Prospective suppliers

The Procurement Office is responsible for looking after prospective University suppliers.

The University of Sheffield procurement procedures vary according to the goods and services being purchased and their value.

The University purchases through:

• pre-tendered contracts – for most of its general goods and services
• advertised tendering opportunities – for the purchase of more specialist items of equipment or services, or works projects not covered by an existing contract
• a best value for money approach – for the purchase of some low value goods (items below £5,000) not covered by an existing contract

Each University of Sheffield school or department is responsible for purchasing its own goods and services following the appropriate procurement procedures relative to the items being purchased and according to value.

All orders are placed subject to the University of Sheffield Terms and Conditions for Goods and Services (see download below) or under any special terms negotiated by the Procurement Office, or in the case of Framework Agreements, the terms and conditions of that Framework Agreement.

Download: Standard Terms and Conditions for Goods and Services

The University is not a Contracting Authority (as defined by the Procurement Act 2023) and as such will adhere to its Financial Regulations which govern its internal processes. There may be occasions where the University voluntarily acts as a Contracting Authority, typically when it determines there is an advantage to using a Framework Agreement put together for Contracting Authorities, or where a grant-funding body states that it must act as a Contracting Authority as part of the terms and conditions of the grant expenditure. When the University voluntarily acts as a Contracting Authority, it will be bound by the Procurement Act 2023.

Tenders will be advertised and tendered through the In-Tend e-tendering system and where required in the UK Government's Central Digital Platform

If you are visiting a member of the procurement team in person then you can find out more about how to find us and opening times.

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Tendering

The University of Sheffield is a member of the North East Universities Purchasing Consortium (NEUPC), which is one of the UK's Higher Education purchasing consortia that make up the UKUPC.

Through the NEUPC the University has access to a number of collaborative Framework Agreements that are negotiated on its behalf by the NEUPC or by any of the members of UKUPC.

The University of Sheffield purchases most of its general goods and services through these pre-tendered contracts.

These contracts are negotiated at a local, regional or national level for the use of the University.

Once a contract is in place, University schools and departments must use the contracted supplier(s) to purchase these types of goods and services.

The University uses a wide number of collaborative framework agreements in the following areas:

• Catering equipment and supplies
• Furniture
• Computing – hardware, software and peripherals
• Laboratory supplies
• Postal and courier services
• Domestic services
• Professional services
• Stationery and office equipment

Contract durations usually range from three to five years. When contracts are due for renewal they are advertised:

• through the In-Tend e-tendering system
• on consortia websites
• in the UK Government's Central Digital Platform (depending on the value of a contract)

The Procurement Office team are involved in the creation and negotiation of contracts, ensuring University needs are met when the contracts are initially tendered and during the contract period.

The team are also responsible for adopting, managing and monitoring these contracts at a local level.

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New vendor accounts and your invoices

If a school or department wishes to purchase goods or services from a new supplier they will contact the procurement team to request a new vendor account for the supplier they wish to purchase from. The new supplier will need to submit information including bank details and documentation as evidence confirming the validity of these details. Without a new vendor account, the University can neither place a purchase order, nor pay an invoice to that supplier. 

Once a new vendor account has been approved and created then the University department will raise a purchase order and issue it to you, for you to supply the University with goods or services as set out in that purchase order. 

Payment for goods or services will not be made without a valid University of Sheffield purchase order. 

We will return invoices to suppliers unpaid if a valid University of Sheffield purchase order number is not quoted.

Useful information relating to Purchase Orders and Invoices