Purchasers typically use FPAL to pre-qualify suppliers and contractors for contracts both above and below the EU thresholds, depending on the particular nature of the goods, services or works being procured.
Suppliers wishing to register can join online and will be asked to complete an online registration questionnaire. Basic information is provided by the supplier about their company, including the products and services they can provide and the company’s approach to doing business in certain areas. The information is gathered in a structured format and is subjected to checking controls. A structured coding system “Products and Services Codes” exists to provide a common basis for suppliers to register and for purchasers to search. A PDF copy of the questionnaire can be viewed here.
As soon as the supplier is fully registered all purchasers can access the information. The supplier’s registration is valid for 12 months and has to be renewed before the end of this period.
When a purchaser has a requirement for a contract or other purchase, FPAL allows the purchaser to search for potential suppliers or contractors in a fair and consistent manner, by applying objective criteria against the information provided by each supplier.
This will result in a list of suppliers or contractors that meet the criteria applied, which can then either be used as the final tender list or as the ‘first pass’ for further information to be asked, depending on the nature of the contract being sourced.
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