Guidance on selling

There are three main areas of procurement:

• goods
• services (including consultancy)
• works (including property maintenance and construction)

In line with UK Public Procurement Regulations the BFI must establish a set of procurement tendering and contracting regulations and procedures, which apply to all its contracts.

Any requirement in excess of £10,000 will be advertised on the BFI e-tendering website (In-Tend) and suppliers must register on the government’s Central Digital Platform (CDP) on the ‘Find a Tender’ website.

Any requirement where the anticipated total contract value exceeds the current UK Procurement Thresholds may be subject to additional UK Procurement Regulations (like the previous EU Procurement Regulations). 

Anyone can apply to be selected to tender for a contract. However, before you can do this you must register as a supplier. Registering does not automatically mean you are a supplier to the BFI. It means that you are registered to express an interest in any tender opportunities we have.

Visit the BFI e-tendering website for further details.

For high value tenders, we will undertake a pre-qualification of suppliers through a selection process known as the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ). This assesses the application against certain qualifying criteria and the ability to meet the requirements of the contract. Shortlisted applicants are sent tender documents via the e-tendering portal and invited to submit tenders.

Suppliers and nominated sub-contractors should be aware that the BFI has standard insurance requirements, and in the event that a contract is awarded, they must be able to provide evidence of their appropriate insurance referenced in the tender documents.

We will provide clear instructions within all tender documents. You must complete and return the tender by the given date and time.

Contracts are awarded to tenders that represent the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) by meeting the evaluation criteria: for example, experience, fitting the specification, technical requirements and financial assessment.

We will notify all unsuccessful tender applicants in writing with feedback.

The BFI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB). In line with its aims for greater transparency in public sector procurement and contracting, the government has outlined its requirements across all its operations for the public to be able to hold public bodies and politicians to account. This includes commitments relating to public expenditure, intended to help achieve better value for money.

As part of the transparency agenda, suppliers and organisations looking to tender for contracts should be aware that if they are awarded a BFI contract, we are legally required to publish the details of that contract. In some circumstances, limited redactions will be made to some contracts before they are published to comply with existing law.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (the “UK GDPR”) came into force on 1 January 2021 and enacts the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (the “EU GDPR”) into UK law with a few minor amends, although this may change over time. Data Protection in the UK is also governed by the Data Protection Act 2018 (the “DPA 2018”).

It is a mandatory requirement for all suppliers that they must adhere to all relevant data protection laws (where dealing with EU citizens, the EU GDPR must still be adhered to in relation to their personal data). Data Protection law in the UK, is enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (the “ICO”) and we expect all suppliers to be fully aware of the above laws and regulations, especially regarding the substantial penalties that can be given for breaches of Data Protection law.

The BFI is committed to open government and to meeting their legal responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Accordingly, all information submitted to the BFI may need to be disclosed by the BFI in response to a request under the Act. The BFI may also decide to include certain information in the publication scheme, which the BFI maintains under the Act.

If a tenderer considers that any of the information included in their tender is commercially sensitive, they should identify it and explain (in broad terms) what harm may result from disclosure if a request is received, and the period applicable to that sensitivity.

The tenderer should be aware that, even where they have indicated that information is commercially sensitive, the BFI might be required to disclose it under the Act if a request is received.

Tenderers should also note that the receipt of any material marked ‘confidential’ or equivalent by the BFI should not be taken to mean that the BFI accepts any duty of confidence by virtue of that marking.

The BFI champions everyday inclusion, and recognises the need for intersectional equality, as we move towards being an anti-racist organisation. We aim:

• to create an environment for people to feel they can deliver their work in an environment that is inclusive, equitable, accessible and free from harm
• to build an environment where everyone feels respected and welcomed and a culture in which they expect to be treated fairly and generously and see their work valued

We are aware that we work in industries which are not always inclusive nor anti-racist. Together with our own staff and with all of our suppliers and contractors we aim to hold ourselves to high standards of inclusion and accountability. We ask all partners to go on that journey with us as we collectively strive to create a better culture.

Inclusion at the BFI is in reference to all protected characteristics covered in the Equalities Act 2010, with the inclusion of class.

Please contact the procurement team via email: procurement@bfi.org.uk.