Issue - meetings

The Executive Board considered the attached report:-

RECOMMENDED: That Council be recommended to approve the changes to Procurement Standing Orders as set out in Appendix 1 located at http://councillors.halton.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=316&MId=3704&Ver=4

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The Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources on Changes to Procurement Standing Orders.

            RESOLVED: That Council approve the changes to Procurement Standing Orders as set out in Appendix 1.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, on proposed changes to Procurement Standing Orders.

            The Board was advised that, as part of the Council’s Procurement Strategy, the Procurement Division had been actively seeking new ways to improve procurement practice across the Council.

            Current Procurement Standing Orders state differing thresholds of spend to allow officers to procure goods, services and works. The thresholds were detailed in the report and were:

·        Up to £1000: Advisable for quotations to be sought;

·        £1,001 - £50,000: Must seek three quotations via the Chest (Due North) E sourcing system; and

·        £50,001 - £1M: Must follow a formal tender process and in line with EU Public Procurement Contract Regulations in terms of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) requirements. (Thresholds £156,442 goods and services and £3,927,260 works).

 The Board was advised that it was proposed to change the thresholds from £50,000 to the OJEU threshold for goods and services of £156,442.  This would mean that for contracts between £1,001 and £156,442, that the three quotation process via the Chest would be used in future.  By moving this threshold it would allow both officers in Directorates and the Procurement Team the ability to take a less bureaucratic process to seek quotations via the Chest rather than follow a formal tender.

RESOLVED: That Council be recommended to approve the changes to Procurement Standing Orders as set out in Appendix 1.