The system works at three levels, to reflect the complexities of different procurement thresholds.
Level 3: is used for contracts with a value above the EU threshold. Only companies registered at Level 3 are eligible for these contracts.
Level 2: is used for contracts above €50,000 and below the EU threshold. Companies registered at Levels 2&3 are eligible for these contracts.
Level 1: has been introduced to cater for purchases below €50,000. All companies registered on Supply-Line are eligible for this level. When a company registers on Supply-Line, they are given a username and password to access a questionnaire online. The detail required on the questionnaire depends on the level of registration requested by the company.
When a Purchasing Organisation has a requirement, it will search the Supply-Line database under the relevant code(s).
Depending on the number of companies resulting from the search, the Purchasing Organisation will use further criteria from information supplied on the questionnaire to refine the list to a more suitable number of suppliers to whom it will issue tender documents.
e-Qual is a Supply-Line tool designed to assist with the qualification process by helping to capture more contract specific information to determine the financial and/or technical capacity of firms. It enables buyers to expand on the information already provided through the Supply-Line questionnaires. When the Buyer uses e-Qual, the supplier will be notified via email to log on to www.achilles.com where the questions can be answered on-line and submitted back to the Buyer. more