A tender is defined as the formal process of procurement by which Timboon and District Healthcare Service seeks competitive bids for the provision of goods and services (deliverables).

A tendering process is defined as conforming with the expected standard of probity which implements clear procedures, is consistent with relevant Government policies and legislation and one in which legitimate interests of bidders, are established, understood and observed from the outset.

Tender policy statement

The Timboon and District Healthcare Service (TDHS) policy on Tender Management is:

• TDHS will comply with Government tendering policies and legislation
• the TDHS Chief Executive Officer will oversee the tender process for all tenders
• The Chief Executive Officer in consultation with the Divisional Director requesting the tender process (Responsible Manager) will provide rationale for either an Expression of Interest (EOI) or Request for Tender (RFT) process to be undertaken
• the Responsible Manager will complete the RFT checklist and submit to the Chief Executive Officer to officially initiate the tender process
• the tender process will be undertaken for:
  • all deliverables over $150,000 unless an exemption is made in consultation with the Board of Governance
  • food consumables
  • vehicles
• it is unacceptable to divide a particular procurement or procurement phase into separate parts or use a particular method for calculating estimated value for the purpose of circumventing an approach to the open market
• where necessary the Chief Executive Officer will enlist legal assistance with probity.

Tender procedure

1. The Chief Executive Officer and the Responsible Manager will review the requirements of the deliverable and determine whether an EOI or RFT will meet the needs. Typically an EOI is used to assess the capacity of tenderers to undertake the work and to shortlist tenderers for a selective tender.
2. The Responsible Manager will consult with the Chief Executive Officer to complete the RFT Checklist to initiate a tender process. The Chief Executive Officer will then direct the Responsible Manager regarding the timeline of the tender and provide relevant documents for assistance.
3. The Chief Executive Officer will appoint the Tender Evaluation Committee (TEC) to avoid conflicts of interest.
4. Each member of the TEC will then be required to complete and sign a Conflicts of Interest form.
5. The Responsible Manager needs to ensure the RFT is clear and unambiguous to avoid confusion for the tenderers and to facilitate a clear evaluation of the tenders.
6. Tenderers are to be given ample time to lodge a bid in accordance with the Victorian Government Purchasing Board (VGPB) guidelines – generally two weeks is a typical length of time.
7. The Responsible Manager will need to ensure that the tenders are advertised on the TDHS website. The tender is also advertised in the Warrnambool Standard and the Cobden Timboon Coastal Times as appropriate.
8. The Chief Executive Officer and the TEC will follow and apply the publicised evaluation criteria and treat all tenderers the same – making sure they all have the same information.
9. Where the Victorian Industry Participation Policy (VIPP) applies and there are two or more tenderers remaining comparable at this stage of the evaluation process, VIPP must be used as a tiebreaker. VIPP requires the tenderer with the strongest VIPP commitment to be awarded the tender.
10. The RFT should contain only one point of contact from TDHS to avoid confusion.
11. No telephone conversations with tenderers about the tender should be taken – all questions and answers should be in writing.

Where possible altering the RFT after it is released should be avoided to minimise issues associated with information dissemination.

Conflicts of interest

The Conflict of Interest Declaration is designed to ensure all such conflicts are identified, disclosed and managed in a rigorous and transparent way that promotes public confidence in the integrity, legitimacy, impartiality and fairness of the Timboon and District Healthcare Service Tender Evaluation Committees’ decision-making processes.

Tender approval

The Chief Executive Officer and the TEC will evaluate the tenders using the standard evaluation criteria or Vehicle Tender Evaluation Matrix and conduct any necessary negotiations with one or more preferred tenderers. At the conclusion of those negotiations, the Chief Executive Officer and the relevant Divisional Director will create a Recommendation Paper, setting out:

• the background to the tender
• the preferred tenderer
• the reasons why the TEC recommends the preferred tenderer
• the terms of the recommended agreement between TDHS and the preferred tenderer.

The Chief Executive Officer will then support a Recommendation Paper to the Board of Governance to obtain approval and to decide upon the appropriate course for the tender.

If the preferred tender cannot hold its offered price constant for the period necessary to complete the process set out above, the Chief Executive Officer and the TEC may recommend that Board of Governance approval be sought as a matter of urgency.

Please contact Timboon and District Healthcare Service for more information on tender submission and process.