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Suppliers
Building sustainable relationships with a range of suppliers
In our commitment to establishing an equitable and competitive business environment for suppliers and the University, we have developed procedures and initiatives to ensure all suppliers receive fair consideration.
UniBuy - a new way of buying at the University
We are introducing a new way of buying at the University of Sydney that aims to improve the experience for our staff and suppliers alike.
We are streamlining our procurement and accounts payable processes to an online portal called UniBuy, supported by the SAP Ariba Network. To do business with us in the future, you will need to be registered on the Ariba Network.
By using the Ariba Network, you will have:
- access to a wide customer base across all business areas of the University
- the ability to enable your goods or services to be purchased via catalogues on UniBuy, allowing staff to view and select from your range of products
- visibility and control over orders coming from the University
- faster invoice payment.
The cost of interacting with us on this network will depend on the Ariba Network account you choose:
- Standard account – no cost
Benefits include the ability to submit all documents electronically, improved invoice accuracy and the ability to receive invoice and payment status notifications. Click here to understand the capabilities included in a standard account as well as access to short videos to help you get started. - Full-use account – fees apply
Additional benefits include catalogue presence, greater visibility and management of document status, dedicated live-chat, phone and email support from SAP Ariba and enhanced reporting capability. Click here to compare the full-use account and standard account capabilities as well as the fees involved.
Email unibuy.suppliers@sydney.edu.au if you have any questions.
Statement of Business Ethics
The University of Sydney is accountable for how it spends public funds and is aware that suppliers are important to its success and reputation. Critical to protecting the University’s reputation and success is ensuring our procurement related suppliers and commercial partners embody our principles and comply with our procurement policies and procedures. The principles of transparency, honesty and value for money underpin the University’s relationships with its suppliers and commercial partners.
The University has documented its expectations of suppliers and its commitment to suppliers in the Supplier Business Ethics Statement of Expectations [pdf, 89KB] (the Statement). All suppliers should read the Statement and make it available to their employees. In addition, other relevant documents referenced in the Statement are provided, being:
University’s Code of Conduct - Staff and Affiliates [pdf, 72KB]
External Interests Policy 2010 [pdf, 263KB]
Reporting Wrongdoing Policy 2012 [pdf, 254KB
Procurement Policy 2019 [pdf, 215KB]
Modern Slavery and Sustainability
Consistent with the University of Sydney’s reporting obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), the University has undertaken due diligence of its supply chain and suppliers to identify potential modern slavery risks, and opportunities to improve our sustainability performance.
To underpin our efforts, the University has published a Modern Slavery Policy. The purpose of this policy is to embed our commitment to addressing modern slavery risks in our everyday work and help us meet our obligations under the Act.
The University of Sydney is also required under the Act to publish an annual Modern Slavery Statement (2020) outlining our commitment and approach to identifying and addressing modern slavery risks.
Working together with our partners and suppliers is critical to addressing modern slavery. To help meet this end, we therefore encourage you to familiarise yourself with the University’s approach to addressing modern slavery.
The University of Sydney has adopted a risk-based supplier due diligence program to identify and prevent any potential supply chain risks, including modern slavery. All suppliers are required to undergo some level of due diligence during the pre-qualification and contract management process.
The University requires certain suppliers to complete a more detailed assessment to understand their current practices on human/labour rights, environmental, governance and supply chain management. To ensure the assessment process is efficient and consistent, we have engaged EcoVadis to undertake the evaluation on our behalf.
Please note, not all suppliers will be required to complete the assessment. You will be notified in writing should the University require you to complete the EcoVadis sustainability assessment. To find out more about the University’s procurement requirements of suppliers contact: unibuy.suppliers@sydney.edu.au
EcoVadis is an international provider of supply chain sustainability assessments who work with over 400 multinational companies and has rated over 60,000 suppliers worldwide. The assessments have been designed and developed in collaboration with leading international bodies and are examined by sustainability experts.
There is a fee to complete the assessment, which is based on the size of your organisation. For an overview, please see here.
Once the assessment has been completed, you will be provided with a rating and a tailored performance report, which highlights areas for improvement. This scorecard can then be shared with other EcoVadis clients.
The turnaround period for the EcoVadis assessment is approximately six weeks.
Quotations
- Start early
Seek clarification in advance and plan to get your response in one day before the closing time. - Understand what is required
If you have been provided with a written Request for Quotation (RFQ), read it thoroughly. If you have been verbally requested to quote, make sure that you understand what is being sought and, if necessary, ask for a written specification. If you need further clarification please get in touch with your University contact. - Conditions for participation
Determine what mandatory requirements apply. These requirements must be met in order for your submission to be considered further. - Evaluation criteria
Determine the criteria against which your quotation will be evaluated. You must satisfy each of the criteria specified. If a verbal quotation process is used, your quotation will be assessed on how well it meets the requirements and whether it offers value for money. For more information refer to how we evaluate quotations. - Include all necessary information
Your response should provide all the information requested. Your quotation should always be on company letterhead and should include your ABN or ACN, your registered address and your contact details. If a format has not been specified, make sure you also include:- the quotation name and number
- an indication of your level of compliance with the specification and the conditions of quotation and, if applicable, the conditions of contract (if you exceed the requirements, or only partially comply, you will need to indicate in which areas and explain why)
- a price schedule (check to see whether the price should include or exclude GST and make sure that you clearly indicate whether your price is GST inclusive or exclusive).
- Identify how to respond
Check to see if there are any standard forms to be completed and make sure you answer the questions asked. - Identify when to respond
Note the closing date, time and address for lodging your quotation. Late quotes will not be accepted, except where there are exceptional circumstances and only if approved by the relevant University contact. Make sure you submit your quotation response to the right location. - Lodge your quote
Quotations must be delivered by the method specified in the RFQ. - Terms and conditions
If applicable, read the contract terms and conditions and make sure that you can comply. Non-compliant quotations may not be considered.
The RFQ will specify the criteria we use to assess your quotation for its relative strengths and weaknesses. Familiarise yourself with these criteria and focus your efforts on areas which are considered important by the relevant University client.
- Conditions of participation
We will assess your quotation to see if it complies with the conditions for participation and any other mandatory conditions. If it doesn't, it will be considered to be non-conforming and eliminated from further evaluation. - Non-cost evaluation
We assess your quotation against each of the non-cost evaluation criteria. These will be specified in the RFQ documents and may include:- the technical merit of your proposal
- the capability of your business to fulfil the requirement, including technical and management competence, financial viability and relevant experience
- the relevant skills, experience and availability of key personnel
- quality assurance requirements
- the risks or constraints associated with your offer.
- Value for money
We conduct a value for money assessment of each quotation. This does not necessarily mean choosing the cheapest price. When assessing value for money, the contracting agency will weigh up the benefits of your quotation against its whole-of-life costs. This assessment may include consideration of wider benefits to the State, such as providing local employment opportunities.
Tenders
- Start early
Get a copy of the tender documents as soon as you can, seek clarification in advance and plan to get your response in one day before the closing time. - Register your interest
Contact unibuy.suppliers@sydney.edu.au. - Review requirements
Make sure you understand what is required:- read the tender documentation thoroughly, check UniBuy (see step 2 for how to register) and select the tender relevant to your organisation for a general explanation of the tender documentation
- attend any pre-tender briefing sessions and be prepared to ask questions
- if you are still uncertain and require assistance, seek clarification from the agency contact
- note that any new or additional information provided during pre-tender briefing sessions, or in response to suppliers seeking clarification, will be provided in writing to all potential tenderers.
- In-house or sub-contract?
Determine if you can complete the contract in-house, or will need to sub-contract or form a consortium. If you need to sub-contract or form a consortium, make sure others have enough time to provide input into the tender. - Review evaluation criteria
Determine the criteria against which your tender will be evaluated and note any weighting placed on each of the criteria. You must satisfy each of the criteria and you should focus particularly on those criteria that carry the most weight. - Check the submission requirements
Identify how to respond. Check to see if there are any standard forms to be completed and make sure you answer the questions asked. Note the closing date, time and address for lodging your tender. Late tenders will not be accepted, except where there are exceptional circumstances, if approved by the contracting agency. - Develop a tender response strategy
Read the contract terms and conditions and make sure that you can comply. Non-compliant tenders may not be considered. For high-value tenders, you may wish to prepare a tender response strategy. This will help you determine at an early stage if you can provide a competitive solution. Things you may consider include:- the budget and resources required to prepare your tender
- the resources you will require to fulfil the contract
- identifying your competition
- analysing your prospects of winning the tender.
- Complete the checklist
Complete the Preparing a tender checklist (pdf, 296KB) to ensure you have included everything that is required.
The tender documents will specify the criteria we use to assess your tender for its relative strengths and weaknesses. Familiarise yourself with these criteria and focus your efforts on areas which are considered important by the contracting agency.
- Conditions of participation and contract conditions
We assess your tender to see if it complies with mandatory tender (conditions for participation) and contract conditions. If it doesn't, it may be considered to be invalid and eliminated from further evaluation. - Non-cost evaluation
We assess your tender against each of the non-cost evaluation criteria. These will be specified in the tender documents and may include:
- the technical merit of your proposal
- the capability of your business to fulfil the requirement, including technical and management competence, financial viability and relevant experience
- the relevant skills, experience and availability of key personnel
- quality assurance requirements
- the risks or constraints associated with your offer.
- Value for money
We conduct a value for money assessment of each tender. This does not necessarily mean choosing the cheapest price. When assessing value for money, the contracting agency will weigh up the benefits of your tender against its whole-of-life costs. This assessment may include consideration of wider benefits to the State, such as providing local employment opportunities.
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