1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 and come into force on 31st January 2006.
(2) These Regulations do not extend to Scotland.
2.—(1) In these Regulations—
“to award” means to accept an offer made in relation to a proposed contract;
“buyer profile” means a page on the internet set up by a contracting authority containing one or more of the following: prior information notices, information on ongoing invitations to tender, prospective and concluded contracts, cancelled procedures and useful general information, such as a contact point, a telephone number, a facsimile number, a postal address or an e-mail address;
“carrying out” in relation to a work or works means the construction or the design and construction of that work or those works;
“central purchasing body” means a contracting authority which—
acquires goods or services intended for one or more contracting authorities;
awards public contracts intended for one or more contracting authorities; or
concludes framework agreements for work, works, goods or services intended for one or more contracting authorities;
“the Commission” means the European Commission;
“Commission Regulation (EC) No 1564/2005” means Commission Regulation (EC) No 1564/2005 of 7 September 2005(1);
“Common Procurement Vocabulary” means the reference nomenclature applicable to public contracts as adopted by Regulation (EC) No 2195/2002 of 5 November 2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Common Procurement Vocabulary(2);
“competitive dialogue procedure” means a procedure—
in which any economic operator may make a request to participate; and
whereby a contracting authority conducts a dialogue with the economic operators admitted to that procedure with the aim of developing one or more suitable alternative solutions capable of meeting its requirements and on the basis of which the economic operators chosen by the contracting authority are invited to tender;
“concessionaire” means a person who has entered into a public works concession contract with a contracting authority;
“contract documents” means the invitation to tender for or to negotiate a contract, the descriptive document (if any), the proposed conditions of contract, the specifications or descriptions of the goods, services, work or works required by the contracting authority and of the materials or goods to be used in or for such work or works, and all documents supplementary thereto;
“contract notice” means, except in regulation 49, a notice sent to the Official Journal in accordance with these Regulations;
“contracting authority” has the meaning given to it by regulation 3;
“contractor” means a person who offers on the market work or works and—
who sought, who seeks, or would have wished, to be the person to whom a public works contract is awarded; and
who is a national of and established in a relevant State;
“CPC” means Central Product Classification of the United Nations(3);
“CPV” means Common Procurement Vocabulary;
“design contest” means a competition, particularly in the fields of planning, architecture, civil engineering and data processing—
which is conducted by or on behalf of a contracting authority and in which that contracting authority invites the entry by economic operators of plans and designs;
under the rules of which the plans or designs entered will be judged by a jury;
under which prizes may or may not be awarded; and
which enables the contracting authority to acquire the use or ownership of plans or designs selected by the jury;
“disabled person” means any person recognised as disabled within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995(4) and “disabled persons” shall be interpreted accordingly;
“disability” has the same meaning as in that Act;
“dynamic purchasing system” means a completely electronic system of limited duration which is—
established by a contracting authority to purchase commonly used goods, work, works or services; and
open throughout its duration for the admission of economic operators which—
satisfy the selection criteria specified by the contracting authority; and
submit an indicative tender to the contracting authority or person operating the system on its behalf which complies with the specification required by that contracting authority or person;
“EC Treaty” means the Treaty establishing the European Community signed on 25 March 1957 as amended by the Community Treaties;
“economic operator” has the meaning given to it by regulation 4;
“electronic auction” means a repetitive electronic process for the presentation of prices to be revised downwards or of new and improved values of quantifiable elements of tenders, including price, which—
takes place after the initial evaluation of tenders; and
enables tenders to be ranked using automatic evaluation methods;
“electronic means” means using electronic equipment for the processing (including digital compression) and storage of data which is transmitted, conveyed and received by wire, by radio, by optical means or by other electromagnetic means;
“established” has the same meaning as in the Community Treaties:
“European standard” has the meaning given to it in regulation 9(1);
“financial year” means, unless the context otherwise requires, the period of 12 months ending on the date in any year in respect of which the accounts of any person are prepared;
“framework agreement” means an agreement or other arrangement between one or more contracting authorities and one or more economic operators which establishes the terms (in particular the terms as to price and, where appropriate, quantity) under which the economic operator will enter into one or more contracts with a contracting authority in the period during which the framework agreement applies;
“goods” includes electricity, substances, growing crops and things attached to or forming part of the land which are agreed to be severed before the purchase or hire under a public supply contract, and any ship, aircraft or vehicle;
“government department” includes a Northern Ireland department or the head of that department;
“Government Procurement Agreement” means the Agreement on Government Procurement between certain parties to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) signed in Marrakesh on 15 April 1994(5);
“GPA” means the Government Procurement Agreement;
“indicative tender” means a tender prepared by an economic operator seeking admission to a dynamic purchasing system which sets out the terms on which it would be prepared to enter into a contract with a contracting authority should that contracting authority propose to award a contract under the system;
“international standard” has the meaning given to it in regulation 9(1);
“letter” has the same meaning as in the Postal Services Act 2000(6);
“Minister of the Crown” means the holder of an office in Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and includes the Treasury;
“national of a relevant State” means, in the case of a person who is not an individual, a person formed in accordance with the laws of a relevant State and which has its registered office, central administration or principal place of business in a relevant State;
“negotiated procedure” means a procedure leading to the award of a contract whereby the contracting authority negotiates the terms of the contract with one or more economic operators selected by it;
“Office of Government Commerce” means the office of the Treasury having that title(7);
“Official Journal” means the Official Journal of the European Union;
“open procedure” means a procedure leading to the award of a contract whereby all interested economic operators may tender for the contract;
“prior information notice” means a notice sent to the Official Journal in accordance with regulation 11;
“public contract” means a public services contract, a public supply contract or a public works contract;
“Public Sector Directive” means Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004(8);
“public services contract” means a contract, in writing, for consideration (whatever the nature of the consideration) under which a contracting authority engages a person to provide services but does not include—
a public works contract; or
a public supply contract;
but a contract for both goods and services shall be considered to be a public services contract if the value of the consideration attributable to those services exceeds that of the goods covered by the contract and a contract for services which includes activities specified in Schedule 2 that are only incidental to the principal object of the contract shall be considered to be a public services contract;
“public supply contract” means a contract, in writing, for consideration (whatever the nature of the consideration)—
for the purchase of goods by a contracting authority (whether or not the consideration is given in instalments and whether or not the purchase is conditional upon the occurrence of a particular event), or
for the hire of goods by a contracting authority (both where the contracting authority becomes the owner of the goods after the end of the period of hire and where it does not);
and for any siting or installation of those goods, but where under such a contract services are also to be provided, the contract shall only be a public supply contract where the value of the consideration attributable to the goods and any siting or installation of the goods is equal to or greater than the value attributable to the services;
“public telecommunications services” means telecommunications services the provision of which a relevant State has specifically assigned, in particular, to one or more telecommunications entities;
“public works concession contract” means a public works contract under which the consideration given by the contracting authority consists of or includes the grant of a right to exploit the work or works to be carried out under the contract;
“public works contract” means a contract, in writing, for consideration (whatever the nature of the consideration)—
for the carrying out of a work or works for a contracting authority; or
under which a contracting authority engages a person to procure by any means the carrying out for the contracting authority of a work corresponding to specified requirements;
“relevant State” has the meaning given to it by regulation 4(4);
“restricted procedure” means a procedure leading to the award of a contract whereby only economic operators selected by the contracting authority may submit tenders for the contract;
“Schedule 1 entity” means an entity specified in Schedule 1 in accordance with its inclusion in the list of central government bodies in Annex I to the GPA, and for which these Regulations make particular provisions;
“services concession contract” means a public services contract under which the consideration given by the contracting authority consists of or includes the right to exploit the service or services to be provided under the contract;
“services provider” means a person who offers on the market services and—
who sought, who seeks, or who would have wished—
to be the person to whom a public services contract is awarded; or
to participate in a design contest; and
who is a national of and established in a relevant State;
“ship” includes any boat and other description of a vessel used in navigation;
“substance” means any natural or artificial substance, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form or in the form of vapour;
“supplier” means a person who offers on the market goods for purchase or hire and—
who sought, who seeks, or who would have wished, to be the person to whom a public supply contract is awarded; and
who is a national of and established in a relevant State;
“telecommunications services” means services the provision of which consists wholly or partly in the transmission and routing of signals on the public telecommunications network by means of telecommunications processes, with the exception of broadcasting and television;
“Utilities Directive” means Directive 2004/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31st March 2004(9);
“work” means the outcome of any works which is sufficient of itself to fulfil an economic and technical function;
“working day” means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday within the meaning of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971(10);
“works” means any of the activities specified in Schedule 2;
“written” or “in writing” means any expression consisting of words or figures that can be read, reproduced and subsequently communicated and it may include information transmitted and stored by electronic means; and
“year” means a calendar year.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), in these Regulations—
(a)“a Part A services contract” is a contract under which services specified in Part A of Schedule 3 are to be provided;
(b)“a Part B services contract” is a contract under which services specified in Part B of Schedule 3 are to be provided;
(3) Where services specified in both Parts A and B of Schedule 3 are to be provided under a single contract, then the contract shall be treated as—
(a)a Part A services contract if the value of the consideration attributable to the services specified in Part A is greater than that attributable to those specified in Part B; and
(b)a Part B services contract if the value of the consideration attributable to the services specified in Part B is equal to or greater than that attributable to those specified in Part A.
(4) Where a thing is required to be done under these Regulations—
(a)within a certain period after an action is taken, the day on which that action is taken shall not be counted in the calculation of that period;
(b)within a certain period, that period must include at least two working days; and
(c)except for regulation 32(3), within a certain period and the last day of that period is not a working day, the period shall be extended to include the next working day.
3.—(1) For the purposes of these Regulations each of the following is a contracting authority—
(a)a Minister of the Crown;
(b)a government department;
(c)the House of Commons;
(d)the House of Lords;
(e)the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission;
(f)the Scottish Ministers;
(g)the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body;
(h)the National Assembly for Wales;
(i)a local authority;
(j)a fire authority constituted by a combination scheme under the Fire Services Act 1947(11);
(k)a fire and rescue authority—
(i)within the meaning of section 1 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004(12);
(ii)constituted by a scheme under section 2 of that Act; or
(iii)constituted by a scheme to which section 4 of that Act applies;
(l)the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland;
(m)a police authority established under section 3 of the Police Act 1996(13);
(n)the Metropolitan Police Authority established under section 5B(14) of the Police Act 1996;
(o)a police authority established under section 2 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967(15);
(p)the Northern Ireland Policing Board;
(q)an authority established under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1985(16);
(r)a joint authority established by Part IV of that Act;
(s)any body established in accordance with an order under section 67 of that Act;
(t)the Broads Authority;
(u)any joint board, the constituent members of which consist of any of the bodies specified in paragraphs (i), (j), (m), (n), (o), (p), (q), (r) and (s);
(v)a National Park authority established by an Order under section 63 of the Environment Act 1995(17);
(w)a corporation established, or a group of individuals appointed to act together, for the specific purpose of meeting needs in the general interest, not having an industrial or commercial character, and—
(i)financed wholly or mainly by another contracting authority;
(ii)subject to management supervision by another contracting authority; or
(iii)more than half of the board of directors or members of which, or, in the case of a group of individuals, more than half of those individuals, are appointed by another contracting authority;
(x)an association of or formed by one or more of the above; and
(y)to the extent not specified in sub-paragraphs (a) to (v), an entity specified in Schedule 1.
(2) In the application of these Regulations to a local authority in England, “local authority” in paragraph (1) means—
(a)a county council, a district council, a London borough council, a parish council, the Council of the Isles of Scilly;
(b)the Common Council of the City of London in its capacity as local authority or police authority; or
(c)the Greater London Authority or a functional body within the meaning of the Greater London Authority Act 1999(18).
(3) In the application of these Regulations to a local authority in Wales, “local authority” in paragraph (1) means a county council, a county borough council or a community council.
(4) In the application of these Regulations to a local authority in Scotland, “local authority” in paragraph (1) has the same meaning as in section 235(1) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973(19) and also includes a joint board or joint committee within the meaning of section 235(1) of that Act.
(5) In the application of these Regulations to a local authority in Northern Ireland, “local authority” in paragraph (1) means a district council within the meaning of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972(20).
(6) Where an entity specified in paragraph (1) does not have the capacity to enter into a contract, the contracting authority in relation to that entity is a person whose function it is to enter into contracts for that entity.
4.—(1) In these Regulations, an “economic operator” means a contractor, a supplier or a services provider.
(2) When these Regulations apply, a contracting authority shall not treat a person who is not a national of a relevant State and established in a relevant State more favourably than one who is.
(3) A contracting authority shall (in accordance with Article 2 of the Public Sector Directive)—
(a)treat economic operators equally and in a non-discriminatory way; and
(b)act in a transparent way.
(4) In these Regulations a relevant State is a member State or a State listed in column 1 of Schedule 4; the agreements with the European Union by which the provisions in relation to public procurement are extended to those States are specified in column 2 of that Schedule and the statutory provision designating them as European Treaties under section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972(21) is specified in column 3 of that Schedule.
5.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), these Regulations apply whenever a contracting authority seeks offers in relation to a proposed public supply contract, public works contract, Part A services contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system other than a contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system excluded from the application of these Regulations by regulation 6 or 8.
(2) Whenever a contracting authority seeks offers in relation to a proposed Part B services contract other than one excluded by virtue of regulation 6 or 8—
(a)Parts 1, 8 and 9 apply; and
(b)the following provisions in Parts 2 to 7 apply—
(i)regulation 9 (technical specifications in the contract documents);
(ii)regulation 31 (contract award notice);
(iii)regulation 40(2) (statistical and other reports);
(iv)regulation 41 (provision of reports); and
(v)regulation 42 (publication of notices).
(3) In these Regulations, a reference to a public works contract does not include a public works concession contract except in—
(a)Parts 1, 8 and 9; and
(b)the following provisions in Parts 6 and 7—
(i)regulation 34 (subsidised public works contracts and public services contracts);
(ii)regulation 36 (public works concession contracts);
(iii)regulation 37 (sub-contracting the work or works to be carried out under a public works concession contract);
(iv)regulation 39 (conditions for performance of contracts);
(v)regulation 41 (provision of reports);
(vi)regulation 42 (publication of notices);
(vii)regulation 43 (confidentiality of information);
(viii)regulation 44 (means of communication);
(ix)regulation 45 (sub-contracting); and
(x)regulation 46 (public service bodies).
6.—(1) These Regulations do not apply to the seeking of offers in relation to a proposed public contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system where the contracting authority is a utility within the meaning of regulation 3 of the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006(22) and—
(a)that contract is for the purposes of carrying out an activity listed in any Part of Schedule 1 to those Regulations in which the utility is specified;
(b)that contract is for the provision of bus services to the public where other entities are free to provide those services, either in general or in a particular geographical area, under the same conditions as the utility;
(c)that contract is for the purpose of acquiring goods, work, works or services in order to sell, hire or provide them to another person unless the utility has a special or exclusive right to sell, hire or provide such goods, work, works or services or other persons are not free to sell, hire or provide them under the same conditions;
(d)that contract is for the purchase of water, where that utility is engaged in the provision or operation of fixed networks intended to provide a service to the public in connection with the production, transportation or distribution of drinking water or the supply of drinking water to such networks;
(e)that contract is for the supply of energy or of fuels for the production of energy, where that utility is engaged in—
(aa)the provision or operation of fixed networks intended to provide a service to the public in connection with the production, transport or distribution of gas or heat or the supply of gas or heat to such networks;
(bb)the provision or operation of fixed networks intended to provide a service to the public in connection with the production, transport or distribution of electricity or the supply of electricity to such networks; or
(cc)exploring for or extracting oil, gas, coal or other solid fuels; or
(f)where that utility is engaged in an activity excluded from the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2006 by virtue of regulation 9 of those Regulations.
(2) These Regulations do not apply to the seeking of offers in relation to a proposed public contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system—
(a)where the principal purpose of the contract is to permit the contracting authority to provide or exploit public telecommunications networks or to provide to the public one or more telecommunications services;
(b)which is classified as secret or where the performance of the contract must be accompanied by special security measures in accordance with the laws, regulations or administrative provisions of any part of the United Kingdom or when the protection of the essential interests of the security of the United Kingdom require it;
(c)where Article 296 of the EC Treaty applies to that public contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system;
(d)where different procedures govern the procedures leading to the award of the contract and it is to be entered into in accordance with—
(i)an international agreement concluded in conformity with the EC Treaty to which the United Kingdom and a State which is not a relevant State are parties and it relates to goods or the carrying out of a work or works or the provision of services intended for the joint implementation or exploitation of a project related to that agreement;
(ii)an international agreement relating to the stationing of troops and concerning the undertakings of a relevant State or a state which is not a relevant State; or
(iii)the contract award procedures of an organisation of which only States are members (an “international organisation”) or of which only States or international organisations are members;
(e)for the acquisition of land, including existing buildings and other structures, land covered with water, and any estate, interest, easement, servitude or right in or over land;
(f)for the acquisition, development, production or co-production of programme material intended for broadcasting by broadcasters or for the purchase of broadcasting time;
(g)for arbitration or conciliation services;
(h)for financial services in connection with the issue, purchase, sale or transfer of securities or other financial instruments in particular transactions by the contracting authorities to raise money or capital;
(i)for central bank services;
(j)for employment and other contracts of service;
(k)for research and development services unless—
(i)the benefits are to accrue exclusively to the contracting authority for its use in the conduct of its own affairs; and
(ii)the services are to be wholly paid for by the contracting authority;
(l)under which services are to be provided by a contracting authority, or by a person which is a contracting authority in another relevant State for the purposes of the Public Sector Directive, because that contracting authority or person has an exclusive right—
(i)to provide the services, or
(ii)which is necessary for the provision of the services;
in accordance with any published law, regulation or administrative provision, which is compatible with the EC Treaty; or
(m)which is a services concession contract awarded by a contracting authority, subject to the application of regulation 46.
7.—(1) In this regulation—
“supported business” means a service where more than 50% of the workers are disabled persons who by reason of the nature or severity of their disability are unable to take up work in the open labour market and “supported businesses” shall be interpreted accordingly;
“supported employment programme” means a scheme under which work is provided for disabled persons and where more than 50% of the workers so supported are disabled persons who by reason of the nature or severity of their disability are unable to take up work in the open labour market and “supported employment programmes” shall be interpreted accordingly; and
“supported factory” means an establishment where more than 50% of the workers are disabled persons who by reason of the nature or severity of their disability are unable to take up work in the open labour market and “supported factories” shall be interpreted accordingly.
(2) A contracting authority may reserve the right to participate in a public contract award procedure, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system to economic operators which operate supported factories, supported businesses or supported employment programmes.
(3) Where a contracting authority has reserved the right to participate in a public contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system in accordance with paragraph (2), it shall follow the contract award procedures set out in these Regulations.
(4) When seeking offers in relation to a public contract, a framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system, a contracting authority shall specify in the contract notice if it is using the approach referred to in paragraph (2).
8.—(1) These Regulations do not apply to the seeking of offers in relation to a proposed public contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system where the estimated value of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system (net of value added tax) at the relevant time is less than the relevant threshold.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the relevant threshold is 5,278,000 euro in the case of a public works contract and a public works contract subsidised as referred to in regulation 34.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the relevant threshold for the purposes of paragraph (1) in the case of a Part A services contract is—
(a)137,000 euro where offers are sought by Schedule 1 entities; and
(b)211,000 euro where offers are sought by any other contracting authority.
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the relevant threshold is 211,000 euro in the case of a public services contract which is—
(a)subsidised as referred to in regulation 34;
(b)for telecommunications services specified under CPV references 64200000-8 to 64228200-2, 72318000-7, and 72530000-9 to 72532000-3 within category 5 of Part A of Schedule 3;
(c)for research and development services specified in category 8 of Part A of Schedule 3; or
(d)a Part B services contract to which regulation 34 does not apply.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the relevant threshold in the case of a public supply contract is—
(a)137,000 euro where offers are sought by—
(i)Schedule 1 entities; and
(ii)the Secretary of State for Defence, but only in relation to a contract for the purchase or hire of goods specified in Schedule 5; and
(b)211,000 euro in relation to all other contracts.
(6) The value in pounds sterling of any amount expressed in these Regulations in euro shall be calculated by reference to the rate for the time being applying for the purposes of the Public Sector Directive as published from time to time in the Official Journal.
(7) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the estimated value of a public contract shall be the value of the total consideration payable, net of value added tax (calculated in accordance with this regulation), which the contracting authority expects to be payable under the contract.
(8) In determining the value of the total consideration which the contracting authority expects to be payable under a public contract it shall, where appropriate, take account of—
(a)any form of option;
(b)any renewal of the contract;
(c)any prize or payment awarded by the contracting authority to the economic operator;
(d)the premium payable and other forms of remuneration for insurance services;
(e)fees, commission, interest or other forms of remuneration payable for banking and other financial services; and
(f)fees, commission or other forms of remuneration payable for design services.
(9) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the estimated value of a public supply contract for the hire of goods is—
(a)the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to be payable under the contract if the term of the contract is fixed for 12 months or less;
(b)the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to be payable under the contract if the term of the contract is fixed for more than 12 months; or
(c)the value of the monthly consideration payable under the contract multiplied by 48 if the term of the contract is indefinite or uncertain at the time the contract is entered into.
(10) For the purposes of paragraph (1) the estimated value of a public services contract which does not indicate a total price is—
(a)the aggregate of the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to be payable under the contract if the term of the contract is fixed for 48 months or less; or
(b)the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to be payable in respect of each month of the period multiplied by 48 if the term of the contract is fixed for more than 48 months, or over an indefinite period.
(11) Subject to paragraphs (12) and (15), where a contracting authority has a single requirement for goods or services or for the carrying out of a work or works and a number of contracts have been entered into or are to be entered into to fulfil that requirement, the estimated value for the purposes of paragraph (1) of each of those contracts is the aggregate of the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to be payable under each of those contracts.
(12) Paragraph (11) does not apply to any contract (unless the contracting authority chooses to apply that paragraph to a contract) if the contract has an estimated value of less than—
(a)80,000 euro for a public services contract or a public supply contract; or
(b)1,000,000 euro for a public works contract;
and the aggregate value of that contract and any other such contract is less than 20% of the aggregate value of the consideration which the contracting authority has given or expects to be payable under all the contracts entered into or to be entered into to fulfil the single requirement for goods, services or for the carrying out of work or works.
(13) Subject to paragraph (15), where a contracting authority has a requirement over a period for goods or services and for that purpose enters into—
(a)a series of contracts; or
(b)a contract which under its terms is renewable;
the estimated value for the purposes of paragraph (1) of the contract shall be the amount calculated under paragraph (14).
(14) The contracting authority shall calculate the amount referred to in paragraph (13) either—
(a)by taking the aggregate of the value of the consideration payable under the contracts which—
(i)have similar characteristics; and
(ii)are for the same type of goods or services;
during the last financial year of the contracting authority ending before, or the period of 12 months ending immediately before, the relevant time, and by adjusting that amount to take account of any expected changes in quantity and cost of the goods to be purchased or hired or services to be provided in the period of 12 months commencing with the relevant time; or
(b)by estimating the aggregate of the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to be payable under contracts which have similar characteristics, and which are for the same type of goods or services during—
(i)in the case of public supply contracts, the period of 12 months from the first date of the delivery of the goods to be purchased or hired, or in the case of public services contracts, from the first date on which the services will be performed; or
(ii)the financial year if that is longer than 12 months.
(15) Notwithstanding paragraphs (11) and (13), in relation to a public supply contract or a public services contract, when the goods or services are required for the sole purposes of a discrete operational unit within the organisation of a contracting authority and—
(a)the decision whether to procure those goods or services has been devolved to such a unit; and
(b)that decision is taken independently of any other part of the contracting authority;
the valuation methods described in paragraphs (11) and (14) shall be adapted by aggregating only the value of the consideration which was payable or the contracting authority expects to be payable, as the case may be, under a public supply contract or a public services contract which was or is required for the sole purpose of that unit.
(16) Where a contracting authority intends to provide any goods to the economic operator awarded a public works contract for the purpose of carrying out that contract, the value of the consideration of the public works contract for the purposes of paragraphs (7) and (11) shall be taken to include the estimated value at the relevant time of those goods.
(17) The relevant threshold for the purposes of paragraph (1) for a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system is the threshold for—
(a)a public works contract, where the framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system relates to the carrying out of work or works;
(b)a public services contract, where the framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system relates to the provision of services; or
(c)a public supply contract, where the framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system relates to the purchase or hire of goods.
(18) The estimated value of a framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system is the aggregate of the values estimated in accordance with this regulation of all the contracts which could be entered into under the framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system.
(19) A contracting authority shall not enter into separate contracts nor exercise a choice under a valuation method with the intention of avoiding the application of these Regulations to those contracts.
(20) The relevant time for the purposes of paragraphs (1), (14) and (16) means the date on which a contract notice would be sent to the Official Journal if the requirement to send such a notice applied to that contract in accordance with these Regulations.
OJ L 257, 1.10.2005, p.1. The standard forms set out in the Annex to this Regulation are available at the internet address http://simap.eu.int.
OJ L 340, 16.12.2002, p.1.
CPC (provisional version). Further information may be obtained from the United Nations website at http://unstats.un.org.
1995 c. 50. Section 1 is amended by S.I. 2005/1117 in relation to Northern Ireland. Sections 2 and 3 are amended by sections 18 and 19(1) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (c. 13). There are other amendments which are not relevant to these Regulations.
Cm 2575. As at 1st January 2000, parties to the Government Procurement Agreement other than member States were Aruba, Canada, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, , Singapore, Switzerland and the United States of America.
The address of the Office of Government Commerce is 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ.
OJ L 134, 30.4.2004, p.114.
OJ L 134, 30.4.2004, p 1.
1971 c. 80. There are amendments to this Act which are not relevant to these Regulations.
Section 5B of the Police Act 1996 was inserted by the Greater London Authority Act 1999(c. 29).
1973 c. 65; section 253(1), as substituted by section 180(1) of, and paragraph 92(66)(c) of Schedule 13 to, the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 c. 39, now provides that a local authority means a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 c. 39.
S.I. 2006/6.