Working with Cheshire West and Chester

Important Information for Potential Suppliers

No Purchase Order Number, No Pay

Cheshire West and Chester Council is unable to pay invoices without an official council purchase order.

More information can be found on our No Purchase Order / No Pay page.

Electronic Tendering

All potential suppliers to Cheshire West and Chester Council will need to register with The Chest, the North West Regional Procurement Hub.

The Chest is used by over 30 Local Authorities in the North West of England.

Procurement thresholds

The Authority has to follow its financial procedure rules which regulate how it conducts its business. In addition as a public sector body we are bound by the EU Procurement Directives for those contracts exceeding the thresholds above which we are obliged to publicly advertise our contracts throughout the European Union:

Purchases below £10,000 - The Council requires 1 written quotation..
Purchases below £50,000 - The Council requires at least 3 written competitive quotations.
Purchases above £50,000 - Tenders will be advertised on the tender opportunities section. The Council will carry out a rigorous tendering process and if the value exceeds the current EU thresholds will be in accordance with European Procurement Rules.

Large volume, low price consumables e.g. stationery, paper and educational supplies are purchased by CBS Supplies and held in a Central Stores in Runcorn. They too will purchase within the same rules and process.

‘How to Sell to Cheshire West and Chester' (PDF, 119KB). Written primarily for Small and Medium Enterprises in Cheshire, this guide is invaluable for those interested in providing goods and services for the Council.

Tender Opportunities

Details of current tender opportunities with a value of £50,000 or more can be found here giving contact details of the Officer responsible.
Tenders with a value that exceeds the current EU threshold will also be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Contracts register - this details all current contracts and contracts placed this year with a value above £50,000.

Oracle iSupplier Portal

Cheshire Shared Services provide Suppliers with the option of using the Oracle iSupplier Portal module to connect to our eBusiness System to do the following:

Purchase Order:

View / Print Purchase Orders
Search for old Purchase Orders
View Purchase Order "Lifecycle" - track if an order has been receipted / paid etc.

Invoices / Payments:

Drill down against a Purchase Order to check if it has been invoiced / paid
Search existing invoices against Invoice Number / Purchase Order Number / Invoice Date etc - check if your invoice has been paid yet

Support

For support please read the iSupplier User Guide (Word, 709KB).

If, after having read the userguide, you find that you need to speak to someone at Cheshire Shared Services for additional support (e.g. you have your password reset, or to report an issue with iSupplier), please call 01244 977140.

Payment to Suppliers

Automated payment direct into your bank account (e.g. payment by BACS - Banker Automated Clearing Services) is the Council's preferred method of payment as it is cost effective, efficient and secure. To apply for payment by BACS please submit your banking information on your organisation’s letterhead, signed (with an original signature) and dated by an authorised officer.

Please read: Changes to Ordering / Invoicing Procedures (PDF, 49KB)
NB We do not accept scanned/photocopied/computer generated or faxed signatures - this must be in ink.

Please send these details to:

Payments Section
Cheshire West and Chester
PO Box 3657
Chester
CH1 9PR

Please note: if you are a private individual then please send a letter containing the required information.

If required, further guidance can be obtained from Payments Helpdesk on 01244 972511.