Welcome to our procurement page, where you'll find everything you need to make your procurement process as simple as possible. We know the process can be daunting at times, and we're here to help.
Please refer to all of our guides below, and if you need our support, please raise a ticket through the Business Service Hub.
Responsible Procurement policy
Our 'Responsible Procurement Policy' provides a clear statement and central framework for conducting procurement. It is underpinned by our Basis and Values, with particular focus on ‘exercising responsible stewardship’. The policy applies to the whole charity and its subsidiaries and to all colleagues involved in buying goods or services on behalf of Barnardo’s. It aims to:
- Confirm and communicate the charity’s commitment to responsible procurement.
- Establish a consistent framework and protocol for managing procurement, assign accountability to management and staff for applying this policy in procuring goods or services.
The requirements in this policy should be considered alongside the requirements of other relevant Barnardo’s policies as outlined within the policy.
Barnardo’s Procurement requirements
The approach when procuring varies according to the overall value and risk of the services being supplied over the whole life of the contract. Below are the different financial bands that are applied when making decision to procure goods, services or works.
It is necessary for all purchases to adhere to the rules. In doing so, Barnardo’s ensures compliance with internal and external policies, and enables a charity-wide view of spend and suppliers.
The financial bands apply to the total cost of the purchase (for example, if it is a £5,000 annual cost and a 3-year contract, the value is £15,000) and are exclusive of VAT:
| Requirement | Financial Band |
|---|---|
| Obtain one written quote – show value-for-money | Band 1 - Up to and including £5,000 |
| Obtain at least 2 written quotes via the *e-Procurement System | Band 2 - £5,001 to £25,000 |
| Obtain at least 3 written quotes via the *e-Procurement System | Band 3 - £25,001 to £100,000 |
| Follow a competitive tendering process with the support of the Procurement & Commercials team. | Over £100,000 |
*The e-Procurement system is a supplier facing online tool that allows buyers to go out to market, get quotes, compare, and procure. It enables Barnardo’s to conduct fair, competitive procurement according to the financial bandings, conduct due diligence and manage contracts effectively.
The Commercial and Procurement team will guide and support buyers in using the e-Procurement System.
How to buy guide
The buyers' guide assists Barnardo’s colleagues in selecting the most suitable and cost effective services and goods from a range of suppliers and do so in line with the ‘Responsible Procurement Policy’. The guide is specifically targeted at budget holders and/or anyone with buying responsibility and guides them on the procurement process and activities.
Procurement training course
Our 15-minute course on procurement will seamlessly guide you through our procurement process and requirements. The course will cover our responsible procurement policy too.
We highly recommend this course for anyone who has buying responsibility within their role.
Supplier Code of Conduct
The supplier code of conduct sets out the principles and values, and minimum standards Barnardo’s expects of its suppliers. It outlines the standards and behaviours expected when working on a Barnardo’s contract and ensures Barnardo’s achieve value-for-money in all purchases, works only with qualified and up-standing suppliers and manages risks around supplier management.
It is particularly useful to those managing contracts and supplier relationships. It will be made available to all suppliers at onboarding stage.
Barnardo’s is required to meet various regulatory obligations and demonstrate good practice in relation to supplier management, including our commitments on Modern Slavery (Statement) and Anti-Racism (Commitment) all of which commit to due diligence and auditing of suppliers. Meeting these and other supplier compliance requirements relies on a good supplier management. The Supplier Code of Conduct will be used as part of routine supplier due diligence check and onboarding process
Resources
The Procurement Team will provide colleagues with a dedicated procurement support via the Business Services Hub. Colleagues can contact them through the Business Services Hub and request 1:1 support by raising a Service Ticket.
Centralised contracts
We want to ensure you have full visibility and access to Barnardo’s Centralised Contracts to enable you to procure with all the relevant information. If you have any questions regarding the contracts, please do not hesitate to contact the Procurement team via the Business Services Hub. We will be adding more contracts here in due time.