POST-TENDER PRICE NEGOTIATION

Current public procurement legislation prohibits post-tender price negotiation for the UK National Health System (NHS)

Current public procurement legislation prohibits post-tender price negotiation for the UK National Health System (NHS)

Post tender negotiations refer to the discussions with a number of bidders, or a bidder, after the tenders have been opened and may be an essentially helpful tool in leading to improvements in offering. Is spite of its name, it not sternly restricted to the tender procedure for the fact that, it additionally encompasses the quotation procedure. Post tender negotiations are a means of negotiation for the order of ensuring that the UK National Health System acquires true value for money by buying a satisfactory final product at a fair yet competitive market price, within the stipulated time frame. In addition, it is a means for ascertaining that prospective suppliers don't have any misunderstandings or illusions regarding their precise obligations under the terms or any contract or order.

The post tender negotiations have been rightly prohibited by the current public procurement legislation for the fact that it reduces transparency and may result in excessive abuses in the tendering procedure. The system is planned for operating based on the fact that the tenderers submit their most competitive bid as a response to the specifications established in an RFT. Where the contracting authorities are unable to specify requisites adequately precisely permit the priced tenders being submitted, the regulations allow the negotiated procedure to be employed. Negotiation should be performed on a fair basis with the highest level of transparency that is possible (Coote, 2002, pp. 25-26).

Post tender negotiations may give rise to critical ethical concerns which come to surface when the governmental officials are engaged with the commercial market, which is frequently referred to as probity. Such challenges may be attended to by means ...