How To Use Our Frameworks

WHAT IS A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT?

A Framework Agreement is a compliant commercial arrangement that seeks tenders from organisations that are capable of delivering a certain requirement. We set up framework agreements for goods and services commonly purchased by our members, which are fully compliant with Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR15) and meet with obligations of ERDF.

Our framework agreements go through a competitive tender exercise conducted and advertised in line with the compliance requirements of PCR15. As a member owned organisation, we work hard to keep our members’ operational and strategic objectives in mind, ensuring those suppliers awarded can meet our members current needs. Following that exercise, we award the most suitable suppliers to service your requirements.

A group of suppliers will be awarded to the Framework Agreement based on the requirements of the tender and the arrangement will be in place for a set period of time, generally four years.

HOW TO USE A FRAMEWORK

When you are ready to purchase goods and/or services on a framework agreement, the next step is to issue your specific requirements to the awarded suppliers on that framework. This will help you identify which supplier can offer the best solution according to your criteria, whether that be quality, value for money, green initiatives or so on. You don’t need to send out a full tender exercise, we’ve already asked the questions for you and can make answers and scores of awarded suppliers, available to you.

This can be done through two methods;
Direct Award
Mini Competition

1. A direct award means that all the specifications laid out in the tender meet your own and that your requirements were fully addressed within the tender documents. You then contact the top scoring supplier and discuss the finer details of placing an order with them. This gives you a quick route to market.
2. If the nature of your requirement means that you have slightly different priorities or conditions than that of the criteria of the tender exercise then you need to reopen competition between the suppliers awarded to the agreement. To do this you would issue your specification in writing to all those suppliers and assess from their responses, which of the suppliers will give you the best result.

Every Framework has a user guide available that will tell you how to run either of these processes in more detail and any criteria you need to take into account. Remember, our Category Managers are always on hand for any advice that you need!

10 reasons why you should use our frameworks:

Peace of Mind- Our team are experts in UK public procurement law, follow a rigorous process and we are confident in providing a robust audit trail.
Accountable – NWUPC will provide contract management support to you should you experience any issues with suppliers and will act in your best interests.
Agreed by Suppliers- our terms and conditions for each framework have been agreed by awarded suppliers.
Saves you time and money – Our contracting team conducts competitive and compliant tenders to select the market’s most capable suppliers to service your requirements. Now you can conduct a simplified process with less administrative effort and cost.
Flexible- Our frameworks allow flexibility to determine specific requirements at the call off stage and within the structure of compliance.
Stability – With our agreements lasting typically four years, you can focus less on market fluctuations and more on longer term business planning and the development of longer term commercial relationships.
Cash Savings -We use approved sector wide methodology to provide cost-affective agreements, which you can compare to prices you previously paid or with market value.
Engaged Suppliers – We thrive to maintain good relationships with awarded suppliers to and regularly conduct reviews including financial stability and monitor performance against set KPIs, ultimately reducing risk for your organisation.
We think Green- From tendering to contract management, we are committed to responsible procurement at the heart of all our activity.
Large Supplier Portfolio – Awarded suppliers range from multi national corporations to micro business, of which 70% of our supply base are SMEs.