FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Public Sector?

The public sector is the part of the economy concerned with providing various government services.  These include:

  • The National Health Service
  • Local Authorities
  • Central Government Department
  • Education- Universities Colleges
  • Quasi Autonomous non government organisations [Quangos]
  • Housing associations
  • Some Utility Companies

What are S.O.’s?

S.O’s stand for Standing Orders, which are a clear set of rules which a public sector body has to adhere to.

What are SFI’s?

SFI’s stands for Standing Financial Instructions are a clear set of financial rules which a public sector body has to adhere to.

What is a PQQ?

PQQ stands for Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.  The PQQ is an initial questionnaire seeking information from a company to confirm a standard required from a supplier for a specific contract. Details are required on:

  • Finance
  • Company Legal Status
  • Quality
  • Ability to deliver
  • Environment and Sustainability
  • Equal Opportunities
  • Health and Safety
  • Insurances

What is an ITT?

An ITT stands for Invitation to Tender.  An ITT is the procedure used to request a commercial bid which includes prices, and other supporting commercial offers and method statements and usually follows a successful PQQ, and is usually the final part of the tender process.  Dependent on the goods or services tendered for the ITT maybe followed by a presentation or goods samples.

What is an RFQ?

RFQ stands for Request for Quotation, which is a document used for inviting pricing and delivery quotations which meet minimum quality specifications for a specific good or service, which is well defined and quantifiable.  The public sector usually use RFQ’s for low value requirements.

What does CPV stand for?

CPV stands for Common Procurement Vocabulary and were established by the EU in an attempt to standardise the classification of goods and services for the benefit of the buyers and suppliers.  They are used specifically within the European Union tendering process making the large quantity of   European Union Tenders more manageable.

What is the OJEU?

OJEU stands for the Official Journal of the European Union. All tenders over with a value over European Union agreed levels must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union.  The journal is published daily online at http://www.ted.europa.eu

What are public sector agencies and consortia?

There are a number of government agencies and other consortia whose sole purpose is to create contracts and framework agreements to achieve the best overall value for money for its users /members.  The most influential are listed below:

  • Crown Commercial services
  • NHS supply Chain
  • NHS Shared Services
  • Pro5
  • ESPO- Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation
  • YPO- Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation
  • NEPO – North East Purchasing Organisation
  • WMS- West Mercia Supplies
  • CBC – Central Buying Consortium
  • TUCO –The University Purchasing Consortium
  • CPC- Crescent Purchasing consortium
  • SUPC- Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium
  • NWUPC- North West Universities Purchasing Consortium
  • NEUPC- North East Universities Purchasing Consortium