Procurement
The board's procurement section provides schools and other board users with professional purchasing advice in the acquisition of a wide range of goods and services. Orders are placed on behalf of board budget holders and for equipping new schools.
The procurement section administers a number of contracts on behalf of schools most of which are period contracts on a call-off as required basis. The five education and library boards operate a system of joint board contracting where one board administers a contract on behalf of all five boards. Most of the contracts placed are joint board contracts.
The procurement section seeks to maintain a balance between the needs of schools, best value for money, safety standards and the requirements of legislation. European legislation and board Standing Orders require that tenders are invited from suppliers for goods and services with a foreseeable spend greater than £15000 and the procurement section operates a system of open competitive tendering.
Contracts
Contracts are awarded after a process of open competitive tendering. When due for renewal, contracts are advertised in the Belfast Telegraph and some are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union, and are posted on this web site (tenders).
Current Contracts
- "Belfast" tenders
* for schools & locations in the Belfast area
- Female hygiene units & medical units
- Microcomputer maintenance services
- Liquefied petroleum gas (propane)
- Collection & disposal of non-hazardous waste
- Diesel from forecourt pumps
- Servicing of board vehicles
- Hire of vehicles with drivers (taxis)
- Approved list of conference facilities & accommodation
- Hire of van with driver & helper(s)
- Hire of minibuses with drivers
- Milk to kitchens
- Pre-prepared & fresh fruit & vegetables
- One-third pints of milk
* for schools & locations in Northern Ireland
- Office requisites & stationery supplies
- Computer consumables & accessories
- Fuel oils
- General groceries
- Chilled chips
- Education furniture
- Floor maintenance machines
- Fire extinguishers & fire fighting equipment
- "Joint board" tenders administered by other
boards
* North Eastern E&LB (( 0225-653333)
- Repair of floor maintenance machines
- Art, craft & infant play materials
- Paper hygiene products
- Cleaning materials
- Home economics light equipment
- Home economics heavy equipment
- Pre-serviced library books
- Ice cream
- Fish
- Cleaning materials to kitchens
- Soft drinks
- Confectionery & potato crisps
- In-cup drinks & dispensing facility
- Training of bus escorts
- Purchase/rental of photocopiers
- Fax machines
- School meals light catering equipment
* South Eastern E&LB (( 02890-566200)
- Classroom & school stationery
- Travel services
- Protective clothing; safety footwear; uniforms; etc
- Advertising services
- Banking services
- Poultry
- Maintenance; recharging & testing of fire fighting
equipment
- Musical instruments
- Pianos
- Accruals accounting services
* Southern E&LB (( 02837-512200)
- Microcomputers & peripherals
- Tyres & tubes
- Frozen foods
- Pork products
- Papers for reprographics
- Science & technology catalogue items
- Reprographics equipment
- Bus bodies
- Bus chassis
- 17 adult seater factory manufactured minibus
- Heavy catering equipment
- Transport of pupils
* Western E&LB (( 02882-411411)
- Textbooks & music materials
- Sports equipment
- Recovery of unreturned library stock
- Gases & accessories
- Outdoor pursuits equipment
- Butcher meat
- Disposable catering products
- Electric lamps; batteries; etc
- Audio visual equipment
- Photographic equipment & materials
- Technology materials
- Timber
- Metalwork materials
- T & D hand & power tools & protective clothing
- Heavy duty woodwork, metalwork & plastics equipment
- Salaries & wages stationery
Quotations
For purchases where the expected spend is greater than £1,500 but less than £15,000, the procurement section seeks quotations from a number of firms. The items concerned are varied. Quotations have been sought for musical instruments, office equipment, PR services, small telephone systems, printing, and maintenance of equipment.
Orders
Orders are placed on behalf of locations within the Belfast area with contracted suppliers.
Advice and assistance is given to principals and school staff on ordering procedures and non-contract items are sourced in accordance with board quotation and tendering procedures. Initial equipping of new schools, additional classrooms and other areas is carried out in consultation with principals and education advisers.