Selling to Tower Hamlets
There are three main ways a company can secure a contract with Tower Hamlets
- through a public tender
- by being on a Tower Hamlets Framework
- by being a supplier registered on a Tower Hamlets DPS.
Public tender
The tendering opportunities that are open to bidders can be found on the Find a Tender Service (FTS).
Contracts over £100k per annum
The council uses the London Tenders Portal (Proactis Due North) as its e-tendering system for all contracts with a value of £100,000 or above.
Organisations wishing to express their interest in providing goods, works and services advertised by the council must register their interest (for free) via the council's e-tendering system unless otherwise stated.
Please allow enough time to register (at least one working day). The council accepts no liability for expressions of interest and tender documents that are not received due to internet connectivity issues, transmission delays or errors.
A supplier registration guide has been created to help potential providers use the portal.
If you are a supplier, you should register your company on this portal. When a tender opportunity comes along that matches your company profile the system will send you an alert.
Contracts below £100k per annum
The Request for Quote (Proactis RFQ) tool enables council officers to seek quotations for supplies, services and works £100,000. This is the council’s preferred route for low value procurement.
When a quotation is set up, all bidders listed in the quotation will be sent a notification automatically. The notification email will contain a hyperlink that will take the bidder directly to the quotation page.
All new suppliers will need to register on the site to access RFQs issued to them. Here they can update their organisational details at any time. They can also complete the council's compliance questionnaire should they be successful in an RFQ.
Overall council’s requirements
Suppliers should note that any company that works for Tower Hamlets has to meet certain minimum criteria regarding their company standing. This includes insurance cover, finances, etc.
The requirements will depend on the contract and will be included in the tender documentation. Suppliers should always make sure they meet the criteria before they submit a bid.
Details of some of these can be found in the supplier code of conduct.
Dynamic purchasing systems
Suppliers may apply to join the following: