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Procurement

Procurement is a professional specialism covering a range of activity, from advertising new contract opportunities; managing tender competitions with suppliers; ensuring commercial contracts are in place, and helping ensure positive contract management activity takes places during a contract’s term. 瓜子TV’s Procurement Team is established to take a proactive and strategic approach in all the University’s procurement activity. This is vital as the university spends in excess of £60 million each year on a broad range of goods, works and services which require optimised value for money for the organisation and our students. 

The Procurement Team helps support implementation of our procurement strategy, provision of clear policies, procedures and guidance for staff; alongside hands on support for any higher value procurement activity (typically contracts over £100,000). 

How to do business with the university?

The university has clear internal policies to help govern how / when different contracts requirements, based on value, are advertised and competed. Competitive process and advertising requirements are prescribed in detail within our relevant policies and procedures, but those requirements at a headline level are outlined below:

  1. Levels of Competition

    The university follows the below table in determining minimum levels of competition / requirements.

    Table 1 鈥� Levels of Competition

    Contract Value Band

    Estimated Contract Value (inc. VAT)

    Requirements

    Small Contract

    拢0 to 拢29,999

    Minimum of ONE written Quotation.

    Or

    Framework Call-off

    听

    Medium Contract

    拢30,000 to 拢99,999

    Seek a minimum of THREE written Quotations

    Or

    Framework Call-off

    Or

    Request for Quotations (RfQ)

    Large Contract

    拢100,000 to Procurement Act 2023 Threshold

    Open Tender

    Formal Tender Process undertaken by University Procurement Team.Tenders sought via the University鈥檚 Electronic Tendering system ()and Contract Opportunity Advertisement placed on ( (FTS))

    Or

    Framework Call-Off

    Above-Threshold Contract (Procurement Act 2023)

    Procurement Act 2023 Threshold and Above

    Open Tender or Competitive Flexible Procedure

    Formal Tender Process undertaken by University Procurement Team.听 Tenders sought via the University鈥檚 Electronic Tendering system () and Contract Opportunity Advertisement placed within the 听( (FTS)).

    Or

    Framework Call-Off

    Alongside these prescribed levels of competition, the University will also access third-party contracts and frameworks for purchase requirements where relevant, appropriate and permissible.

  2. E-tendering System (In-Tend)

    The University uses the听听to manage all procurement competitions valued above 拢100,000. Any supplier may access this system and register their business free of charge. Once you鈥檙e signed up as a supplier on the system you can register your interest on any potential opportunities that are available, quickly access tender / quotation documentation, and submit a response to any opportunities via In-tend.听

    No access to tender / quotation documentation will be given, or supplier responses to a competition opportunity accepted; if requested / submitted outside of the In-tend portal for contracts above 拢100,000.

  3. Advertisement of Quotations and Tenders

    The University openly advertises contract opportunities valued above 拢100,000, whilst In-tend is a primary route for this, contracts are also advertised on the platforms below. Suppliers may choose to register for opportunities across these advertising platforms, including (but not limited to) those advertised by 瓜子TV.

    Find a Tender Service

    From 24 February 2025, both above- and below-threshold notices about new procurements will be published on this service. Above-threshold notices now cover the full lifecycle of contracts, from pipeline to termination.

    For procurements that started before that, only above threshold notices are published here, usually over 拢214,904 inc. VAT. Information on below-threshold contracts over 拢30,000 inc. VAT is available from Contracts Finder.

    This central government portal provides a simple search facility, for suppliers to search and seek access to national contract opportunities in their area of specialism or via key words.

    The university will advertise contract opportunities valued above 拢100,000 on this portal.

  4. University Procurement Consortia

    The University use procurement consortia that set up collaborative contracts for many Universities and other public bodies to help create quick and compliant routes to market and work to leverage the buying power of many contracting authorities to gain access to commonly purchased goods and services.听

    Many universities are a member of the听. Should you be interested in becoming a supplier and understanding what opportunities may exist across multiple universities, please use the above link to find our details on how you can register your interest.

    Alongside the above, you will find detailed information on all other university consortia and representative procurement bodies on the听听website.听

  5. Purchase to Pay

    Payment Performance

    Our goal is to pay all of our suppliers鈥� invoices within 30 days of receipt of an approved invoice.

    Financial year Invoices paid within 30 days Invoices paid within 37 days Average days to pay

    2017/2018

    58%

    66%

    65

    2018/2019

    67%

    73%

    44

    2019/2020

    74%

    80%

    36

    2020/2021

    78%

    84%

    33

    2021/2022

    84%

    88%

    31

    2022/2023

    83%

    87%

    27

    2023/2024

    65%

    72%

    34

    For the financial year ending 31 July 2023 the 瓜子TV paid 83% of invoices received within 30 days of the invoice date. For those not paid within 30 days were due to the following

    • Invoices did not quote a valid Purchase Order number
    • Invoices quoted a previously used Purchase Order
    • Invoice discrepancies, i.e. price and / or quantity variances
    • Supplier incorrectly charged VAT on supplies where a VAT exemption certificate had been issued
    • Invoice not sent to the correct team for payment

    For the financial year ending 31听July 2024, 65% of invoices were paid within 37 days of the invoice date. The extra 7 days allows for the time for Accounts Payable to receive and pay valid invoices from suppliers sent to the incorrect address, or for the University to reasonably consider, verify and resolve disputes with suppliers.

    All invoices sent to 瓜子TV must quote a valid Purchase Order number unless an exemption has been agreed. Invoices received without a valid Purchase Order will be automatically rejected and must be resubmitted ensuring a valid Purchase Order is quoted.

Strategic Procurement and Policies

The University acknowledges that it must take a strategic and forward-thinking approach to its procurement activity, to ensure that we deliver the maximum from our budgets every year, whilst ensuring we manage all key contractual and supply chain risks. 

A number of key strategic documents and policies are provided below to provide a context to the approach the university takes in its procurement activity. 

Whistleblowing Policy

The University has a set policy on whistleblowing, if you have any concerns as and/or about any supplier that the University may procure goods, works or services from, please do raise these concerns with us as set out within the policy.

Modern Slavery Act

The University publishes an annual statement pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. 

Within this Statement the University defines the scope to our perceived Modern Slavery risk and the actions taken each year ensure that we reduce our potential susceptibility to this risk within our internal operations and supply chains.

Contact Us

The University has established a Category Management approach to its procurement activity. Reporting to the Associate Director of Procurement, a team of Category Managers actively support the university in a range of specific category areas: professional services IT and digital; and Estates.

If you require further guidance on how the University supports procurement activity beyond the detail provided on this page, please review the below contact points as to who may be appropriate to answer your query.

If you have a general enquiry, or are not sure who to contact, please send your e-mail here.

Primary contacts and responsibilities

Neil Bayliss - Associate Director of Procurement

All procurement activity

neil.bayliss @dmu.ac.uk

Julie Oakley - Category Manager - Estates

  • Catering, Food and Beverages
  • Cleaning Services and Supplies
  • Estates and Buildings Construction Maintenance
  • Estates Consultancy
  • Furnishings
  • Postal Equipment and Services
  • Safety and Security
  • Utilities

Paul Whitehall - Category Manager - ICT

  • AV and Related Equipment
  • IT Consultancy
  • IT Hardware
  • IT Software
  • IT Services
  • Printing, Reprographics and Photocopying
  • Telecoms

James West - Category Manager - Professional Services

  • AuditBanking
  • Consultancy (exc. IT/Estates)
  • Health & Welfare
  • Insurance
  • International Marketing and Communications
  • Other Professional Services
  • Staff Recruitment and Temporary Staffing
  • Student Recruitment
  • Training
  • Travel and Accommodation (staff and student)

Ben Bennett - Category Officer

  • Art and Design Equipment
  • Clothing and PPE
  • Laboratory and Medical
  • Sport & Recreation Services and Equipment
  • Vehicles and Fleet

Stephen Phillips - Assistant Category Manager

  • Photographic Equipment
  • IT Peripherals and Consumables
  • Library Services and Publications

Mohammed Joheb Ali - Procurement Governance Officer

  • Promotional Activity and Materials
  • Stationery and Office Supplies