Slough Borough Council

How do I sell goods or services to the council?

Procurement is devolved throughout the council and not centralised within the Procurement Department which means that all departments are individually responsible for procuring their own goods and services.

There are some centralised procurement functions although these are in the minority, for example the IT Department purchase all IT equipment.

Where "Approved Lists" are in force, these are determined and held by the individual departments. The Procurement Department can advise on those individuals within the Council responsible for specific service areas.

Suppliers are advised to read the Selling to the Council Guide [PDF] for guidance on the Council's procurement processes and procedures.

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How do I become a supply partner?

Procurement is devolved throughout the Council and not centralised within the Procurement Department which means that all departments are individually responsible for procuring their own goods and services.

If a supplier wishes to become a supply partner they will need to contact the relevant Contract Officer within the relevant department and approach them in relation to either a specific procurement or a specific "Approved List".

The Procurement Department can advise on those individuals (the "Contract Officers") within the Council responsible for specific service areas.

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How do I find out what the council's terms & conditions are if I want to sell goods, services or works to them?

Suppliers can either agree to Slough Borough Council's Standard Terms and Conditions [PDF] or can agree a bespoke contract through the Legal Department.

Slough Borough Council will be UNABLE to purchase goods from suppliers without the supplier either agreeing to the Terms and Conditions or creating a bespoke contract with the Legal Department.

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How do I get feedback on a tender I submitted?

The Contract Officer who managed the tender process is obliged to provide feedback on submitted tenders to the relevant supplier whether the tender has been successful or unsuccessful.

If feedback has not been received you should contact the Contract Officer directly.

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How do I register on IDeA:marketplace / Slough Borough Council's e-procurement system?

Read the Standard Terms and Conditions of Council Contracts [PDF] and then complete the Supplier Registration Form [PDF]and post/fax it back to our Procurement department.

You will automatically receive an e-mail (or fax) from IDeA:marketplace welcoming you and giving you details on how to proceed. 

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I can't get onto the IDeA:marketplace login page, what should I do?

This could be a problem with your internet connection and not with IDeA:marketplace.

• Log off and log on again
• If you still can't get into IDeA:marketplace leave it 15mins and log on again
• If you were in the middle of altering anything on Marketplace it will have saved your alterations

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I've forgotten my password for IDeA:marketplace, what should I do?

• Go to the login page of the IDeA:marketplace website 
• Enter your User ID e.g.. feoxxxx
• Click on "password lookup" button at the bottom of the page
• Answer security question - example : "What is your favourite food" - this will have originally been set at a default of "pizza"
• Click submit.
• Your password will be automatically emailed to you.

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My IDeA:marketplace User ID and/or password are not accepted, what should I do?

This could be due to a mistype when entering either your UserID or password.

Please confirm that the password you are entering is the correct one by doing the following:

• Enter your User ID e.g. JBloggs
• Click on "password lookup" button at the bottom of the page
• Answer security question - example : "What is your favourite food" - this will have originally been set at a default of "pizza"
• Click submit
• Your password will be automatically emailed to you
• Retype your User ID and password - remember they are both case sensitive

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IDeA:marketplace asks me if I want my password saved, what should I do?

This is critical in ensuring the security of the system.

• Open the internet - it does not have to be the IDeA:marketplace site
• Go to the top tool bar and click on "Tools"
• A menu will appear - Click on "Internet Options"
• A box will appear - the 3rd tab is called "Content"
• On this page there are 3 sections - go to the 3rd section called "Personal Information", click on "Autocomplete"
• A box will appear - make sure that there are no ticks in "Forms" and "Prompt me to save passwords"
• If there are ticks in these boxes, click on where the ticks are and this will remove them

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How do I find out what my User ID and/or password is for IDeA:marketplace?

If you haven't registered on Marketplace you will need to register. Only once a supplier has registered on Marketplace are they given a User ID and password with which they can then access the Marketplace system.

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How do I update orders so that Slough Borough Council users know I have shipped the order?

When you wish to let an Slough Borough Council employee know that you have shipped their order complete the following steps:

• Log onto Marketplace On the “Home” page there are a number of headings at the top of the screen – “user requests” and “orders”
• Click on “orders”
• All purchase orders will be listed – only those for the current month will show up on this screen
• To view purchase orders received in previous months click on “Previous month” in the bottom left hand side of the screen
• Click on the required purchase order number
• The purchase order will appear on screen
• At the top of the order there is a heading “Update Order Status”
• Ensure the circle entitled “Shipped” is highlighted
• Click on “Update status”
• This will generate an email to the individual who placed the order letting them know you have shipped the order to them

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How do I update orders so that Slough Borough Council users know I have received the order?

When you have received an order complete the following steps:

• Log onto Marketplace On the “Home” page there is a list on the left had side of the screen called “inbox – New Orders”
• Click on the Purchase Order Number that you have not seen yet.
• The whole purchase order will appear on screen
• At the top of the order there is a heading “Update Order Status”
• Ensure the circle entitled “Accepted” is highlighted
• Click on “Update status”
• This will generate an email to the individual who placed the order letting them know you have received the order and are processing it.

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How do I know if an order has been sent to me from Idea:marketplace?

If you have provided an email address in the Supplier Registration Form you completed, you will receive an email from Marketplace with a web link in it that if you click on it will take you to the order on Marketplace (once you've logged on).

If you have only provided a fax number in the Supplier Registration Form the order will be faxed to you.

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How do I change my IDeA:marketplace password?

• Open the IDeA:marketplace website
• Input your User ID and password - this will take you into IDeA:marketplace
• In the top right hand corner there is a tab called "My Account" - click on it
• This will take you into an area detailing your profile information
• Click on "Account Password"
• The system will ask you for your current password (this will have been automatically sent to when you were uploaded onto the system)
• Enter your current password and then enter your new password - making sure it contains both numbers and letters and is something you will remember easily
• Click on "Update Information" - your new password will now be working

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How do I change my contact details on IDeA:Marketplace (e.g.. telephone no. / email address etc)?

• Open the IDeA:marketplace website
• Log in using your User ID and Password
• When you have logged in there is a tab entitled "My Account" in the top right hand corner of the screen
• Click on "User Information" you can update your location, your name, your job title, your phone & fax numbers and your email address

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How do I create IDeA:marketplace as a desktop icon?

• Open the IDeA:marketplace website
• Put mouse in middle of screen and right click
• A menu will appear
• Go to "Create Shortcut"
• This will bring up a box - click on "OK"
• Minimise all screens so that you can see your Desktop
• Find the Icon, put mouse on Icon and right click
• A menu will appear
• Go to "Rename"
• Type "Idea marketplace" and press return
• The format will not allow a colon to be used

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The printer does not print the edges of purchase orders sent to me, what should I do?

• Go to "File" (top tool bar)
• Go to "PageSet"
• Change the right margin to 5mm

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