ProcurementQuick quote guidance

Contents

Version history

Version history of the quick quote guidance process.

Version No.

Description

Author

Approval

Effective date

Review date

1.0

Quick Quote Guidance

L Leitch

Fiona Hughes

01 March 2021

01 March 2022

2.0

Quick Quote Guidance

K Carlin

Sharon Griffin

01 August 2023

01 August 2024

Definitions

‘Local’ means supplier’s within the Glasgow City Region which consists of the following eight councils, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. 

‘Procurement Lead’ means the responsible officer within the University Procurement Team for the procurement of the requirement.

‘Quick Quote’ the online quotation facility which allows Contracting Authorities to obtain competitive quotes electronically for low value and low to medium risk requirements.

‘Technical Lead’ means the responsible officer within Estates Services for the requirement.

‘Works’ means works as defined under Schedule 2, activities constituting works of the Public Contract (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to set out the works Quick Quote process within the Procurement Team for internal use and reference only.

The guidance is intended for use by Departments and University Procurement when considering the most appropriate procurement route for works.

Any exceptions to this process will only be permitted where express authority is granted on a case by case basis, in writing by the Head of Procurement.

The Quick Quote process is intended to reduce the tendering timescales and increase process efficiency, the University must demonstrate a compliant and auditable process.

This guidance is intended to detail the process for choosing Quick Quote as an appropriate route to market and how this complies with procurement legislation and will include:

  • A statement on the University’s financial thresholds in relation to the use of Quick Quote.
  • A statement on how the University will use the process to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing within its area reflecting the sustainable procurement duty.
  • A statement on how the University will identify suppliers for the process including organisations new to the authority, to ensure that competitive bids are achieved.

Quick quote overview

Following the introduction of the Procurement (Reform) Scotland Act 2014 (“The 2014 Act”),  the threshold for regulated procurement was lowered for goods, services and works. For the purposes of this guidance, only works will be considered.

The 2014 Act introduced the threshold for regulated procurement of works, defined as any works over a value of £2,000,000.

Following the enactment of the 2014 Act, the Review of Scottish Public Sector Procurement in Construction guidance makes the following recommendation:

  1. The use of Quick Quote should become the norm for works contracts worth less than £500,000, and public bodies should consider using Quick Quote for awarding construction-related contracts worth less than the proposed thresholds in the Procurement Reform Bill (£2 million for works and £50,000 for supplies and services).
  2. When using Quick Quote, public bodies should be able to demonstrate a clear audit trail to contract award, to ensure transparency and accountability.

The quick quote process is aimed at providing a quicker and more simplified means of procuring low value, low/ medium risk contracts. This facility is provided by Public Contracts Scotland online portal which provides a fully auditable platform to conduct this process.

Process for the procurement of works

Please refer to the procedure noted below in Table 1 when a works procurement requirement is identified.

Table 1

Works Procurement Value (ex VAT)

Process

Not exceeding £99,999

Minimum of three written quotations

Above £100,000- £2,000,000

Quick Quote in consultation with University Procurement

Above £2,000.000

Regulated procurement process which must be advertised on Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) tendering portal.

Above £4,447,447

Tender following Procurement regulations

The Technical Lead (“TL”) within Estates Services shall have the responsibility to identify the need and the project budget. The Technical Lead should proceed to Annex A- Works Process Flow to establish the route to market.

Where the route to market identifies the use of the Quick Quote Procedure the TL is required to engage with Procurement via procurement.enquiries@strath.ac.uk, providing:

  • A completed Request for Procurement Assistance (“RPA”)
  • The completed RPA shall be emailed to Procurement Enquiries where this will be reviewed by the Category Manager who has responsibility of allocating the RPA to the Procurement Lead (“PL”). Once the requirement is assigned to the PL, the PL shall have the responsibility of contacting the TL to commence the process.

Contractor selection process

Compliant and effective use of Quick Quote depends on the ability of the University to draw up a list of businesses to be invited to provide a quote.

The University shall:

  1. Invite a minimum of three contractors to quote. Only in very limited circumstances whereby the University has clear justification to proceed with less than three contractors will this be permitted. In order to proceed with less than the minimum of three contractors the TL and PL shall receive written approval from the Head of Procurement and Director of Estates.
  2. Invite as a minimum one contractor (where possible) who is defined as Local.
  3. Invite as a minimum one contractor (where possible) who is defined as a SME.
  4. Invite successful contractor on the previous Quick Quote where the type of requirement is within the same or similar category of works.
  5. In order to ensure new contractors are identified and have an opportunity to quote the PL will review the contractors listed on PCS.

Information required for quotation

Information required for quotation

Document

Description

Owner

RPA

Requirement details including budget excluding VAT and project start date.

TL

Quick Quote Strategy

Lite strategy to detail the approach to market.

PL/TL

Invitation to Quote (ITQ)

The invitation to submit a quote.

This will include:

  • Qualification Document in the form of the SPD
  • Scope of Works including any Specifications, drawings, Pre-Construction Information
  • Technical Questions for bidders
  • the Pricing Document to completed in the Tender Submission including where applicable Preliminaries
  • Terms and Conditions applicable to the Works, including Employers Amendments
  • Form of Tender
  • Supply Chain Code of Conduct
  • Community Benefits and Fair Work Practices where applicable
  • Sustainability requirements, where applicable
  • any other relevant documents including standard estates policies.

This must include all documentation intended to form the contract.
  • PL
  • TL
  • TL
  • TL
  • PL/ TL
  • PL
  • PL
  • PL
  • TL
  • TL

Evaluation

The evaluation shall commence following the receipt of completed conflict of interest and confidentiality statements.

Best practice indicates that 3 technical evaluators evaluate each project therefore where possible 3 technical evaluators shall take part in the evaluation. Please note that a minimum of 2 technical evaluators must take participate in the tender evaluation process.

All technical evaluators must complete an evaluation matrix including sufficient feedback to allow the PL to include the required feedback to bidders in contract successful and unsuccessful letters.

PL/TL

Recommendation Report

Detailing the outcome of the Quick Quote Process for review and approval by the authorised signatory.

PL

Contract Award Letters

Advising bidders of the outcome and provided sufficient feedback to those unsuccessful bidders.

 

PL

The process noted above is required shall be considered for each quick quote. In certain justified circumstances it may be appropriate to consider the use of a price only quick quote for requirements up to £500,000. This route shall be deemed an exception and approval must be received by way of a signed contract strategy clearly detailing why this route is deemed appropriate. The strategy shall be signed by the Head of Procurement and the Director of Estates. Additionally this route shall only be considered whereby the scope of works is sufficiently detailed and prescribed to permit the receipt of a price only submission.

Annex A: Works process flow

Net Construction Value (£):

  • Below £100,000:
    • Suitable framework available
      • Yes: Follow framework call off procedures
      • No: Department proceed with three written quotations
  • Above £100,000:
    • Suitable framework available
      • Yes: Follow framework call off procedures
      • No:
        • Works below £200,000
          • Yes: Quick quote in conjunction with University Procurement
          • No: Tender process in conjunction with University Procurement