Procurement FAQs

Q. How can my company win a contract with River Clyde Homes?

A. RCH advertises all its contract opportunities with a value above £50k via the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website. Companies must record an interest via the PCS website in any contract they wish to be considered for. Further information regarding the procurement process, and what requirements companies need to fulfil to be considered by RCH, will then be available. Companies are encouraged to read all the documentation provided and pay close attention to any additional information added onto, or any questions and subsequent answers raised, on the PCS Website.

Q. What is an ESPD?

A. The European Single Procurement Document (Scotland) or ESPD (Scotland) replaces the standard Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (sPQQ). This document is used to help us shortlist companies that bid for any of our contract opportunities.   In many instances the number of companies who wish to bid for our contracts is very high, and therefore the selection stage enables us to shortlist these companies down to a more manageable number (usually 5). The selection stage considers elements such as Financial Stability; Business Probity; Company Resources and Technical Capacity. It is used to ensure that companies who are selected and invited to tender for RCH contracts are capable of performing them.

Q. What is a tender?

A. Following the selection stage, companies who have been shortlisted are then invited to ‘tender’ for the contract. The tender document is the document which is completed by the shortlisted companies and will determine who wins the contract. The tender document will contain the contract terms and conditions, and deals with areas such as Price; Quality; Contract Management; and Community Benefits. The highest scoring company after the tender stage is awarded the contract.

Q. How do RCH score my ESPD / tender response?

A. The evaluation criterion, and the scores available for each, is contained within each document. When selecting a supplier, RCH must ensure that the supplier is financially stable; has the requisite company resources and expertise to carry out the works; provides excellent value for money; and expertly delivers services to RCH and our tenants. An evaluation panel is set up for each procurement process and this panel will score each response received against the stated criterion.

Q. I have a query about current advertised opportunities, what do I do?

A. All queries relating to current advertised opportunities should be raised via the ‘Question & Answer’ function of the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website. Bidders should not contact the procurement team directly with queries, but must ask questions via PCS. This allows all interested parties to see the questions which have been raised and the answers received, ensuring transparency and equal treatment for all bidders.  Before asking a question, bidders should check the ‘Question & Answer’ section of the PCS website to ensure their query hasn’t already been raised and responded to.

Q. Can I get help or advice on the completion of these documents?

A. The Scottish Government has a wealth of information that may be of use to any company who needs some further information relating to public procurement. The Supplier Journey area of the Scottish Government website is a great resource for any company bidding for public sector works.

Q. How do I submit my ESPD / tender?

A. River Clyde Homes only accept ESPD and tender responses via the electronic tender post box on the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website. We will not accept any responses that are not submitted electronically via the post box. For more information see the Supplier User Guide - Postbox (PDF file).

River Clyde Homes will not accept late submissions so suppliers are encouraged to not wait until the last minute to upload their response. No one can gain access to the tender post box until the deadline has passed.

Q. I have not been successful in being awarded a RCH contract, will I be told why?

A. Yes. River Clyde Homes’ Procurement Team provides feedback to each unsuccessful company who takes part in each procurement process. Initially, we will provide you with the score your company received against each evaluation criterion, and placing against the other bidders. Should you then wish, we will provide detailed feedback on each area of your response and explain the reasoning for the scores you were awarded.

Q. Do River Clyde Homes have an ‘Approved Suppliers’ list?

A. No, River Clyde Homes do not hold an approved supplier list, as we believe this is discriminatory and inhibits competition. We welcome approaches from all competent companies to bid for all relevant tenders that we advertise on PCS. 

Q. Why do River Clyde Homes not award more contracts to local suppliers?

A. By law, RCH have to treat all potential suppliers equally, regardless of where they are based. RCH have to evaluate all ESPD and tender responses against the published criterion, and award contracts to companies that score the highest, regardless of their location.

We welcome bids from local companies, and they will be given the same consideration as everyone else.

Q. I have a general procurement query not relating to a current advertised opportunity, what do I do?

A. For all general procurement enquiries, please contact the RCH Procurement team at procurement@riverclydehomes.org.uk