Why we buy...

The Council spend money every year on a range of goods, works and services - from paper clips to schools, from consultants to social care services.  

We are committed to obtaining the maximum benefit for every taxpayer's pound we spend.  This means using our resources in the best possible way, and delivering public services at a reasonable cost.  To do this, we must make sure that all Council purchasing achieves Value for Money.

Value for Money does not mean that we will always buy the cheapest product or service, but means that we will weigh up both quality and cost when deciding what we buy and from whom.  Generally, if we can get Value for Money by doing so, we will buy rather than provide the goods/works/services ourselves.

We follow different processes when we buy goods and services in order to get the best value for money.   For more information on the procedures we follow and why, see 'How we buy'.