How to do business with the University
The University advertises its major opportunities widely and welcomes competition.
These are formally run and managed through our online tender portal; details of how to register and access the system are available below.
What is important to us?
When buying goods, services or works the University is committed to following good practice and delivering value for money. Value for money includes recognising not just the monetary price of what we are buying, but also the overall cost. This includes giving due consideration to environmental, social and ethical impacts in relation to the contract being delivered.
Why is this important to us?
In addition to our strategic commitment to teaching and research, the University has as one of its goals to be a leader in social responsibility. Supporting this ambition are a clear plan to reduce environmental impact including reducing our carbon footprint via our Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2023-28, a commitment to be fair and inclusive through our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and to use our position as a Greater Manchester anchor institution to help improve society embodied in our Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement Plan. We expect our stakeholders and suppliers to work with us to help achieve these goals, so in addition to assessing credentials around legal, professional, technical and financial standing supplier practice in these areas will be investigated.
What does this mean?
This means that we will attach an appropriate weighting to social and environmental factors as part of our evaluation of any bid submitted. This will be explained in any tender documentation and bids will be expected to demonstrate how proposals will contribute to the University’s wider obligations. For higher value projects, the University will establish more stretching targets which will be evaluated, scored and managed throughout the lifetime of the contract using the Social Value Portal.
Online tender portal
The University advertises tender opportunities and manages tender process through an e-tendering portal which is hosted by In-Tend.
Before you sign-up note:
• registration is simple and free;
• register your company once (duplicate registrations are confusing for you and us and may mean you miss tender opportunities);
• consider carefully the email you use; a generic email is advised;
• make sure that an email address is entered into the ‘Publish Email’ box as this is where notifications will be sent;
• think about populating your details fully, and carefully, as notifications and alerts use the information you provide.
Responding to a tender and submitting a bid
When participating in a formal tender or quotation exercise all information, correspondence and submissions should be made using the tender portal.
We have created some general instructions on submitting a return to assist you.
Freedom of information
The University is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR). We have to respond to requests submitted under either, and this may concern the information suppliers submit as part of any tender process.
We ask all suppliers to complete a questionnaire as part of the process, stating whether there is any information contained within their submission that could result in prejudice to their commercial interests if released into the public domain.
You can find out more about the University’s response to FOI through our Information Governance Office.