Constitutionally, geographically and in terms of the tiny, scattered population it represents the Council of the Isles of Scilly has no equivalent of local government anywhere in the United Kingdom. The Isles of Scilly consists of more than 200 low-lying granite islands and rocks, five of which are inhabited, are located on the edge of the Atlantic some 28miles South West of Land's End and is reached by ship, helicopter or plane.
The Authority has always been non-political and is currently made up of 21 independent members: 8 from the 4 off-islands and 13 from St Mary's. The procurement processes of the Council is the responsibility of the Procurement Team, consisting of Council personnel, officers and Members, including a Procurement Member Champion and a Procurement Chief Officer Champion. Meetings are held on a regular basis to review and assess procurement decisions and future needs.
The Council is responsible for a wide range of services and offers contracts on a number of goods, works and services, from capital projects to office consumables and uses partnerships and, where possible, collaborative arrangements with other Councils, Government agencies and community sector. Effective relationships with private and voluntary suppliers of all sizes are encouraged. The Small Business Concordat Opens in a new window explains the Council's commitment to working with smaller businesses.
A list of approved suppliers is held and is reviewed periodically. Should you wish to be considered to be included on the Authority's approved supplier list, please write to the Procurement Team at the address to the right of this page, or contact the Procurement Team.
A guide to doing business with the Council and the related documents are being updated for publishing on this page. In the meantime, any queries may be directed to procurement@scilly.gov.uk
You may view possible current tender advertisements on Contract Opportunities Opens in a new window.
If you are looking for employment with the Council of the Isles of Scilly, you will find more information on current vacancies and employment policies on the Jobs and Careers Opens in a new window page
Free public procurement course for businesses
On 25th January 2010, Government is launching an on-line procurement course “Winning the Contract”. This is a FREE resource to help businesses (and in particular SMEs) learn about public procurement and how to bid for public sector contracts. The course can be accessed via the Business Link webpage at: www.businesslink.gov.uk/procurement
The course introduces businesses to the key procurement processes, including:
- identifying the advantages and disadvantages of dealing with public bodies
- understanding how different types of contracts are defined, advertised and dealt with
- understanding approved supplier lists and framework agreements
- searching for and finding public sector opportunities
- identifying the key stages in the tendering process
It also has a useful Resource section, case studies, and a Hints and Tips download.
