We’re committed to developing and maintaining effective relationships suppliers to helps us provide high quality services to our residents.
Our commitment to suppliers
We are committed to equality and cohesion and try to make sure this is reflected in our contractual relationships and partnerships. Our compliance with the Equality Act 2010 ensures we eliminate unlawful discrimination and advance equality of opportunity in all our work, including our contracting activities.
We play a significant role in the local economy and will give local suppliers a fair opportunity to compete for our business.
Contracts will be awarded on the basis of the commercial criteria having been satisfied, and we will aim to ensure:
all correspondence from potential suppliers will be answered speedily and courteously
we will indicate clearly and concisely the actions we will take in considering your tender to become one of our suppliers
if you are not being included on a list of potential suppliers, or we have no call for the goods/services on offer, we will tell you
we will make every effort to ensure suppliers of all sizes and backgrounds are clear about the procedures for dealing with us
our documentation will be clear and user friendly
full and constructive debriefing will be available to unsuccessful contractors
invoices will be paid in line with the agreed terms
confidentiality will be maintained in respect of commercially sensitive information so as not to disadvantage any organisation in its normal commercial activities
We try to keep this up-to-date and correct, but this may not be a full list of our contracts and it is not in any particular order. Its publication is not intended to indicate any recommendation or preference for any particular organisation that does, or does not, appear on the list.
Complaints procedure
We value your feedback, so if you’re unhappy about something, please let us know and we will do our best to put things right for you.
What we buy
We buy a wide and diverse range of goods and services, including all of the things you would expect a large organisation to buy.
Consultancy
architectural/engineering
environment
market research
planning
regeneration
Supplies and services
agency staff
building materials(plumbing, electrical etc)
bottled water
cleaning services/materials
CCTV equipment
catering provisions
confidential waste
corporate and protective clothing
courier services
furniture
grounds maintenance services
insurance services
highways materials (tarmac, concrete, line marking etc)
horticultural supplies
leisure equipment
office stationery, equipment and consumables (including IT)
print and publicity materials and advertising
public toilet provision and cleaning services
refuse collection and recycling services
street furniture
telephony
training/training venues
transport services
vehicle and plant hire (diggers etc)
vehicle purchase (refuse collection, housing repair, car park warden vehicles)
Choosing contractors and consultants for council construction projects
We’ve approved the government-sponsored Constructionline database as the source for selecting contractors and consultants to tender for council construction projects.
We use automated systems to pay invoices, and most payments are made very quickly.
Your invoice will be returned to you unpaid if you do not quote a valid purchase order number. If an invoice does not have enough information for the scanner to match it to one of our purchase orders, it may be returned to you unpaid. You will then have to resend the invoice with all the required information.
Provide all the information we need to pay your invoice
Don’t
supply goods or services without first having a valid London Borough of Hackney purchase order. This will be supplied electronically (e-ordering) or in writing. The only exception to this is if you have a prior specific written agreement for an alternative arrangement
supply quantities or prices above those on the purchase order. If the purchase order has incorrect prices or quantities, please contact the buyer and request a correct one before supplying us
Email your PDF or TIFF invoice to invoices@hackney.gov.uk, ensuring that it contains all the details listed in: what is required on an invoice.
Check with your buyer that the PO has been goods receipted.
Can I invoice for part of the order?
Yes, you are able to invoice us for the goods / services dispatched from a PO.
The same PO can be used for additional invoicing providing the details and goods / services ordered correspond.
Why has my invoice been rejected when the goods / services have been delivered satisfactorily?
The main reasons invoices are rejected are due to invalid or no PO number being quoted, or the invoice not being correctly addressed to the London Borough of Hackney.
See: what is required on an invoice to check whether you have included all the required information.
Why do I have to submit an invoice as a PDF or TIFF file?
Our standing orders require all invoices to be submitted as a PDF or TIFF, to safeguard against fraud. This is because PDFs and TIFFS can’t be easily edited.
Both PDF and TIFF files are read by our software to process invoices efficiently and effectively.
What is a PDF or TIFF image?
A PDF file, short for Portable Document Format, is a read only file that can’t be easily edited. PDFs (documents ending with .pdf) preserve the original format of a document and can be read by machines. You are able to convert most types of documents into PDFs from Microsoft Office Word / Excel, Apple software or Apps. See: how to convert a document to PDF.
Similarly, a TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) image is a non-editable image of an original document.
Files must not be encrypted, zipped or password protected, file names restricted to 50 characters and only one invoice per attachment.
See: Why do I have to submit and invoice as a PDF or TIFF file? above.
Why do I have to quote a PO number on the invoice?
To get paid quicker.
Referencing the PO number on the invoice helps us to match the right invoice with the right GRN (receipt note) and with the right PO. A mismatch with any of these will delay payment.
An error with the invoice will cause it to be rejected.
An invoice that contains no PO or an invalid PO number will cause the invoice to be rejected. A ‘no PO, no pay’ rule applies across the Council. See: what is required on an invoice.
What is a PO?
A purchase order (PO) always needs to be raised and approved before any goods or services are delivered. The PO will list the ordered items, quantity, price and totalled value. The PO will also display the buyer’s name and appropriate accountancy codes.
Under the terms and conditions of the PO, ‘no PO, no pay‘ applies – a valid PO number must be quoted on all invoices otherwise they will be rejected.
Once the goods / services have been delivered satisfactorily, a GRN (goods receipt note) needs to be carried out immediately for the payment to be released.
The invoice will need to match the descriptions used in the PO and correspond with the agreed fee. See: what is required on an invoice.
What is a GRN?
A goods receipt note (GRN) is required by us for invoices to be paid.
Upon receipt of goods / services, buyers must confirm the PO has been fulfilled on our financial management system. Failure to do so will result in a payment delay.
What if LBH haven't given me a PO to quote?
Your invoice will not be paid without a valid PO number. To resolve this, please contact the officer who placed the order with you, or the buyer stated on the PO.
The PO I have is invalid, how do I get a valid PO?
Please contact the buyer named on your invalid PO. They need to raise a new PO.
Has LBH changed its payment terms for suppliers?
No, our priority is to pay our suppliers within 30 days of receiving your invoice. We have changed our processes to speed up payment, by telling you our payment requirements. See: what is required on an invoice.
Who should I contact for invoice payment queries?
Your first contact should be the officer who placed the order with you, or the buyer stated on your PO.