Electronic submissions

Instructions to suppliers

How do I submit my bid electronically?

Send your bid as an email attachment to tenders@southandvale.gov.uk before the closing time on the specified closing date. 

The subject heading of the email must be the same as the subject name in the contract advertisement. For example, if the subject name is 'Stationery Contract' you must enter 'Stationery Contract' and not 'Stationary Contract'. It is not case sensitive but must be spelt correctly. This ensures that your email bid is sent to the correct place. 

How do I submit questions?

Please send any questions relating to the tender to the contact named in the invitation.  Do not send questions to the tenders mailbox as this is not accessible to council officers until the closing time and date of the tender.  If you have any questions relating to the procurement process, please email procurement@southandvale.gov.uk

When we receive your bid successfully you will receive an auto reply: 

"Thank you for submitting a tender for [project name]. This automatic email confirms that we have received your tender and placed it in a secure store until the closing date and time.  This email account is unattended, so please do not reply to this message.  If you have a question relating to your submission please contact the officer named in the tender documents."

What happens next?

After the closing time council officers will view the bids. The council will then contact you to inform you about the next steps.

What if there is a problem?

If you send your email incorrectly or to the wrong place you will receive this reply: 

"We do not recognise your tender as a current tender. Please check the spelling of the subject heading is correct and send again. This email account is unattended, so please do not reply to this message.  If you have a question relating to your submission please contact the officer named in the tender documents."

If you receive this reply please resend ensuring the subject heading of your email is the same as the contract advertisement. If you experience further problems submitting your tender, contact the person named in the contract advertisement. 

If you don't receive an auto reply please contact the person named in the contract advertisement.

What happens after the closing date/time?

All tenders received after the closing time on the final day for submissions will be placed in a 'late tenders' folder.  Please note that it is the council's policy not to accept late tenders.  In this event, our system will generate an auto-reply similar to:

"Your tender has been received after the closing time on the final date for submissions. The council's policy is normally to disqualify late submissions.  This email account is unattended, so please do not reply to this message.  If you have a question relating to your submission please contact the officer named in the tender documentation."

Responsibility for delivering tenders

Please note that it is the responsibility of the tenderer to submit tenders on time. 

IMPORTANT: If you don't receive an auto-reply to your submission, please contact the person named in the tender invitation pack. As with hard-copy tender submissions, it is your responsibility to ensure that the council receives your submission on time.

What if the contract is advertised on Catalist?

If the contract is advertised in OGC Buying Solutions Catalist, then we encourage you to respond through that route instead of sending paper or electronic tender documents to the Council.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.Will my bid be secure?
A. Yes, your email is sent to a secure server. Tenders are 'read only'. We can only open the tenders after the closing time. Before the closing time no one will have access.

Q. Will my bid be confidential?
A. Yes, only designated council officers will have access to the folder.

Q. Is it less secure than sending the bid on paper?
A. No, the electronic route mimics the paper route. The difference is that you send the bid electronically to a secure email folder rather than by the post or a courier. The same people that view paper copies view the e-tenders. 

Q. Will sending my bid electronically give me an advantage over sending it on paper?
A. No, but we encourage suppliers to submit bids electronically as this will help to save you time and money. However, you can still use the paper route if you want to. We will view the e-tenders at the same time as we view the paper tenders.

Q. What about an electronic signature?
A. For tenders under £139,000 (goods and services) and £3,000,000 (works) a printed name on the tender documents (rather than signature) is acceptable at this stage of the tender process.

Q. Is there a limit on the size of my attachment?
A. No there isn't a limit - the attachment can be any size.

Q. Who can I speak to if I have a query?
A. Contact the officer named in the contract advertisement