Business with Council

Learn about how to provide services and products to Council.

Doing Business with Council

This guide is to help new and existing suppliers to do business with Council. Council’s aim is to:

  • Achieve best value for money for ratepayers; and
  • Conduct activities in a fair and ethical manner.

Our Procurement Policy sets out its broad purchasing principles and objectives.

Methods of procurement

Depending on the level of expenditure, we are required to use different methods of procurement to ensure legislative compliance.  All prices quoted in this guide are GST inclusive.
 

Quotations

We operate a decentralised purchasing system and requests for quotations may come from any of our departments.

Quotations are sought based on threshold limits:

  • Purchases below $5,500  - at least one quotation
  • Goods, services and works $5,501 - $33,000 – at least two written quotations
  • Goods and services $33,001 - $149,000 - at least three written quotations
  • Works $33,001 - $199,999  - at least three written quotations

Tenders

Public tenders must be invited for:

  • Goods and services $150,000+

  • Works $200,000+

Council may also call for tenders under these values to test the market.

Tenders are advertised in the Geelong, Ballarat and Golden Plains Times on Thursdays and may also be advertised in other newspapers on other days. 

Full information and documentation in relation to tenders is available on TenderSearch, Council's online tendering system.

TENDERS

This is a free service where potential suppliers can register to receive emails on relevant new tenders.  Tender documentation is available for download.  All questions during the ‘out to tender’ phase are asked by suppliers and answered by Council through the system.  Tender responses can also be submitted by upload to TenderSearch.

Each tender will have a Council Officer nominated as a primary contact for all enquiries after the tender has closed.

Tenders are evaluated on a number of mandatory and weighted criteria that are outlined in the tender documentation and must comply with the Conditions of Tender.

In order to assist in the evaluation process, we request you supply the information requested to support your submission and that your submission is submitted only in the format provided within the tender documentation.

Tenders may be awarded to a single supplier or to a panel of suppliers, as described in the Request for Tender.

Panel of Suppliers

Panel arrangements will vary in complexity and the number of panellists will depend on the Councils requirement.

  1. Closed panels – set number of panel members for a given contract period e.g. 2 years.These may be appropriate where responsiveness is required for a particular region and fixed prices/rates apply.
  2. Open panels – allow the addition of new panel members throughout the contract term. Operation of the panel will be detailed in the Specification and new members will be required to meet the same evaluation criteria as the original panel members.

Panel size will be determined by considering the anticipated amount of work, the type of work to be performed and the number of panel members anticipated to fulfil the requirements, the need to provide choice of providers and ensuring that panel members receive a reasonable level of work.

Preferred suppliers

Suppliers that have met the criteria of a tender and quotation process and have been awarded a contract will be registered as a preferred supplier.  To be maintained as a Preferred Supplier, suppliers must hold current records of all insurances, licences, safety documentation and continue to meet our requirements.

Other

We may also access the services of suppliers through collaborative arrangements with other councils, authorities, public bodies, tendering agents or State Government contracts.

Suppliers Organisational Profile

Suppliers are required to list the current business name and all trading name(s) by which the supplier is known, including where the supplier is acting as a trustee for a trust.

Supplies must provide current ASIC documentation to establish a link between the business name and the trading name(s).  Only business names linked to the suppliers ABN and ASIC registration will be accepted.

Purchase Orders

When you are successful with your quotation or tender and you have been added to our payment system, you will receive a purchase order. This purchase order number is essential to ensure prompt payment and must be referenced on your invoice. 

Once you have the purchase order number you can supply goods, works or services to Council.

Our purchase order includes supplier name, ABN details, contact details, details of goods, works or services to be provided and the price.

If a purchase order is part of a contractual arrangement, the conditions of contract will over-ride the conditions of the purchase order.

Contracts and letters of acceptance

When you have submitted a successful tender you will receive a Letter of Acceptance detailing requirements prior to starting works or the supply of goods and services.  This may include copies of current insurances, safety plans, environmental plans, traffic management plans, relevant licences and accreditations along with any security deposits.

The provision of works, goods or services cannot start until we have received signed copies of the contract.

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