What is a Buyer Profile

BiP Solutions Ltd Presents Buyer Profiles: Advertising your Contract Opportunities on the Web FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com What is a Buyer Profile? • In line with the requirements within the EC Consolidated Directive contracting authorities are encouraged to publish their “buyer profile” on the Internet • A dedicated online area containing procurement related information FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Why a Buyer Profile? The purpose of a Buyer Profile is to provide details about a contracting authority‟s procurement practices and intentions, so that potential suppliers will be: - better informed about the purchaser, and - better able to judge whether they want to bid for a particular tender opportunity FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Procurement Directives EC Treaty principles of: • Non-discrimination • Transparency • Equal treatment Apply to all public contracts no matter what value All values of contract opportunity should be advertised on a Buyer Profile FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Buyer Profile contents A Buyer Profile includes: • Copies of all notices required by the Directive • Tender specifications and additional documents • Future procurement requirements • The purchaser‟s procurement process • Contact details FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Buyer Profile contents The Buyer Profile may also include: • Information on ongoing Invitations to Tender • Scheduled purchases • Contracts concluded • Procedures cancelled • and any other useful general information FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com PIN Notices and Buyer Profiles The notice informing of the use of a Buyer Profile site to publish a PIN must be: • sent to the Commission and published on the Buyer Profile as soon as possible after the decision approving the planning of the contracts or the framework agreements that the contracting authority intends to award FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Buyer Profile notice contents Information to be included in the Buyer Profile notice: 1. Name of the contracting entity 2. Internet address of the Buyer Profile (URL) 3. Type of contracting authority and main activities 4. Object of the contract 5. Complementary information FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com PIN Notices and Buyer Profiles • An awarding authority may publish its Prior Information Notices (PINs) on a Buyer Profile site only (no requirement for OJEU publication) provided the European Commission is informed of the intended use of the Buyer Profile site to publish the authority‟s PIN notices • This allows the authority to reduce its timescales for letting contracts in accordance with those applicable to PIN notices FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com PIN Notices and Buyer Profiles • The issuing authority must notify the OJEU, through the use of a special OJEU “Notice on a Buyer Profile” form, of details on the authority, the objective of the contract and the internet address of the Buyer Profile • Provided this is done the actual Prior Information Notice may appear on the authority‟s Buyer Profile and is not required to be published in the OJEU FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Publication of Notices • Prior Information Notices may not be published on a Buyer Profile before the dispatch to the Commission of the Buyer Profile notice • The information contained in these notices must enable economic operators in the Community to determine whether the proposed contracts are of interest to them • For this purpose, it is appropriate to give them adequate information on the object of the contract and the conditions attached thereto FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Additional remits of a Buyer Profile site Facilitates: • National Procurement Strategy (NePP) Every council should publish a „Selling to the Council‟ guide on its corporate website together with details of: – how to do business with the council – details of forthcoming bidding opportunities – contact details for each contract FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Additional remits of a Buyer Profile site Facilitates: ODPM : Small Business Friendly Concordat Good Practice Guide Seeks to achieve community benefits through procurement, by actively engaging with a diverse range of suppliers FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Additional remits of a Buyer Profile site Freedom of Information publication scheme • The Freedom of Information Act requires public sector bodies to adopt, maintain, publish and review from time to time a publication scheme. • A publication scheme is a list of the sorts of information that the organisation will make available on a routine basis. • As a Buyer Profile includes procurement information it can be used to facilitate easy access to procurement related information FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Benefits of a Buyer Profile • The EC Consolidated Procurement Directive offers time reducing benefits for the use of electronic means in the competitive tendering process • This covers the procedures for the transmission, publication and availability of contract and supporting purchasing information FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com XML OJEU Transmission e-Notices: request to participate date shortened by 7 days Where notices are drawn up and transmitted by electronic means in accordance with the format and procedures for transmission indicated in point 3 of Annex VIII of the Consolidated Directive, open procedures, and the time-limit for the receipt of requests to participate in restricted and negotiated procedures and the competitive dialogue, may be shortened by 7 days FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Supporting Documents online Buyer Profiles and ITTs available online: time-limit for receipt of tenders shortened by a further 5 days The time-limits for receipt of tenders may be reduced by 5 days (excluding accelerated procedure) where the contracting authority offers: unrestricted and full direct access by electronic means to the contract documents and any supplementary documents from the date of publication of the notice, specifying in the text of the notice the internet address at which this documentation is accessible FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Examples of Buyer Profile sites • Office of the Deputy Prime Minister www.procurementportal odpm.gov.uk • Crown Prosecution Service http://cps.g2b.info • Department for Transport http://dft.g2b.info • DVLA http://dvla.g2b.info • London Borough of Richmond http://richmond.g2b.info • University of Edinburgh http://edinburghac.g2b.info FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com ODPM‟s Buyer Profile site FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com www.procurementportal.odpm.gov.uk FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com DfT Procurement Portal FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com DfT Procurement Portal FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Creating a Buyer Profile • BiP offers a simple solution to public sector buyers seeking to create a Buyer Profile • BiP‟s aXcess service works in tandem with the Project e-notice service to deliver real time contract announcement information directly to your Buyer Profile FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Project e-notice service The Project e-notice service facilitates the creation, transmission and management of all values of contract opportunities including those required to be sent to the OJEU Project is the biggest eSender month on month for XML notices for 2003 – 2004, placing the service firmly as the market leader FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Project e-notice service • Over 2,000 procurement professionals use Project • The UK Ministry of Defence commenced usage of the Project service for all its buyers in January 2005 • All values of contract announcements submitted via Project are automatically updated in real time in an authority‟s Buyer Profile FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com BiP’s aXcess Buyer Profile service • Conforms to EU Consolidated Procurement Directive requirements • 24/7 access to constantly updated data for suppliers • Automatic population of contract notice data using the Project e-notice service FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com aXcess service • Follows look and feel of your website • Updated with your contract information using the Project e-notice service • Easy to use update link to add or amend contact details, policies and purchasing information • Low cost solution FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com May 2005 • New forms will come into use for submitting contract announcements to the OJEU • Buyer Profile form will be available to inform suppliers that you have a Buyer Profile FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Considerations Can suppliers: • Easily access your contract announcement information? • Find the right contact in your organisation? • Find out about your procurement policies, practices and procedures? FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com Considerations As a public sector organisation can you: • Publish in real time your contract announcements? • Make sure that the best potential suppliers will know about your contract opportunities? • Provide a level playing field for all types of suppliers, including SMEs? FACILITATING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT – www.bipsolutions.com