The BTP Procurement Department

The BTP Procurement Department is responsible for the purchase of a diverse range of goods, works and services and ensures that the commercial and legal interests of BTP are protected in business transactions. Procurement is committed to delivering the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Procurement Strategy, the recommendations contained in Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s Review of Policing, best value procurement and striving to achieve greater value for money through collaboration with other Police Forces and Agencies e.g. Government Procurement Service.

Procurement within BTP is undertaken in the following ways:
• Purchases under Framework Agreements
• High value / high risk purchases
• Medium value / medium risk purchases
• Low value / low risk purchases

Purchases under Framework Agreements placed directly by or used by BTP where existing arrangements e.g. ACPO, Government Procurement Service with one or more suppliers.  Some of these Framework Agreements are managed/owned by other Police Forces which BTP can utilise to ensure greater value for money through collaboration. Refer to Tenders and Contracts. For those Framework Agreements placed directly by BTP, BTP standard terms and conditions apply e.g. Standard Terms and Conditions for the Supply of Services or Supply of Goods and Associated Services. Framework agreements consist of pre-qualified suppliers with, the services or products scope defined, prices stated and agreed.

High value / high risk purchases over £50,000 require a robust internal documentation process which includes an agreed Procurement Strategy and Award Recommendation, prior to contract agreement. BTP standard terms and conditions apply or alternative industry standards. 

Medium value / medium risk purchases under £50,000 require a specific Purchase Order and utilise BTP Purchase Order terms and conditions. The BTP Procurement Policy requires the purchase order (PO) number to be quoted on all supplier invoices. This is outlined in BTP Purchase Order Terms and Conditions.  The majority of BTP Purchase Orders are sent electronically from the BTP eProcurement system. 

No Purchase Order = No Pay
BTP has implemented a policy requiring the purchase order (PO) number to be quoted, as required by BTP's Terms and Conditions, on all invoices submitted by suppliers from 3rd April 2006.  
For any out of hours or genuine emergency work, BTP will provide a purchase order number the following working day.

Low value / low risk purchases under £250 are made utilising a government procurement card.