Information required from suppliers

The type of information required may include some or all of the following;

• Basic company details,
• Financial information, including accounts,
• Business activities & management structures,
• Resources and staff training,
• References and experience,
• Details of insurance cover,
• Policies and systems such Health & Safety practices, Equal Opportunities, Quality Systems and Environmental Management,
• Professional and business standing.

For some contracts a 'method statement' may be requested as part of a tender, and these are intended to give the company an opportunity to show how they can provide the goods or service whilst giving the Council an insight into the company's methods of operation. Areas which can be included in the method statement are:

• Contractors working methods,
• How the contractor intends to deliver the contract and the timescales,
• How the programme will be resourced,
• The contractors definition of quality,
• How the contractor measures quality,
• Company policies (e.g. Environmental, Health and Safety, energy efficiency),
• Any proposals to use sub-contractors,
• Transitional / start-up arrangements,
• Training,
• Proposals for continuous improvement.