Information for suppliers

Before you become a new supplier, please read the guidance on this page.

All procurements must demonstrate value for money for our students, donors and staff, so we use competitive bidding and tendering on all purchases, proportionate to value.

To deliver value for money on lower value procurements, we source quotes from a range of local, regional, and national framework agreements, where possible. 

Tendering 

£25,000 excluding VAT to £214,904 including VAT: We ask for a minimum of three tenders, using a formal competitive tender process or an approved framework. You can find and apply for these tender opportunities through the Delta digital portal.
£214,904 and above including VAT: We follow a competitive tender process. Where we follow the requirements of Public Contracts Regulations 2015, you can find and apply for these tender opportunities through the Delta Tender Contracts Finder and the Find a Tender Service.

Where are tender opportunities listed?

All suppliers can view our tender opportunities on the government website through Contracts Finder, Find a Tender Service or on our Delta Tender portal – select 'Search Opportunities' and click on 'View'.

How do I apply?

To apply, you must first register your organisation on our Delta Tender portal and log in to the Delta Tender portal.

Here you can:

• view a list of current tenders
• express interest in a particular tender (required before you apply)
• receive tender documentation
• apply securely
• send and receive updates about your application.

North Eastern Universities Procurement Consortium (NEUPC) suppliers

You can also apply for all NEUPC contracts through the Delta portal. When tenders are on behalf of the consortium the NEUPC will be listed as the buying organisation.

When buying the wide range of goods and services needed to support the University, we must follow various external regulations and internal processes and procedures. Before becoming a new supplier, you should read the following guidance.

Terms and conditions

For the supply of goods and services below the tender threshold we contract under the University's general Terms and Conditions for suppliers.

Some contracts are subject to specific terms and conditions for example if there is a formal University tender process or a consortia agreement. We also have specific Terms and Conditions for suppliers working onsite.

IR35 tax regulation and off-payroll workers

We are responsible for making sure that individuals working with us through their own limited company (known as a personal service company or PSC) pay the right amount of tax and NI. If you are a personal service company and believe you are affected by the IR35 rules, please tell your contact at the University before you start delivering services.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to all the activities of the University.

Under the Act, we may be required to provide information we hold about our suppliers in response to a request, unless a statutory exemption applies. This may include information marked as 'commercial in confidence.'

We may occasionally need further information from you, as our supplier, to deal with a Freedom of Information request. If we do, we will ask you to reply within five working days to meet the deadlines for the consultation.  

Data protection

As our supplier, you should be aware of our obligations and responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As an organisation we have to maintain records of what personal data we hold, what we do with it and when we delete it. We also have to demonstrate how we keep personal data safe. We also need to make sure that you, as our supplier also maintains these standards whenever you handle sensitive data as part of your contract.

Unsolicited goods

We do not accept liability or responsibility in any way for any unsolicited goods or services. 'Unsolicited goods' means goods or services received where the supplier has not received a valid instruction to deliver those goods or proceed with the performance of services. You must make sure all delivery and invoice documentation clearly displays a valid University Purchase Order number unless an alternative method has been agreed by the University in writing.

Any submitted invoices that are incorrect or incomplete may be returned unpaid for correction and re-submission. Any invoices we receive without a Purchase Order or valid instruction to proceed will be rejected.

Modern slavery

Following the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we updated all our procurement documentation and processes to allow us to take proactive steps to monitor, investigate and act upon any evidence of modern slavery in our supply chains. We use a categories to identify supply chains which are at highest risk and before we award contracts of significant value, suppliers are required to confirm they comply with the Modern Slavery Act and support our approach. Please read our full Modern Slavery statement.

Anti-bribery

The University is committed to the prevention of bribery connected to University business. Serious action will be taken against anyone found to be involved in bribery. Please read our Anti Bribery Policy (PDF).

Values

We have developed a sustainability strategy which is embedded in our procurement. This means we consider social, environmental and economic impacts when we are buying goods and services and awarding contracts.

We uphold the principles of equality and diversity in everything we do and we expect our suppliers and contractors to adopt a similar approach. 

Please read our values and responsibilities.

Smokefree campus

In the first step to become a Smokefree campus, we are asking staff, students and visitors not to smoke outside on campus between 8am and 6pm every day as we aim to inspire people – and in particular current and future generations of young people – to choose not to smoke.

Currently people can still vape on campus, as it’s recognised as an aid to stop smoking, but we’re working towards our campus being completely Smokefree by 2025. This is part of a city-wide ambition to create a Smokefree generation by 2025. Smoking and vaping inside University buildings or by their entrances remains prohibited.

Scams and fraud

Organisations across the UK and Europe are often the target for procurement scams. We advise all suppliers to consult with their IT or cyber security advisors to ensure they remain vigilant and informed on how to identify suspicious requests, for example:

A supplier may receive a quotation request for goods on extended payment terms. Once the quotation has been provided, a fraudulent purchase order is emailed to the supplier. The purchase order typically instructs delivery to an address that may or may not be affiliated with the University. After shipping the goods, they are collected and despatched, usually abroad.

How to identify fraudulent emails and purchase orders:

• Look out for domain names (incorrect email extension) used to send emails and purchase orders. At first glance, these fraudulent domains may appear genuine.
• Always ensure that the email address is genuinely a University email address.
• Delivery addresses will typically be a self-storage facility or freight forwarders, often nowhere near the University. In some cases, they may initially use a genuine University address and later divert.
• Never contact the name/number used on the email/purchase order.
• Always contact through the main University switchboard.

For high value orders please refer to the University's guidance on Public Procurement.

Invoice information

To receive payments, send your invoice in PDF format by email to the Accounts Payable Department via APUOL@leeds.ac.uk. Paper documents sent to the University will not be actioned.

The University’s standard payment terms are 30 days.

Your invoice must quote a valid University purchase order number. Invoices without a purchase order number will be returned unpaid. 

Payments will only be made when we receive a valid invoice which matches the purchase order (value and quantity) and the goods have been received by the University. 

BACS

Our weekly BACS run is carried out on Wednesday and funds clear in suppliers' bank accounts on the Friday. If a payment has been made to your bank account you will receive a remittance advice regarding this payment. This will be sent by email if an email address has been provided to Accounts Payable, or by post.

Change of details

To prevent fraud, we make thorough checks to validate supplier details. If your bank or payment details change you must give us a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice otherwise there may be a delay in payment.

Performance data for payment of undisputed invoices within 30 days, financial year 2018–19

• Compliant: 97.25%
• Total possible interest: £58,904.30