The Key for School Leaders | NASBM
School business management toolkit
The DfE guidance also has information on the tendering
process and issuing invitations to tender. On page 15 it says
you need to issue invitations to tender for high-value purchases,
in addition to purchases above the EU threshold.
For low to medium-value purchases, the guidance says on page
9 that it is recommended to get written quotes from at least
three suppliers.
The DfE has also produced purchasing 'checklists' for school
business managers for low, medium and high-value purchases
and procurements over £172,514. You can download these
checklists from the GOV.UK website:
require. This will form part of the tender paperwork that you
issue to potential suppliers.
On page 11 of its guidance on effective buying, the DfE, it lists
key points for writing a specification. These include:
• State clearly the product/service that you require, and the
quantity, quality, delivery requirements, and any relevant
information about end use
• State whether the supplier has to meet any legal criteria (for
example, relating to health and safety), and outline why and how
• Outline clearly the standards of performance expected
Link on our website
Buying for schools: purchases checklists, GOV.UK – DfE
Managing a contract
On page 22 of its guidance on effective buying for your school,
the DfE offers the following tips for managing high-value or
medium-value contracts:
• Leave it to the supplier to decide how to provide the product or
service, ensuring you specify only what you want the outcome of
the purchase to be
It says that a specification “ensures that your school receives
the right standard and scope of product or service”.
Statement of requirement
• Build a good relationship with your supplier
For low-value quotes you will need to write a statement of
requirement. This is usually about a paragraph in length. It is
similar to a specification in that it communicates to your supplier
what you require, focusing on the outcome rather than how you
want the supplier to provide the goods or service.
• Ensure the goods or services are delivered correctly, meeting
your requirements
For tips on writing a statement of requirement, see pages 9-10
of the DfE's guidance.
• Keep copies of all related documents, including quotes, written
communications, any OJEU process documents, and contracts
(and extensions or amends). This is a legal requirement
• Manage risks effectively – for high-value or business-critical
contracts, carry out a risk assessment for your contract, keep a
risk register and prepare a contingency plan
• If you think you may need to make changes to the contract, set
up change control procedures in advance and agree them with
your supplier
• If you need to end the contract, review the contract’s end terms
and conditions in good time and agree an exit strategy with your
supplier
Writing a specification
Find more on our website
This is an extract. Members of The Key for
School Leaders can read the full article with links
to all sources, on our website. To find it quickly,
go to www.thekeysupport.com/SL and enter the
reference number 797 in the website search tool.
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For medium-value or high-value purchases, you must write a
specification giving precise details of the goods or services you
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