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Tendering
We spend an average of £100 million each year on supplies, services, works and concessions. On average, 85 per cent of our annual spend is with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
We seek to achieve the best commercial outcome from our procurement, while making sure that the purchase of supplies, services and works achieve value for money by making a positive difference to the people and communities in Belfast. A missed opportunity to deliver social value is a cost that must be absorbed elsewhere in public services.
The process we use depends on the contract value.
| Contract value | Process |
|---|---|
| Up to £3,000 | No formal competition. Our officers make sure there is value for money |
| Between £3,000 and £8,000 | Formal competition with quotation from selected number of suppliers (minimum three). Not publicly advertised |
| Between £8,000 and £30,000 | Formal competition with quotation from selected number of suppliers (minimum four). Not publicly advertised |
| Over £30,000 | Tender: competitive procurement procedure. Tender is advertised on Tender opportunities and eSourcing website |
| Over UK threshold | Tender: competitive procurement procedure in line with the Procurement Act 2023 Tender is advertised on our Tender opportunities, eSourcing website and Find a tender (link opens in new window). |
For quotations valued up to £30,000, we encourage suppliers to register with us.
Tenders greater than £30,000 are procured by the eSourcing website.
We have a number of different departments. Each department is responsible for different areas of work and for procuring contracts valued at £30,000 or less. The information in the table sets out the areas of work, examples of what we buy in each area, the responsible department and contact details.
| Category | Examples | Department | Contact information |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Advertising and media |
Advertising, marketing and distribution, media, broadcasting, signage, promotional items, products for resale (for example toys, games for sale at Belfast Zoo) external publicity, sponsorship, photography and printing services |
External Affairs, Communications and Marketing |
Assistant Business Support Manager |
|
Buildings or asset maintenance |
Buildings and site maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (MandE), fencing, lift maintenance |
Property and Projects, Facilities Management |
Technical Support Officer |
|
Catering and hospitality |
Concession catering contracts (for example catering services at different venues), catering equipment and supplies, catering food, catering for meetings, bottled water and vending machine supplies. |
Property and Projects, Facilities Management |
Technical Support Officer |
|
Energy and utilities |
Mains/metered gas, electricity, utilities, combined heat and power, sustainability projects, renewables, energy management services and bottled/cylinder gas |
Property and Projects, Facilities Management |
Technical Support Officer |
|
Events and community |
Event organisation and planning services, event support services, event equipment and facilities hire, |
Place and Economy, Tourism and Events Unit City and Neighbourhood Services: Peace |
Tourism and Events Development Manager [email protected] |
|
Facilities management |
Cleaning services (for example general, window or gutters), outdoor maintenance services (for example de-icing and snow clearance), facilities management agreements Security guarding Pest control services and supplies, |
Property and Projects, Facilities Management Legal and Civic Services City and Neighbourhood Services |
Systems and Procurement Officer |
|
Fleet |
Replacement fleet vehicles to support in-house operations (for example vans, road or street sweepers, bin lorries), vehicles spares, parts and consumables (OEM and non-OEM), fleet repair services (for example general repairs and bodywork repairs), vehicle recovery services, grounds maintenance equipment, hire of vehicles and plant (with and without operator), vehicle fuel and tyres. |
City and Neighbourhood Services, Waste Collection and Fleet |
Business Co-ordinator (Finance, Procurement and Information) |
|
HR |
Temporary or agency resources, employee support services (for example counselling and occupational health), training, executive recruitment and travel services |
Human Resources |
Assistant Business Support Manager |
|
ICT |
ICT hardware, IT software, ICT equipment, printers, IT consultancy and support services, network services, telecoms and mobile phones |
Corporate Services, Digital Services |
|
|
Office supplies |
Office stationery, printing supplies, office furniture, porterage, office records storage and management, confidential waste recycling/ disposal. |
Corporate Services, Digital Services Legal and Civic Services, Information Governance Unit |
Senior Business Support Assistant Assistant Business Support Manager |
|
Parks and grounds maintenance |
Grounds maintenance services and supplies, tree maintenance, horticultural services, plants, trees and soil supplies and associated products, aggregates and topsoil, animal welfare services (for example dog-kennelling), animal feed supplies (for example food supplies for Belfast Zoo), Playground equipment |
City and Neighbourhood Services, Open Spaces and Street scene |
Business Support Officer (Procurement) |
|
Professional services |
Consultancy, staff substitution, financial services, insurance brokerage, legal support services, sponsorship and employment, training academies |
All departments |
See individual Departmental contact information |
|
Stores |
Workwear, PPE, cleaning products, power tools, hand tools, safety equipment, hardware, concrete products, electrical consumables, mechanical consumables, white goods/ appliances, paint and painting products and timber or wood products. |
Property and Projects Facilities Management |
Systems and Procurement Officer |
|
Waste management |
Non-hazardous waste management and disposal, Inert waste management and disposal, hazardous waste management and disposal, waste recycling/ reuse (for example mixed dry recyclables, mattresses), waste collection services, bins for resale, waste containers, skip hire, waste management equipment or plant, environmental management services, waste spill or cleaning up services, fly tipping collection and clean up |
City and Neighbourhood Services, Waste Management |
Waste Management Officer (Procurement) |
|
Works and construction |
Capital works projects, capital consultancy and support services design and build |
Property and Projects, Project Delivery |
Systems and Procurement Officer |
To receive our latest procurement opportunities, policy updates and training information, join our tenders and procurement mailing list.
Our proposed Sustainable Procurement Policy sets out how we can use our spending power to support local businesses, create jobs, strengthen communities, promote ethical business practices and help tackle climate change, while continuing to achieve value for money.
The policy has three themes:
Our consultation closed on Thursday 8 October 2026.
If you have any queries or feedback about a procurement process you have been involved in, contact Commercial and Procurement Services by email [email protected].
Our procurement activity is governed by the Procurement Act 2023 which includes the ability to make appeal, also known as a remedy. This legislative framework is only applicable for procurement activity over a stipulated threshold. The current thresholds (including VAT) are:
When a procurement exercise is under the thresholds and remedies are not available, this does not prevent a bidder from seeking damages. Before seeking damages, a bidder should get their own legal advice.
If a supplier is unhappy with the outcome of a procurement process, they should, in the first instance, contact Commercial and Procurement Services by emailing [email protected]. Where the matter cannot be satisfactory resolved it will be escalated to our corporate complaints process.
If you wish to make a complaint or have already contacted us about a procurement via e-Sourcing NI or [email protected] you can use our corporate complaints process. This process is on the Corporate Complaints Office page.
If you're interested in our procurement activity and contracts, read our Freedom of Information webpage.
For more information and advice, get in touch.
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