What Procurement agent does

The procurement agent aims to increase the participation of small and medium enterprises in public procurement. The companies receive training in making bids and using e-tools. In addition, the activities create organized, continuous interaction between procurement units and region’s entrepreneurs, and promote the networking and collaboration of companies.

Procurement agent:

• informs on requests for bids and purchases
• assists companies in use of e-tools (bidding platforms, websites etc)
• encourages companies to be active in making bids
• lays groundwork to procurement together with procurement units
• provides procurement units with market information
• arranges market dialogue with procurement units and entrepreneurs

The public sector can guide the emergence of new innovations with its procurement policies, as well as boost the development of new business and markets. Regionally speaking, even small purchases may be highly relevant to the local business scene. At the same time, entrepreneurs have a responsibility to develop their operations and meet the criteria for e.g. eligibility and quality.

In order to make worthwhile bids, companies receive free counseling from the procurement agent.

Procurement guidelines of City of Kouvola

The procurement guidelines of the City of Kouvola consist of procurement program, procurement instructions and procurement handbook.

• Procurement program is based on City Strategy. The program outlines how procurement can boost vibrancy and wellbeing in the community. The program is also aimed at developing procurement activities themselves.
• Procurement instructions contain general instructions of procurement authority, execution of procurement program and range of activities during the contract period. Procurement instructions define the procurement methods for those minor purchases excluded from procurement legislation.
• Procurement handbook contains guidance for the bidding process of purchases with value that crosses the national threshold. The handbook is meant to provide appropriate support for the City of Kouvola procurement units.

Tutustu:

• Kouvolan kaupungin hankintaohjelma, pdf
• Kouvolan kaupungin hankintakäsikirja, pdf

Procurement and bidding tools

Every year the City publishes a procurement calendar which lists planned purchases and annual contracts in place. The procurement calendar is designed to increase the interaction between the City and the entrepreneurs and to streamline procurement processes. The City purchases are usually subjected to bidding before the end of the contract period in question in Bidding service.

Mercell procurement watch

Procurement watch collects data about bidding rounds from multiple sources. The service gathers info also on those bids that do not meet the threshold values.

• HILMA, TED and other public sources
• Customized procurement watch/alert service
• Comprehensive data on small purchases from hundreds of sources
• Versatile tools to update search profile
• Mercell Update e-mail
• Largest procurement database on the market at your service, free of charge
• Free customer service
• Real-time monitoring data
• Option to receive bids on your one-off purchases within the system

Check out the opportunities in public procurement: Hankintailmoitukset.fi (Hilma)