Procurement Strategy & Policy - Appendices

Appendix 1 - Procurement Thresholds and Approval Limits

Table 1 (below) presents a range of UK Procurement threshold values, the procurement process and approval levels that apply. It reflects Council policy and Regulations.

In estimating the value of a procurement, the following guidance should be applied:

The contract must be estimated over the lifetime of the contract; this should include possible extensions.
The possibility of extension or enhancement of any contract should be included in the specification/terms of Reference otherwise it may not be possible to extend or enhance contracts awarded.
Officers should always seek guidance from the Procurement Department before enhancing or awarding any contract.
When estimating value, it is necessary to aggregate all amounts potentially payable to estimate total contract value.
Any increases in value of works during the lifetime of contracts must be the percentages stated by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) and Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Table 1 - UK Procurement Thresholds

Type of Purchase	UK Procurement Thresholds (inc VAT)	Net value (information only)
Goods	£207,720	£173,100
Services	£207,720	£173,100
Light Touch	£415,440	£346,200
Works	£5,193,000	£4,327,500
Concessions	£5,193,000	£4,327,500

All above threshold projects must be entered on Find a Tender Service (FTS)
All above threshold projects that receive EU funding must be advertised on Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) and consideration must also be given to print media advertisements for cross border projects.
Any funded projects should refer to the funders preferred procurement path for guidance on the preferred route; the more stringent process should be used.
For SEUPB funded projects a copy of the invitation to tender, contract award notice and a procurement report must be retained for audit purposes.
Light touch contracts are contracts for certain social, health, education and other public services and are subject to more flexible procurement rules. Check with the Procurement Unit to see if this applies.

¹ From 1 January 2026, reviewed every two years.

Table 2 – MEA Procurement Thresholds

	Procurement Limit (ex VAT unless stated)	Approval Required	Procurement process Required (exclusive of VAT)
1.	Under £1,000	Budget holder	Evidence of a minimum of 1 emailed quotation sought and retained by appropriate departmental officer.
2.	£1,000 to £4,999.99	Budget holder	Evidence of 2 emailed quotations being sought / retained where this is possible by Budget Holder.
3.	£5,000 to £9,999.99	Budget holder/Procurement Unit*	Evidence of 3 written quotations being sought where this is possible by Central Procurement Unit.
4.	£10,000 to £49,999.99	Budget holder/Procurement Unit*	Evidence of 4 written quotations being sought where this is possible by Central Procurement Unit.
5.	£50,000+	Director up to £100k CX up to £150k Council >£150k	Publicly advertised tender. Process managed by Central Procurement Unit.
6.	Above UK Procurement Act Thresholds (see Table 1)	Council	Publicly advertised tender. Process managed by Central Procurement Unit.

*requests for quote (at £5k+) / tender forms must be completed and approved by the budget holder / Director and provided to the Procurement Unit before the commencement of the procurement process.

Table 3 – Delegated Authorities

Item	Approval Thresholds	Comment
Direct Award Contract approvals	Up to £100k, Directors Up to £150k CEO Above £150k Council	Budget required. All DACs subject to Procurement Unit review before submission to SMT and Committee / Council.
Business Case / Economic Appraisal approvals	Up to £100k, Directors Up to £150k, CEO Above £150k Council	Budget required. Business cases required for procurements over £50,000 exc VAT. Economic Appraisals required for procurements over £500,000 exc VAT.
Tender recommendations approval	Up to £100k, Director Up to £150k, CEO Above £150k, Council	Budget required. Tender awards notified to Corporate Policy, Resources & Governance Committee.
Contract award approval, in accordance with Contract Management procedure	Up to £100k, Director Up to £150k, CEO Above £150k, Council	Recommendations are required for anything above public tender threshold (£50k).
Contract Sealing	over £30k	Contract managers are responsible for sending all relevant information to democratic services. Contract managers should ensure procurement receives a sealed copy for information and retention.

Bodies which sit outside of council approval structure should follow the Council’s procurement policy for guidance.

The following partnership areas do not require Council approval, approval is granted by director/SMT, via signed Letter of Offer:

Labour Market Partnership
Grant Funding Unit
Police and Community Safety Partnerships.

Appendix 2 - Abbreviations Commonly used in Procurement / MEA

Abbreviation	Meaning
CoPE	Centre of Procurement Expertise.
Council	Mid & East Antrim Council.
CPD / DoF	Construction & Procurement Delivery (CPD) which provides a central procurement function for central government in NI under the Department of Finance (DoF).
DAC	Direct Award Contract.
EU	European Union, issues EU Directives in relation to EU funded procurement (such as PEACE+).
FoIA	Freedom of Information Act.
ITT	Invitation to Tender.
MAT	Most Advantageous Tender.
MEA	Mid & East Antrim Council.
NIPPP	Northern Ireland Public Procurement Policy, issued by NI Executive and mandatory for central government departments, NDPBs and public corporations (excludes local government).
PIN	Prior Information Notice.
PO	Purchase Order.
PPN / PGN	Procurement Policy Notes / Procurement Guidance Notes.
PQQ	Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.
RfT / Q	Request for Tender / Quotation.
VfM	Value for Money.

Procurement Strategy & Policy