The Trust has adopted the use of an electronic tendering system (Tactica) to ensure that all quotes, tenders and competitive opportunities are managed efficiently and effectively.

If you are interested in supplying the Trust please register your interest: https://tactica-live.advanced365.com/login.asp

Please use the link shown below to access our Procurement and Tendering Processes page for additional information.

The Trust has a strict policy for managing commercial representatives. Whilst the Trust appreciates and recognises the role that its current and potential suppliers play in supporting health practitioners and staff working in the NHS, this needs to be managed in accordance with our policy to ensure that all representatives are dealt with in an equitable manner. You must not visit the hospital without a prior appointment as you will be turned away.

Later this year we will be introducing the Medical Industry Accredited (MIA) scheme, and would encourage all current and potential medical suppliers to register at the following address www.miaweb.co.uk

• Policy for Representatives
• 10 Golden Rules
• Procurement Strategy
• Procurement and Tendering Processes - see below
• Contract Teams
• What we spend
• FAQs - please see below
• Procurement policy

Contact us: [email protected] or Telephone: 01935 383032/383023

Yeovil District Hospital Foundation Trust has outlined its procurement and tendering procedures in the Standing Financial Instructions. These instructions detail the financial limits for quotations and tendering.

We have adopted the use of an electronic tendering system (Tactica) and encourage all suppliers to register on the system to ensure they are considered for future opportunities.

https://tactica-live.advanced365.com/login.asp

As a publicly funded organisation we are required to comply with the EU Procurement Regulations and so our high value procurements will be advertised in the European Journal via Tactica, as well as on Contracts Finder in line with the Department of Health’s Transparency guidance.

We promote the use by suppliers of Sid4Gov, which provides a passport to all public sector opportunities. Companies are able to pre-register their company commercial information in a single profile which saves time and money, and will be of particular importance to SMEs.

Register your profile today https://sid4gov.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you have any further questions or queries please contact: - [email protected]

From September 2014 Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are implementing a ‘No PO, No Pay’ (No Purchase Order, No Payment) policy in order to reduce processing times and streamline the process for payment of invoices. This means that without an official Trust PO, payment of supplier invoices could be delayed.

All suppliers of goods and / or services to the Trust must only accept a verbal or written order when a Purchase Order number is given. Any invoice received that does not quote a valid purchase order number will not be processed and will be returned to the supplier.

For business over £111,676 for goods and services or £4,322,012 for works (1 January 2014), the Trust is required to follow EU Public Procurement Directives. Potential contracts of this size are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Contracts awarded are also announced there, as well as on Contracts Finder.

These values are cumulative during the life time of the contract not just for single purchases.

Criteria for awarding a contract are made known in the tender documentation.

Don’t

• Presume that we have any prior knowledge of your organisation – we can only evaluate the information contained with-in your tender submission
• Include or attach additional information (particularly publicity or promotional materials) unless you have specifically been asked to do so – these will not be considered
• Exceed the word count stated in the tender documents – additional information may not be considered
• Leave uploading your tender submission to the last minute - late tenders will not be considered. You can always submit a tender document a couple of days before the closing date and upload a final version nearer to the closing time/date.
• Upload scanned documents unless you have confirmed that they are in a format that the Trust can open and read
• Change the format or the order of the documents

Do

• Read the advertisement carefully and submit your application as detailed in the advertisement by the dates stipulated
• Read the questions carefully and answer them accurately and precisely
• Seek clarification of any queries if you do not understand any part of the specification - contact the person responsible for the document as soon as possible (this will not jeopardise your application or put you at a disadvantage)
• Tailor your tender submission to the requirements of the Trust service, set out in the specification and evaluation criteria
• Provide all of the information required. If you cannot provide some of the information, for whatever reason, ask for advice, or as a minimum give a reason for not providing the information in your tender submission.
• Avoid copying and pasting generic answers
• Where relevant, cross-reference the answers or responses in your tender to the questions in the invitation to tender. This will make it easier to evaluate.
• Detail added value derived from expertise of your organisation
• Attach and detail supporting evidence and additional documentation on how performance will meet the required standard (clearly referenced)
• When submitting prices, ensure these are in accordance with the specific requirements of the tender documents
• Be clear on your pricing model and state any assumptions you have made when pricing
• Proof read and sense check tender submissions - to ensure it is clearly written and legible, and to eliminate significant errors and/or omissions
• Ensure that the document has been signed in all relevant places by the required level of personnel
• Return the tender by the closing date and time specified. Respond promptly to any requests for further information

These are some of the frequently asked questions received at the Procurement Department.

Q: How do I find out about contracts available?

A: Check the procurement Forthcoming Opportunities page which shows a listing of current projects.

Q: How do I apply for them?

A: All contracts are advertised openly in the Official Journal of the European Union for supplies contracts in excess of the EU advertising threshold of £111,676. Contracts below this threshold but over £25,000 are advertised on the UK Government website, Contracts Finder. Details of how to apply are shown with the adverts. Locally run quotes and tenders are sent to a select number of providers. If you wish to be considered for any of our low value exercises please contact [email protected] or contact one of the team directly using the contact details here Contract Teams

Q: Who do I contact to introduce my company?

A: Refer to the Contract Teams section for names, job title, areas of specialism, telephone and email address of Procurement staff.

Q: Why has my invoice been returned unpaid?

A: The Trust does not pay invoices that do not bear an official purchase order number. Please contact us to discuss.

Q: I have some samples that I would like to give to someone for evaluation.

A: All samples must be left with the Procurement Department so that evaluations can be monitored. Please see our Policy for Representatives.

Q: How do I register my company for tenders?

A: The trust uses an e-tendering system called Tactica. Suppliers can register their company on Tactica by using the following link: https://tactica- live.advanced365.com/login.asp

Contact us: [email protected] or Telephone: 01935 383032/383023