Procurement
Qualifications Wales buys a range of goods, services and expertise to help us carry out our duties effectively and efficiently.
Our suppliers are vital partners, helping us to deliver our aims and goals, and we value their work.
Introduction
From time-to-time we buy goods and services to support our work. This may include operational requirements such as facilities management services, training, IT software and hardware or office materials. We also commission research and consultancy to support our review, reform and regulatory work.
Purchasing approach
We buy our goods and services in compliance with UK Public Procurement legislation. We consider Welsh Government policies when defining our requirements and are preparing for public procurement reform due to be in place in 2023, namely the UK Procurement Bill and the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill. For further information please see our Procurement Policy.
We are keen to collaborate on our procurement activity with other public sector bodies for the greatest efficiencies. To do this, we use framework agreements such as those led by the Welsh Government Commercial Delivery team and the Crown Commercial Service.
We use Sell2Wales to advertise contract opportunities if we are not contracting under framework agreements. This is a Welsh Government portal that makes public sector tenders available to businesses of all sizes in Wales and beyond. Using the site gives businesses the chance to promote their company, contact registered public sector organisations and keep up to date with procurement opportunities they could tender for.
Qualifications Wales contract opportunities with a value of £30,000 (including VAT) and above are advertised on Sell2Wales and the tender process is managed via the Sell2Wales portal or etenderwales. Registration on both sites is free.
A minimum of three quotations is sought for contracts with a value between £6,000 and £29,999 (including VAT), although we may choose to advertise some contract opportunities under £30,000.
Purchasing requirements
We buy similar goods and services to other public bodies to support the organisation such as stationery, facilities management services, training, IT software and hardware. We also commission research related to qualifications and use contracted subject matter experts to support our review, reform and regulatory work. We often have requirements for discrete pieces of consultancy work for example to support our regulatory policy work. Details of our current contracts can be found in our contracts register.
In 2024 we will also publish a pipeline of future contract opportunities.
Commissioning qualifications
As part of our review and reform of qualifications, we may commission awarding bodies to develop new qualifications for learners in Wales which they then make available to centres (schools, colleges and work-based learning providers).
We do this via a procurement process advertised on Sell2Wales with the process managed on etenderwales. We award concession contracts whereby the successful awarding body, or awarding bodies, have the exclusive right for a period of years to offer those qualifications to centres.
Become a subject expert
For more information on becoming a subject expert for Qualifications Wales, please see our dedicated webpage.
Terms and conditions
Unless alternative terms have been agreed under a framework agreement or contract our Terms and Conditions of Contract for Purchase Orders apply to all purchases.
For 'Subject Expert' services, the following terms and conditions will apply for individuals or companies.
For more information, please e-mail the Procurement Team.