Supplying to Us
Whether your focus is tackling climate change, protecting ocean life or equipping the next generation of marine scientists, working with the National Oceanography Centre means supporting world leading ocean research and innovation. Our suppliers help us deliver impact from the coast to the deepest ocean.
This page explains how we buy, what you need to do to work with the NOC, and what we expect from our suppliers. How we buy depends on the value and nature of what we need, so please start with How we buy below to see which route applies to you.
Bidding for Our Procurements: Register on the Central Digital Platform
If you are bidding for one of our advertised procurements, whether by competitive quotation or by tender, you need to be registered on the Central Digital Platform (CDP), which you reach through the Find a Tender service, and to share your details with us through it. Registration is free. You do not need to do this for everyday purchasing.
On the platform you enter your core business information once and reuse it for every bid. When you bid for an NOC procurement you release that information to us using a share code. A helpful YouTube guide developed by the Government Commercial Agency can be found here.
Please have the following ready:
- Your Companies House number, if you have one.
- Your postal address, website and email.
- Your last two years of accounts, if you have them.
- Details of anyone connected to your business, or with significant control over it.
- Details of any relevant convictions or other matters that could be grounds for exclusion.
You are responsible for keeping this information accurate and up to date.
Where We Advertise Our Procurements
We advertise our procurement opportunities on the Find a Tender service, which is free to search.
We are currently in the process of launching a new e-Tendering Platform Proactis. We will update this space shortly, suppliers looking to work with the NOC for higher value and complex projects may do so by registering on this platform once live.
Low value purchasing below £25,000 Ex VAT is not usually advertised. Some requirements are met through public sector framework agreements and others through quotation.
Quotations, Orders, Invoicing and Delivery
Whether we buy from you through purchasing or procurement, all goods and services must have a purchase order issued with our terms and conditions attached unless a formal contract has been agreed. Please do not start work or dispatch goods until you have received a valid purchase order and or contract from us.
To avoid delays, every invoice must quote the relevant purchase order number and match the purchase order details, including description, delivery costs, price and currency. Please send invoices in PDF to noc_ap@noc.ac.uk.
As a public body we are committed to prompt payment. We pay valid, undisputed invoices within 30 days of receipt, and we require our suppliers to pay those in their own supply chain on the same basis.
Our Standards and the Documents You Agree To
All NOC suppliers are asked to comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct, which sets out our expectations on matters such as ethical conduct, sustainability and documentation. We trade fairly, we expect fair competition, and we will not tolerate fraud, bribery or corruption in any form.
What We Ask on Sustainability and Ethics
We consider the environmental, social and economic impact of what we buy, and we follow the principles of ISO 20400 for sustainable procurement. In our buying we focus on three UN Sustainable Development Goals: decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; and responsible consumption and production.
As a supplier you may be asked to provide information on the sustainability of your products and services, to meet our environmental and social standards, and to take part in assessments. We also welcome your own good practice and ideas.
Modern slavery
The NOC is committed to a supply chain free from modern slavery and complies with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Our statement and policy are available in Our Commitments. Upon supplier setup in-scope organisations are required to provide relevant policy documents.
Exclusions and Raising a Concern
If you bid for one of our procurements, you declare information about anything that could be grounds for excluding you, or a person connected to your business, when you register on the Central Digital Platform. You are responsible for keeping this accurate.
If you have a concern about how we have bought something, including a concern about payment, please contact us first at NOC_Procurement@noc.ac.uk. Concerns about public procurement can also be raised through the Public Procurement Review Service.
Contact Us
Get in touch with any queries about how best to work with us.
- Procurement and Purchasing general enquiries: NOC_Procurement@noc.ac.uk
- Tender or Competition, Contract Management or e-Tendering enquires: tenders@noc.ac.uk
- Finance enquiries: NOCFinance@noc.ac.uk
- Invoicing & Payment enquiries: noc_ap@noc.ac.uk
- Logistics, delivery or import export enquiries: nocs_nmfss_logistics@noc.ac.uk
NOC's Policies and Procedures
In order to deliver on our goal to be a vibrant and healthy organisation and enable our teams and partners to deliver excellence, we strive to ensure the best processes are in place.