Working with the University | Finance, Planning and Analytics

As both a charity and a public body, the University is strictly governed by Public Procurement regulations and our own Financial Regulations directed at ensuring a fair and transparent process is followed to obtain maximum value for money on all purchases. When engaging suppliers, we utilise a number of routes to market including collaborative framework agreements from the Southern Universities Procurement Consortium (SUPC) and other consortia as well as awarding our own contracts through competitive tender and quotation activity.

The procurement activities we have to undertake, when purchasing goods and services, are laid out according to the potential value of spend:

Contract value	Procurement procedure
£0 - £10,000 (contract value exc VAT)	Single informal quote
£10,001 - £25,000 (contract value exc VAT)	Minimum of two (2) written informal quotes
£25,001 - £100,000 (contract value exc VAT)	Formal Competitive Quotation
£100,001 - £179,087 (contract value exc VAT)	Formal Tender Exercise
>£179,087 (contract value exc VAT)	Formal Tender Exercise "Above Statutory Threshold"

Note: in relation to the procurement of works, different thresholds apply. For works above £100,000 the University will undertake a competitive tender exercise, where the contract value is above the Public Contracts Regulations threshold (£4,477,174 exc VAT /£5,372,609 inc VAT) this will be in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. (Threshold valid from January 2024)

Where are tender opportunities listed?

The University currently utilises In-Tend to manage tender activity. Tender opportunities are advertised on the following electronic portal:

In-Tend

From this web site you can:

View a list of tenders/contracts/quotations.
View information on contracts that have already been awarded.
Express interest in a particular tender or quotation.
Receive tender and/or quotation documentation.
Safely return your tender or quotation documents.
Send and receive correspondence.

How do I use In-Tend?

To browse the list of current opportunities select the Tenders - Current option. If you are interested in any of the projects listed, select the View Details button for further information and to express your interest.
To gain full access to this web site you must register your company / organisation using the Register option.
When your registration has been accepted, you will receive an email containing your Login Information.
Once you have received your Login Information, or if you are already a registered user, select the Login option.

Further details on how to use the system and manage you account are available on the In-Tend site itself

Can I download tender documents?

Any supplier may download tender documents for University tenders which are advertised via the In-Tend system and submit a tender return. High level details of the tender requirement and instructions for obtaining further information and tender documents are detailed in the tender advertisement. Full details are contained in the tender documents.

Where can I find UK tendering opportunities?

Details of contract opportunities and contract awards above £25,000 for all public sector organisations can be found on Contracts Finder.

Details of high value opportunities above the relevant UK procurement threshold can be found on either Find a Tender Service (publications after 1st January 2021 following the withdrawal from the EU) or in the EU journal (publications prior to 31st December 2020)

Becoming a Southern Universities Procurement Consortium Supplier.

The University also buys off framework agreements put in place and managed by the Southern Universities Procurement Consortium. (SUPC).

Full details on how to become an SUPC supplier can be found on the SUPC website.

Becoming an estates and facilities or health and safety department supplier

The University maintains separate lists of suppliers in these areas. To find out more about how to engage with us in these sectors, select the link below:

Estates and Facilities - information for contractors

Terms, Conditions and Policies

We engage suppliers using University of Southampton terms and conditions, the standard terms and conditions of purchase are available to view here.

Where alternative terms and conditions are required due to the specialist nature of a requirements (for example the supply of services, or works) the terms and conditions are contained as part of the Invitation to Tender procurement documentation.

All suppliers must have appropriate contractor insurance, required levels and details will be specified within the procurement documentation.

Suppliers are expected to comply with any procedures, policies or regulations of the University that are relevant to the work they are doing with us. The University is committed to complying with laws and regulations in the pursuit of excellence in the way that it procures goods and services. These activities will be carried out in a manner that follows University policies and procedures and achieves value for money wherever possible. In delivering these commitments, we must ensure adherence to the highest standards of ethical and professional behaviour, which we expect our suppliers to also observe when delivering goods and services to the University. Suppliers are required to adhere to University policies applicable to staff and relevant to the requirement.

Further information on The University's regulations and policies can be found on our Governance pages.