JCT has updated its Tendering Practice Note and the latest version, the JCT Tendering Practice Note 2017, is now available from JCT’s online store www.jctltd.co.uk/product/tendering-practice-note
Now in its third edition, the 2017 Practice Note reflects key developments in public sector tendering following the coming into force of The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and updates the Note generally to reflect current best practice in both public and private sectors.
The JCT Tendering Practice Note 2017 is a general guidance document, providing an informative and practical tool for employers, contractors, and professional advisers involved in private or public sector procurement for the letting of construction contracts in the UK.
The Practice Note focuses on selective tendering procedures. It spans the tendering process as a whole, looking at short listing, the pre-qualification process, preliminary enquiry, invitation to tender and tender, and assessment and award. Each part of the process is considered sequentially, looking at both legal and practical issues.
From looking at different types of selective tendering procedure, the Note is then divided into the following main sections:
- Preliminary Enquiry – including a project information schedule and pre-qualification questionnaire.
- Invitation to Tender and Tender – covering the documents involved, the criteria and compliance.
- Assessment and Award – covering assessment, examination of priced documents and related matters, and notification to tenderers.
In addition to the tendering process, the Practice Note indicates some of the key areas of the new regulations and how these impact on aspects of public sector tendering. As indicated in the Practice Note, applicable public sector procurement rules and any related guidance issued may be subject to change, and JCT recommends reference is always made to GOV.UK for the latest information.
Model forms – covering both the pre-selection phase and the tender stage, are also included within the Note. These are intended for use in relation to private sector procurement only. JCT considers that, in view of the rules and regulations that apply to public procurement, public sector employers and their advisers will usually have developed their own forms.
The model forms cover both the pre-selection phase and the tender stage of a private sector tender. They may be used with any JCT main contract, and with adaptation for both sub-contract and framework tendering. The pre-selection model forms include a preliminary enquiry letter, project information schedule and questionnaire, and the tender model forms an invitation to tender and tender document. The model forms are templates and are intended to provide employers and their professional advisers with a useful guide on the structure and format of each of these key documents.
The forms will obviously require adapting as appropriate to suit the needs of an individual project.
To order your copy of the JCT Tendering Practice Note
2017, visit JCT’s online store at www.jctltd.co.uk/product/tendering-practice-note