Advice Cloud

G-Cloud experts and government procurement consultants

0330 124 4224

  • About
  • For Suppliers
    • For Suppliers
    • Our Services
      • End-to-End Procurement Support
      • Go To Market Assessments
      • Workshops & Training
      • Framework Listings
      • G-Cloud Buyability™ Review
      • Bid Review Services
    • Frameworks
      • G-Cloud
      • Digital Outcomes & Specialists
      • Technology Services
      • Transport Technology & Associated Services
      • Medical IT
      • Network Services
      • Technology Products
      • Data and Application Solutions
      • Other Frameworks
    • Dynamic Purchasing Systems
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Cyber Security Services
      • Automation Marketplace
      • Spark Technology Innovation Marketplace
      • IoT Technologies Services
      • Digital Technology Services
      • Quality Assurance and Testing for IT Systems
      • Gigabit Capable Connectivity
      • YPO Care Technology
      • HSCN Access Services
    • Why Choose Us?
      • Case Studies
      • Our Experience
      • Our Process
  • For Buyers
    • For Buyers
    • Our Services
      • G-Cloud Support Desk
      • G-Cloud Procurement Services
      • Digital Outcomes and Specialists
      • General Support Services
      • UKCloud Health services
    • Why choose us
      • Our Experience
  • Training
  • Spend data
    • Spend data
    • Spend Data
      • G-Cloud Sales
      • Digital Outcomes and Specialists and Digital Services Sales
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Procurement Essentials
      • Procurement 101
      • What is a Framework?
      • What is a Dynamic Purchasing System?
    • Ultimate Guides
      • Ultimate Guide to G-Cloud
      • Ultimate Guide to Digital Outcomes and Specialists
    • Tools
      • G-Cloud Sales
      • DOS and Digital Services Sales
      • Procurement Pipeline
      • Framework Alert
    • Resources
      • Blogs
      • G-Cloud
      • DOS
      • Business Guides
      • Expert Insights
      • Research
      • Events
      • Press
      • Videos
      • Announcements
  • Contact Us
End-to-End Procurement SupportGo To Market AssessmentsWorkshops & TrainingFramework ListingsG-Cloud Buyability™ ReviewBid Review Services

New ways of opening doors to the public sector

Book your free place at our joint webinar with new partners Stotles!

Join our specialists on Thursday 13th May, 10:30am until 11:30am for insights into how to access more opportunities.

BOOK

G-CloudDigital Outcomes & SpecialistsTechnology ServicesTransport Technology & Associated ServicesMedical ITNetwork ServicesTechnology ProductsData and Application SolutionsOther Frameworks

New ways of opening doors to the public sector

Book your free place at our joint webinar with new partners Stotles!

Join our specialists on Thursday 13th May, 10:30am until 11:30am for insights into how to access more opportunities.

BOOK

Artificial IntelligenceCyber Security ServicesAutomation MarketplaceSpark Technology Innovation MarketplaceIoT Technologies ServicesDigital Technology ServicesQuality Assurance and Testing for IT SystemsGigabit Capable ConnectivityYPO Care TechnologyHSCN Access Services

New ways of opening doors to the public sector

Book your free place at our joint webinar with new partners Stotles!

Join our specialists on Thursday 13th May, 10:30am until 11:30am for insights into how to access more opportunities.

BOOK

Case StudiesOur ExperienceOur Process

New ways of opening doors to the public sector

Book your free place at our joint webinar with new partners Stotles!

Join our specialists on Thursday 13th May, 10:30am until 11:30am for insights into how to access more opportunities.

BOOK

G-Cloud Support DeskG-Cloud Procurement ServicesDigital Outcomes and SpecialistsGeneral Support ServicesUKCloud Health services

Read our 'Social Value in IT procurement' White Paper!

Social Value seems to be the hot procurement topic at the moment. But, what is it and does it have a place within IT and Digital procurement? Download our free White Paper.

READ NOW

Our Experience

Read our 'Social Value in IT procurement' White Paper!

Social Value seems to be the hot procurement topic at the moment. But, what is it and does it have a place within IT and Digital procurement? Download our free White Paper.

READ NOW

G-Cloud SalesDigital Outcomes and Specialists and Digital Services Sales

Grab a copy of our Public Sector Sales & Marketing Guide!

Our expert advisers and staff have put together this in-depth report to help you get to grips with navigating the Public Sector market. Grab your FREE copy here.

DOWNLOAD

Procurement 101What is a Framework?What is a Dynamic Purchasing System?

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

Ultimate Guide to G-CloudUltimate Guide to Digital Outcomes and Specialists

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

G-Cloud SalesDOS and Digital Services SalesProcurement PipelineFramework Alert

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

BlogsG-CloudDOSBusiness GuidesExpert InsightsResearchEventsPressVideosAnnouncements

Download our free Guide to DOS Tenders!

Get expert advice and tips on how to write winning bids for opportunities on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework.

DOWNLOAD

Blogs, Procurement 101Published: 20 July 2017

What is OJEU?

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS

A question you are all dying to know the answer to, what is OJEU?

 

What is OJEU?

PLEASE NOTE: As of January 1st 2021, the United Kingdom now uses the Find a Tender Service for their public sector procurement process. The below is a reference for what the European Union still will be using, TED and OJEU. UK Public Sector Procurement no longer follows the OJEU process.

Whilst we were doing some digging around on the worldwide web, we realised that there -aren’t a great deal of articles stating the who’s, the what’s and the why’s of public sector procurement. Especially when you throw tricky EU legislation into the mix! So never ones to let our public down, we thought it best if we wrote a piece answering a few of the basic questions: What is OJEU?

What is OJEU?

Well, literally: Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) is the online journal that is home to all public sector contracts that are worth above a certain value.

New call-to-action

Now you might be wondering…

What is a tender?

A tender is procurement lingo for all contract opportunities published by private and public sector organisations for goods, services, works and utilities. So, tendering is the process of procuring these services and suppliers can bid for business.

OJEU thresholds

To make things slightly more complicated to understand, but ultimately more transparent and equal on an EU level, government departments need to adhere to what are known as OJEU thresholds. If a public authority contract is above certain contract value (above the threshold), EC Procurement Regulations require that the contract has to be awarded using an EU/OJEU compliant route to market. This can include publishing the opportunity via OJEU. This means the playing field is open to companies in the UK but also across the EU. By doing this the EU wants to ensure the free movement of supplies, services and works.

As of January 2020 the OJEU limits for the UK are currently set at:

• £122,976 for Central Government
• £378,660 for Defence and Security
• £189,330 for other contracting authorities
• £70,778 for small Lots

These are updated every two years and the last update was January 2020.

Any contracts “Below OJEU” (yes another procurement term) doesn’t fall under EU regulations. However, any procurement, regardless of the value needs to be fair, transparent and have sufficient advertising to enable competition amongst suppliers.

New call-to-action

Where to find OJEU opportunities?

Around 2500 new OJEU notices are advertised each week. When an OJEU notice in the form of an Invitation to Tender (ITT) is released, suppliers can officially apply for the opportunity. You can apply for OJEU tenders using Tenders Electronic daily, affectionately nicknamed TED. Don’t confuse it with TedX. No inspirational videos to find here. This website is a “tiny” bit more user unfriendly. Nevertheless, once you get past this there is a lot to gain from it. Like new public-sector business for example or an insight into what the buyers might need or an opportunity to beat your competitor. Definitely worth a visit!

Be on the lookout for PINs and CAN’s

Don’t just pay attention to the ITT’s when you go on TED. There is more to gain from it!

A useful category on TED are PIN’s (acronym galore!). A PIN or Prior Information Notice is a method used by the Public Sector to let potential suppliers know that they may be looking for certain services. It’s not a formal call for competition, more a testing of the waters. By using a PIN the authority can discuss potential requirements with suppliers in advance to help them gauge their specification or statement of works. A PIN can also allow for a shortening of the tender period (BONUS!). So, be on the lookout for PINs! Get yourself in the game and engage with the authority early, to help them shape their opportunity.

TED also allows suppliers to see CANs. A CAN is a Contract Award Notice. After the contract is awarded public sector bodies need to publish on TED the name of the winning bidder, duration of the contract and the contract value (somehow that last one is left out sometimes!). Knowing when a contract ends will tell you when is the right time to pitch your service as an alternative. You might end up beating your competitor after all. On a more collaborative side of the spectrum CANs are also a major source of information for links on who to partner with or potential sub-contracting opportunities.

It’s your turn

Now that you know a bit about all these “wonderful” procurement acronyms it’s time for you to act.

Go to TED and:

• Create alerts for your product/industry
• Select PINs and CANs
• Or have a go at an existing ITT

Best of luck!

Glossary

Tender – A tender is procurement lingo for all contract opportunities published by private and public sector organisations for goods, services, works and utilities.

OJEU– the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) is the online journal that is home to all public sector contracts that are worth above a certain value.

TED– Affectionately nicknamed TED, but actually stands for Tenders Electronic Daily and is where OJEU notices are advertised.

Award– When a contact is issued or and order placed with a supplier.

Competitive tendering– Awarding contracts to suppliers by the process of seeking competing tenders.

Award criteria– The criteria in which the tenders received will be evaluated against.

Contract Notice-An advertisement which notifies suppliers of a contract opportunity.

ITT– or ‘Invitation to Tender’ is the document issued which outlines the scope of a project and invites suppliers to ‘tender’ for those works.

PIN-or ‘Prior Information Notice’ provides the market place with the early notification of the intent to award a contract or a framework. This can lead to early supplier discussions which can help shape the specification.

Share

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Advice Cloud Latest

  • Announcing our partnership with Stotles!
  • Healthcare Clinical Information Systems 2 framework
  • 3 ways the Transport Technology framework benefits public services
  • G-Cloud 13: what we know so far
  • YPO Intelligent Automation Software Solution FAQs
Tweets by @AdviceCloud

Related Posts

  • healthcare clinical information systems 2

    Healthcare Clinical Information Systems 2 framework

    Here's what we know so far about the Healthcare Clinical Information Systems 2 framework, including when it opens for applications.

    Read more
  • Transport Technology framework 2

    3 ways the Transport Technology framework benefits public services

    Transport Technology & Associated Services is a new framework replacing Traffic Management Technology 2 in 2021. How will it benefit citizens who use services in the UK?

    Read more
  • About
  • For Suppliers
  • For Buyers
  • Training
  • Spend data
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie policy
  • © 2021 Advice Cloud
wiredsussexchambermembertechukcrownsupplierSussex Business Awards 29Brighton and Hove living wageCyber Essentials CertifiedInnopsis

Advice Cloud Limited | Registered in England | Company Registration no 05776223
Registered Office: Advice Cloud Ltd, 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AL

We use cookies to improve your website experience. For example we use cookies to show you relevant webinars, content etc.

We have placed cookies on your device to help make our website better. Some of the cookies we use are essential for our website to work.

We also use some non-essential cookies to collect information to provide you with a better experience and to improve Our Site by better understanding how you use it.

You can use this tool to change your cookie settings.

To control third party cookies, you can also adjust your browser settings.