JANET(UK) Procurement
Frequently Asked Questions
1. As a supplier do I need to register my intention to submit a proposal?
Yes. Suppliers are required to register their intention to submit a proposal and must register on the website https://tenders.ja.net. Suppliers that have not registered will not be able to respond to an OJEU procurement. This is so that potential suppliers may be kept informed of any issues of clarification to the procurement documentation that may need to be made subsequent to the issue of such documentation Suppliers must register as a system user if they are a first time user of the JANET(UK) opportunities portal, which is a one-off activity. Once accepted by JANET(UK) suppliers will receive a username and password that they should use for all future accesses to the system. The only time that JANET(UK) will reject a supplier is if there is an attempt to have a duplicate registration for a supplier. Also, please note that this first time registration is not a registration for a particular contract, it is only the registration of the user on the JANET(UK) portal. When username and password are received, then a supplier must log in and then register their interest in a specific contract. It is recommended that a generic mailbox (such as sales@supplier) is set up, so that information from the system can be sent to more than one representative at the company. Suppliers must download the procurement documents to their local system, fill in the documents, and then upload back to the system (it is not possible to fill in the documents online). Please do not try to upload documents very close to the closing time of the procurement because the tender boxes will be locked at 12:01 and any documents that are part way through being uploaded will be rejected. Suppliers are asked to register as soon as they start to consider a response to an invitation to tender. In any case, suppliers must register before a proposal will be accepted.
2. Is a supplier allowed to submit a proposal by fax ?
No, faxed copied of responses are not acceptable. Suppliers must upload their documents into the JANET(UK) opportunities portal (as described above).
3. Is a supplier allowed to submit a response after the published deadline?
No. Tenders submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
4. How long after tender opening can I expect to wait before a decision is made?
This varies depending on the complexity of the solution being procured. Within the ITT document the timetable for the procurement will be published and the date that a contract award is expected to take place will be given. Suppliers that are unsuccessful will be informed by the contract award date that they have been unsuccessful.
5. If I am unsuccessful can I get feedback from JANET(UK)?
Yes. All suppliers responding to an invitation to tender are given the opportunity to request a debrief.
6. Where can I find details of EU procurements currently in progress?
Details of the current EC procurements that JANET(UK) is undertaking will be available at:
http://www.ja.net/company/invitations-to-tender/index.html
8. Will I be able to request a clarification meeting with JANET(UK)?
The arrangements for clarification meetings will differ depending on the nature of the procurement. The process for requesting clarifications will be detailed within the procurement documentation. Suppliers will be provided with clarification of JANET(UK) ’s requirements in accordance with the EU directives on procurement.
Where issues of clarification arise which are relevant to more than one candidate, these will be made available on the JANET(UK) procurement pages and each registrant will be notified via the JANET(UK) portal.
9. Are all tenders won on the basis of the lowest price?
No. In all JANET(UK) procurements the objective is to secure the most economically advantageous contract. Price will have a bearing on any decision, but this is conjunction with other criteria such as the ability to meet mandatory requirements, quality, service, delivery and whole life costs. JANET(UK) publishes the evaluation criteria for each individual procurement within the ITT documentation. All responses are evaluated against the published criteria.
10. As a supplier can I include my own terms and conditions?
This depends on the nature of the procurement. It is clearly stated within the ITT documentation whether or not supplier standard terms and conditions are acceptable to JANET(UK). For certain types of procurement, JANET(UK) expects its own standard terms and conditions to be adhered to. In these instances an example of JANET(UK) ’s standard agreement relative to the service being provided will be included with the ITT documentation. In other instances a supplier’s own terms and conditions would be acceptable.
11. How long is a tender price valid for?
This is clearly indicated within the ITT documentation. Normally JANET(UK) would require that a tender be valid for six months after the tender submission date.
12. What evidence will I be asked to supply of my company’s competence to supply the requested service?
This will be clearly stated within the ITT document. It is normal practice for JANET(UK) to ask a supplier to provide evidence of their financial and economic standing and their technical capability and experience. In some procurements suppliers are asked to provide site references.
13 Will JANET(UK) hold open supplier meetings?
JANET(UK) does not generally hold open supplier meetings but prefers to discuss issues relating to the procurement with individual suppliers, in confidence. Any matters of clarification that may arise from such meetings will be anonymised before being communicated to all registered suppliers.