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Checking for existing deals - which framework agreement is right for you

It is important to undertake your own due diligence on the Framework agreements you are considering in terms of how it was advertised. Given that frameworks often have an aggregate value over the relevant EU Threshold, it would usually have been advertised in the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU).

You will need to establish whether the OJEU notice covers:

  • Your sector - e.g. educational establishments if it is a university for instance. 
  • Your region: is it national or regional specific? - the NUTs code and any narrative is important. 
  • The scope of services you require.
  • You should also find out what the advertised estimated value of the Framework agreement was and the total value of call-offs that have gone through to date. 

There are several sources of information you can look at to find existing deals:

  • Check OGC Contracts Database for appropriate deals and the procurement calendar on this website for upcoming deals. On the Contracts Database you will see a link to the OJEU notice providing you with the above details. You can then contact the Framework owner for further information about how to access the products or services available.  
  • Contact your local Regional Improvement & Efficiency Partnership (RIEP) to see if they can provide you with details of existing deals in your area.  The RIEPs remit is limited to Local Authorities.
  • Speak to OGC’s category teams about opportunities to link your requirement with other contracting authorities in order to maximise the benefits of committed spend- in particular, Central Government procurers may be required to use certain frameworks or other contractual vehicles for particular categories of spend (especially commodities) and the relevant category team can advise you if this is the case.  
  • Join our online community to see if anyone is planning a similar procurement.

Where there are appropriate deals available, approach the contracting authority for further information about the deal and for full joining instructions.

As the procuring department it is your responsibility to make the decision on use of a particular framework, and you should satisfy yourself, as part of your procurement strategy that this approach will deliver value for money, as well as ensuring compliance with the procurement rules.

Example 

Identification of need - Fleet
A department is considering replacing its fleet vehicles. Before conducting a procurement it considers the needs of its users and identifies where savings could be made in the use of fleet through demand management.  OGC has published a range of tools to help determine what the fleet needs are and how best to go about meeting them. This can be found on the fleet pages.

Options that might be considered include:

  • Purchase of new fleet, incorporating considerations such as restricted vehicle/badge deals (i.e. instead of buying a number of different makes of car, buying from a single manufacturer or dealer) and standardisation of fleet vehicles to meet operational (rather than user) needs.
  • Leasing of fleet vehicles
  • Use of a Fleet management service
  • Daily hire

Having identified the total scope of their requirement for fleet, the department then goes on to explore which procurement option(s) would be the most cost effective for meeting this demand.   The department visits the fleet web-pages to review existing policy on the procurement of fleet and to identify the most appropriate framework agreement or contract that they might take advantage of. The department then contacts the OGC Service Desk to request more information on existing Fleet deals, including how to sign up.

A business case is then developed to identify the most appropriate procurement strategy. In this case, there are several commercial deals available covering a range of options.  For example:

  • Buying Solutions  Vehicle Purchase deal  
  • Buying Solutions Vehicle Leasing deal 
  • Buying Solutions Vehicle Hire deal

OGC is developing detailed procurement guides for each category which will help to guide you to the most appropriate deals.

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