Key Objective 3 – Encourage use of local suppliers to further reduce the Council’s Carbon Footprint
The Contract Standing Orders (CSOs) provide a framework that governs our commissioning and procurement of contracts for goods, services and works. They are mandatory for all of our officers and members.
The existing CSOs were written in 2015 and must be updated to incorporate changes in legislation as a result of Brexit and other legislation. As part of this review the current position on use of local suppliers must be considered.
Higher value procurements for local suppliers
Currently in procurements valued up to £50,000, preference should be given to local suppliers, where they exist, providing they offer value for money. This policy helps to support our local businesses and economy.
The review should address whether the £50,000 limit should be amended to include higher value procurements. Some Councils allow for local suppliers to be used up to the procurement thresholds. Encouraging the use of local companies, in particular smaller businesses, would have the impact of stimulating the local economy and reducing carbon emissions when vehicles come to the region from outside, amongst other benefits. Any review must be carried out in conjunction with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, who has ultimate responsibility for the CSOs and must consider the revised procurement legislation following Brexit.
We are taking action to achieve our key objectives
To encourage the use of local suppliers to further reduce our carbon footprint, we are taking the following actions:
-
Action 9: Review the our Think Local policy for under £50,000 procurements
-
Action 10: Review our Social Value policy with the Sustainability Team including the weighting in tenders and consider a sliding scale to reflect the complexity of differing marketplaces and service outcomes.