Borough Council for basic information. General enquiries should be directed to commercial.hub@bedford.gov.uk

Procurement can be defined as the act of obtaining or buying goods.

Devolved procurement structure

The Council operates a devolved procurement function.

Service departments are responsible for day-to-day procurement, including:

  • tenders, requests for quotations and sourcing
  • raising purchase orders (POs) and resolving invoice queries
  • managing contracts and suppliers

The Commercial Hub team regulates procurement. This team also support Service Departments in securing best value from their procurement activity, and will also:

  • manage certain corporate contracts
  • provide management information on procurement expenditure and contractual commitments
  • analyse our procurement activity and identify potential cost and efficiency savings
  • manage development of procurement systems to increase efficiency and encourage competition for Council business

Helpful hints for tenders and contracts

  • Ensure that you supply all the details asked for.
  • Ensure that your submission reaches us by the deadline via our e-tendering portal.
  • Study the entire tender document carefully and ensure that you meet all the requirements.
  • Use the pre-formatted tender documents we send you, rather than your own as it helps us in our analysis.
  • Contact the buyer if you have any queries about any aspects of the tender process.
  • Respond promptly to any requests for further information.
  • Look at the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) for tender advertisements.
  • Your tender is legally binding – you cannot alter your submission once received by the Council.
  • Don't expect special treatment – we treat all tenders equally.
  • Ask for a debriefing if your bid is unsuccessful.

Further details of our approach to procurement can be viewed at:

Learn more about public procurement and how to bid for public sector contracts by visiting GOV.UK's Sell goods or services to the public sector.

Contract Register