Doing business with the council
Corporate Commissioning and Procurement Strategy
The Corporate Commissioning and Procurement Strategy (PDF, 3 MB)(opens new window) sets out Gateshead's approach to using our resources within the borough in the most effective way to deliver the best outcomes to the people of Gateshead.
How to do business with the council
Gateshead Council encourages competition and welcomes bids from new and established suppliers.
Contracts are awarded for their value for money and whilst the council cannot discriminate in favour of locality, we are committed to supporting and encouraging local firms to compete for contracts.
Guide for suppliers and contractors
We have produced a guide to assist suppliers and contractors who wish to supply the council with goods, materials, services or works. It helps in the following ways:
- it outlines the rules that the council must follow;
- it alerts companies to the opportunities to supply the council
- it explains how to bid for council work
- it advises the appropriate contacts within the council for categories of spend
It also supplements the council's standard procedures and ensures we obtain value for money.
Benefits of working with the council
We are:
- Fair
- Non-discriminatory
- Professional
- A long-established organisation
- Prompt to pay
If any company is interested in pursuing business opportunities with the Council, they should respond as requested to an advertisement or contact the officer responsible for that area of business.
Potential procurement opportunities
Here you can find details of potential procurement opportunities which may be advertised by Gateshead Council over the next 6 months or beyond (subject to any prior approvals necessary). These opportunities are subject to change.
The contracts listed are at various stages of the procurement cycle. Some have already been issued to suppliers, others are at the early planning stage, there is also a possibility that due to unforeseen circumstances, some of the procurements may not progress.
If you are looking for tender and quotation opportunities that you can bid for now please visit the NEPO portal website (opens new window). Suppliers wishing to do business with the council should ensure that they are registered on the NEPO Portal.
To register:
Step 1: Visit the NEPO portal website (opens new window)
Step 2: Click on "NEPO portal login" at the top right of the screen.
Step 3: Click the "Register" button and follow the on-screen instructions to register your organisation.
Step 4: Once you have registered, your user name and password will be emailed to you. Please ensure that you keep your user name and password confidential.
Download a list of potential procurement opportunities (PDF, 197 KB)(opens new window)
New e-procurement platform OPEN
OPEN is the new fully integrated e-procurement solution, designed and developed by NEPO. OPEN has been designed to optimise the way we do business in the public sector and has been developed with feedback from buyers and suppliers.
As OPEN is rolled-out over the coming months, we will no longer publish opportunities on the NEPO Portal. OPEN will replace the NEPO Portal as the place to respond to Gateshead Council and other North East local authority procurement opportunities.
All North East local authorities will be using the new platform to buy goods, works and services. We strongly recommend all suppliers register on OPEN as soon as possible to ensure they receive opportunities to bid.
Further information can be found by visiting the OPEN supplier hub (opens new window).
Register today at www.open-uk.org (opens new window)
Our Corporate Social Responsibility Pledge
Gateshead Council have developed a Corporate Social Responsibility Pledge based on the 5 Council Pledges:
- Put people and families at the heart of everything we do
- Tackle inequality so people have a fair chance
- Support our communities to support themselves and each other
- Invest in our economy to provide sustainable opportunities for employment, innovation and growth across the borough
- Work together and fight for a better future for Gateshead Council
The Corporate Social Responsibility Pledge sets out how our supply chain can help us to deliver the best outcomes for people of Gateshead. It contains a number of statements that would enable delivery of the 5 pledges and asks suppliers to sign up to the individual statements on behalf of their organisation, and also to indicate where they believe their own supply chains currently are by completing a simple questionnaire.
Download the full Corporate Social Responsibility Pledge (PDF, 143 KB)(opens new window)
Transforming Public Procurement - Procurement Act 2023
The Procurement Bill, which will reform the existing Procurement Rules, received Royal Assent in October 2023.
The Government are working towards a 'go-live' date for the new regime of 25 February 2025.
Official training is now available to support the introduction of the new Procurement Act: the Transforming Public Procurement Knowledge Drops. The Knowledge Drops are designed to provide a high level overview of the changes to the procurement regulations and are aimed at those who have regular interactions with procurement as well as suppliers including SMEs and VCSEs.
The knowledge drops can be accessed on the Gov.uk website (opens new window).
View the official Transforming Public Procurement page (opens new window)
Transparency agenda
Details of previous invitations to tender are included in the documents below.