What are the Benefits to You?

The Guinness Partnership is a good customer. We are fair, honest and professional in the way we choose suppliers and in any dealings with them. We are also a longstanding, stable customer and pay promptly and in line with contract terms.

The Way In:

EC procurement directives

All procurement contracts within the European Community are covered by the EC treaty. No matter what their value, the treaty sets down principles to prevent discrimination against firms from any Member State to remove restrictions on moving goods and services freely.

The principles of the treaty are backed up by a series of EC procurement directives. The directives have been included in UK law as a number of regulations. The directives and regulations set down procedures and standards (based on openness, equal treatment and competition) for choosing tenderers and awarding contracts with an estimated value above a set limit.

Anyone who feels they have not been treated fairly under the process can complain to the European Commission. You can find information about the EC procurement directives and regulations on the OGC website: www.ogc.gov.uk or from the Euro Information Centre (EIC).

Where are opportunities advertised?

Opportunities for contracting with The Guinness Partnership may be advertised in a wide variety of places. Contracts below the EC limit can be advertised in trade journals and on The Guinness Partnership website www.guinnesspartnership.com. However, The Guinness Partnership is not compelled by law to advertise low-value contracts.

Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)

All of The Guinness Partnership procurement contracts for business worth more than the EC threshold limits limit must be published in the daily supplement of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). This provides information on the current requirements and invites suppliers to express an interest, or to tender directly in some cases, depending on the contract procedure. It also sets out information about contracts which have been awarded.

The regulations that say precisely which contracts must appear in the OJEU are very detailed. You can get information about these from the OGC www.ogc.gov.uk or the EU Commission on European Commission

There are several ways of gaining access to the OJEU

• Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) is the online version of the OJEU. It uses subject and country codes to give you direct access to notices which may interest you. However, many businesses find it easier to use the TED service offered by

Business Link Operators, Euro Info Centres and commercial organisations. You can gain access to TED, free of charge, from the website:-

www.ted.eur-op.eu.int

• You can get copies of the OJEU (available only in CD-ROM format) by paying a subscription or by buying copies from the Stationery Office. If you want an individual copy, you should contact the Stationery Office Orders Department contact details:-

www.tso.co.uk

Tendering journals

Other useful sources of information are tendering journals which provide details on tender opportunities for goods, services and construction contracts.

For example :-

Business Information Publications Ltd, Park House,

300 Glasgow Road,
Shawfield,
Glasgow
G73 1SQ

Tel 0141 332 8247,
Fax 0141 331 2729,

www.bipcontracts.com

My Tenders.com

10 Queens Road
Aberdeen
AB15 4ZT

Tel 0870 609 1465