The Strait Regional Centre for Education (SRCE) Purchasing staff coordinate the ordering and tendering of all materials for the region.
How to Sell Goods and Services to the SRCE
The Strait Regional Centre for Education spends several million dollars on goods, services and construction each year, including building renovations and repairs, technology products, vehicles, educational supplies, and many other items. Most of these goods and services are purchased from Nova Scotia suppliers.
Procurement
The Strait Regional Centre for Education issues a purchase order prior to goods, services and construction requirements being purchased. Suppliers must have a purchase order or purchasing card payment before proceeding.
Low value and high value purchases are usually handled by Purchasing staff. Pricing should be competitive, high quality and excellent value. Following the necessary review and approval process, a purchase order will be issued to a supplier for goods and services less than $2,500 where these standards are met.
All purchase orders are subject to the SRCE Purchasing Policy and SRCE Purchase Order Terms and Conditions.
Tenders
Visit Procurement Nova Scotia - Public Notices and Standing Offer Opportunities Web portal site https://procurement-portal.novascotia.ca/tenders - all current public tender opportunities are listed.
Suppliers on a standing offer have gone through a public tender process. They have agreed to offer a particular good or service at a set price for the time period covered by the standing offer, often one year.
Tender documents come in a number of different formats, such as request for quotation, request for proposal, request for information, request for construction, and request for standing offer. Contact Purchasing staff for any assistance regarding this process.
Tender documents can range from one page to numerous pages. They describe the goods, services or construction to be purchased and the conditions needed to be an eligible bidder. Tender documents provide the due date and time, along with how and where to submit bid.
When completing a tender submission, please read the entire document from start to finish. Always pay close attention to the tender closing date, time, and location. Submissions must arrive on time, at the specified location, or they cannot be accepted.
Tenders are available for a specific number of days, allowing time to be advertised and giving suppliers time to prepare bids. The time-frame often depends on the complexity of the tender.
Sometimes conditions change after a tender has been advertised. If this happens, an addendum is issued. Any addendums will be posted on Procurement Nova Scotia - Public Notices and Standing Offer Opportunities Web portal site https://procurement-portal.novascotia.ca/tenders. Each addendum forms an integral part of the tender and may contain important information,
including significant changes. Bidders are responsible for monitoring the portal and obtaining all addenda issued.
Tender responses (or bids) are opened at the location, date, and time shown in the tender documents.
After the bids have been opened, staff review each submission to ensure it meets the criteria listed in the tender document. The lowest bid does not automatically mean the corresponding supplier will be awarded the tender. Rather, each bid is evaluated against all the criteria outlined in the tender documents, including cost. Supplier’s names may be posted on the Nova Scotia website.
After an award has been made – which means a successful bid has been identified and a contract made with the bidding supplier – the award information is posted on the Procurement Nova Scotia - Public Notices and Standing Offer Opportunities Web portal site https://procurement-portal.novascotia.ca/tenders.
There is no list of authorized suppliers. Anyone can bid on any tender, as long as published requirements are met.
For purchases, there are three options:
1. Directly from a supplier with a standing offer.
Suppliers on a standing offer have gone through a public tender process. They have agreed to offer a particular good or service at a set price for the time period covered by the standing offer, often one year.
2. Obtain quotes from three or more suppliers.
Purchasing may approach a minimum of three suppliers that offer the goods, services or construction needed. For goods, a particular quality or standard may be required. For services, qualifications of the service provider may be requested.
3. Issue a public tender.
Low value purchases may go through a formal tendering process. All high value tenders to be publicly advertised. The tender/bidding process is open to all suppliers. The SRCE strives to establish and maintain a high level of confidence in the procurement process by ensuring that all public sector procurement is carried out in an open, fair, consistent, efficient, and competitive manner.
Contact Us
For more information, please contact the SRCE Purchasing Manager by phone at 902-625-7052 or by email at [email protected].