How to tender for business
Where we advertise
All contracts over £25,000 in value are advertised in the Proactis Supplier Network. This is the main website for all council tenders.
The largest contracts are also advertised through Find a Tender:
For more about our advertising policy, see our section below on the tendering process.
How to contact us
Enquiries
See Contact key procurement staff by category.
Advertised contracts
Please contact the member of staff listed in the advertisement or visit the Proactis Supplier Network.
The tendering process
Companies applying to do business with the Council must follow the appropriate procedure.
The higher the estimated value of the business opportunity, the stricter the procedure. The appropriate procedure is based on the the value of the contract.
Procurement Supplier Code of Conduct
East Sussex County Council is committed to delivering innovative, flexible, strategic, and tactical procurement solutions that support the effective delivery of public services. Through its procurement activity, the Council seeks to ensure that its significant third-party spend enhances the delivery of greater “public benefit”, securing value that supports national, regional, and local priorities and needs.
The Council recognises the importance of supporting sustainable economic growth and creating opportunities for local businesses to participate in public procurements. It seeks to strengthen the resilience of local supply chains while maintaining fair and equal access to opportunities for all suppliers.
This Supplier Code of Conduct is designed to promote understanding, alignment, and continuous improvement against these objectives throughout the full procurement and contract lifecycle.
This Code applies to all suppliers, and their extended supply chains, performing obligations under a contract with East Sussex County Council. The Code will be applied in a proportionate and relevant manner, taking into account the market, the nature of the goods or services provided, and the associated risks and opportunities.
ESCC Supplier Code Of Conduct V5 [321.0 KB] [pdf]
Please note: we know these files might not be suitable for users of assistive technology. If you use assistive technology such as a screen reader, please contact us, and we will do our best to help.
Criteria for awarding contracts
We generally award tenders for contracts using a range of evaluation criteria including price and quality. This is known as the ‘most economically advantageous tender’. This allows us to take account of commercial and non-commercial considerations. We make the evaluation criteria available to suppliers so that the award process is completely transparent.
We normally award contracts to a single supplier. If the contract is available to multiple suppliers, we clearly state this in the invitation to quote or tender.