Procurement Services

Service Standards

Our vision is to "Support front-line services and provide a professional, customer focused, Procurement Service" by:

• Process PECOS orders routed to Procurement for existing suppliers within one working day;
• Process PECOS orders routed to Procurement for new suppliers within three working days of receipt of a valid new supplier form (SF01);
• Source non-contracted goods within 2 working days;
• Ensure that all Council Procurement is carried out in accordance with EU Procurement Directives, International Trade Treaties, UK & Scottish legislation and Council Standing Orders in order to demonstrate Best Value and to ensure transparency;
• Ensure that all stakeholders are treated courteously by helpful well informed staff;
• Consult with customers to ensure that the goods and services covered by the contracts we procure meet their needs;
• Consult with customers to agree a timescale for tendering procedures;
• Consult with customers to monitor and review supplier performance;
• Deal with concerns and complaints about our services within 10 working days.

Frequently Asked Questions

I would like to be considered as a supplier to the council. Who should I contact?

If you are a Building or Civil Engineering Consultant or Contractor you must be registered on the Government database, Constructionline , before you will be considered for any tender opportunities. Confirmation of your registration should be forwarded to Property Services, Construction Services, Lammermuir House, Owen Square, Livingston, EH54 6PW

If you are a supplier of goods and services you should contact Procurement Services.

Is consideration given to new businesses or sole traders?

Yes. Any firm is entitled to be considered.

Where can I find out what contract opportunities are available?

All supply and service contract opportunities are advertised on www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk.

I am a local small to medium enterprise and could not take on a large value contract due to limited resources. Are there any low value contracts reserved exclusively for local suppliers.

Awarding contracts on a geographical basis is not permissible within the European or UK Procurement rules. However, it is our normal practice to award contracts on economically advantageous criteria and accordingly partial contract awards for low value sums are common.

I have heard that the purchase to pay process is electronic. My processes are mainly paper based. Will this stop me from becoming a supplier to the council?

No. All that is needed is access to the Internet. This will allow us to e-mail orders to you. Paper invoices can still be submitted to us for payment and although we could pay you by cheque our preferred method of payment is directly into your bank account.

Is there training available to help my company with tendering?

West Lothian Business Gateway run events to help companies win and deliver public sector contracts. To find out more email bgateway@westlothian.gov.uk. Training is also provided by companies such as BIP Solutions.

Performance

Current performance information will be available to download here shortly.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with the service or we have not done something we said we would, please let us know. Problems can arise without our knowledge so we welcome the opportunity to put matters right. We also like to hear when a service is delivered well. In both cases, we value your opinion!

In the first instance we would ask you to follow PM&D's own complaints procedure . Most problems can be dealt with quickly by people closest to the situation

If you are unhappy with PM&D's response then you can escalate your complaint through the council's formal procedures by downloading a "Points of View" leaflet.