While Procurement is often used interchangeably with the term purchasing, procurement includes all activities from the identification of a need for a good or service through to its disposal as well as the general management activities associated with the process. Purchasing is just one aspect of the wider procurement function, and includes activities such as ordering, expediting, receipt of goods into stock, and payment to suppliers.
The Procurement Requisition is required to be completed when an employee needs to make a purchase or an order request on behalf of The UWI. Approval from the Head of Department and the Bursary is required before you start the procurement process.
The Procurement process consist of the following steps:
1. Identification of required goods, works or services
2. Developing specifications
3. Solicitation or Inviting bids/ proposals
4. Evaluation and Contract Award
5. Contract Management (Receipt and certification of goods, works or services)
6. Closure of contract
7. Disposal (where applicable)
Solicitation involves seeking bids from potential vendors for the provision of goods, works or services. It can involve requesting simple quotations or engaging in an extensive tendering exercise (depending on the nature and value of the procurement activity).
A solicitation document is used to invite potential vendors to offer a quote, bid, or proposal to acquire goods, works and services and is usually in the form of a Request for Quotation (RFQ), Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation to Tender (ITT).
An RFQ is an invitation to submit a quotation for goods, works and services that are clearly and concisely defined and is low in risk and value. An award is usually made to the lowest evaluated price meeting the minimum requirements, as price is normally the only or most important evaluating factor.
An RFP is a formal request to submit a proposal, usually associated with requirements for services, which cannot be clearly or concisely defined. Price is only one of several factors comprising the evaluation criteria. Award is made to the qualified bidder whose bid substantially conforms to the requirement set forth on the solicitation document.
An ITT is a formal invitation to submit a bid, usually associated with requirements that are clearly and concisely defined and is medium to high risk and value. Normally price and conformance to the requirements are the main determinants in making an award. Once all technical criteria are met, an award is made to the lowest bidder.
The procurement process can take as little as 2 weeks to as much as 4 months to complete, starting with the development of the requirements to contract award. The length of the process is determined by the complexity of the goods, works or services being procured and the method of procurement deemed most suitable.
Goods, works or services should be invited using either an RFQ, RFP or ITT, which should be issued either via email or by hand. Bids should not be invited via word of mouth.
Vendors can be sourced from The UWI's prequalified list of vendors, the open market, internet, directory, newspapers and word of mouth.
It is a list of vendors that The UWI would have assessed and approved to participate in procurement activities based on their technical capability, industry experience and qualifications, financial capability and past performance.
You should request bids from a sufficient number of vendors for example at least three to five based on the availability of vendors in the market. This will also improve the response rate and the number of competitive bids available for evaluation.
If no bids are received the procurement should be cancelled and the process restarted. The bids received should be evaluated accordingly. If only one bid is received, a justification must be made as to whether the bid provides value for money and is within market value. However, vendors who did not bid should be contacted to enquire their reason for not bidding and based on their feedback or interest can be considered for future procurements.
The completion of the evaluation should be completed at least 2 weeks before the expiry of the Bid Validity Period, to allow enough time to facilitate post bid clarifications, negotiations and award.
The Bid Validity Period is the period within which a bidder agrees to keep their offer legally binding. It is set at 90 days and for more complex projects it is set at 120 days.
If the Bid Validity Period expires before the contract is awarded, The UWI can request an extension. However, the vendor is not obligated to extend and the procurement activity may have to be cancelled and restarted. Also, the vendor can choose to increase their prices after their bid expires. It is recommended that bids be evaluated with urgency to avoid bids from becoming expired.
If all bids received are over your budget, most likely you did not estimate accurately. You are therefore advised to review your estimates and return to the market for additional bids.
All public tenders for goods, works and services are advertised on The UWI website or in the local daily newspapers.
Vendors will be required to submit their responses in accordance with the requirements of the prequalification process.
The vendor is assessed on their technical capability, industry experience and qualifications, financial capability and past performances. Vendors who satisfy the prequalification criteria are generally selected as prequalified vendors.
No. The Procurement Unit does not execute procurement for the entire campus thus prospective vendors would need to look out for opportunities on The UWI's website as mentioned above.
Public tenders are opened to regional and international vendors unless the Tender Notice explicitly states otherwise.
Tenders must be submitted by the date advertised. Any received after the deadline will not be considered. All tenders are opened at the same time to ensure a fair process.
The UWI issues Tender Notices either publicly, which is advertised in the local newspaper or selectively, via a formal invitation letter requesting a bid.
Details of how to respond to the Tender will be given in the tender notice advertisement or letter together with any deadline for completion.
Each tender process is unique and will require specific information regarding the goods, works or services being procured. The details of what will be required will be clearly outlined in the solicitation document.
Vendors are evaluated based on the list of specific evaluation criteria and the relative weighting of the criteria stated in the solicitation document. When selecting a vendor, The UWI must ensure that the vendor will provide value for money, and that services will be delivered effectively.
The solicitation document will outline the selection criteria for that specific procurement activity. All vendors are required to go through an evaluation process. If your company is successful following the outcome of the evaluation your company can be offered a contract with The UWI.
You need to clearly demonstrate that you can meet the required standards and service delivery requirements at the most economically advantageous cost.
The UWI is committed to ensuring that the procurement process is carried out with transparency and fairness. Vendors are encouraged to request a debriefing on the selection processes. If that option does not give you the satisfaction required, then there is the option of lodging a formal complaint to The UWI, which will be forwarded to Office of the Procurement Regulation (OPR) for your complaint to be further investigated.
Procurement Unit
UWI St. Augustine
Tel: (868) 662-2002 ext. 85312, 85320, 85321
Email: procurement@sta.uwi.edu
