Using the workplace and classroom furniture contract

Using this contract

• 1

  Determine your requirements

  Start by determining your agency's requirements and what you need to source from the panel.

  Keep in mind your agency's current office or classroom furniture model and target future state. Your agency should consider:

  • annual or anticipated demand for furniture
  • scale of fit-out
  • product scope (storage, seating, workstations, meeting rooms)
  • recycling and upcycling current furniture
  • warranty, maintenance and support services.

  By determining your requirements you can form a clear picture of what outcome you would like to achieve.

• 2

  Review the suppliers

  Consider each supplier's value-add services, profile and how they align to your requirements. This information can be found on the workplace and classroom furniture suppliers page using an agency login.

  Workplace and classroom furniture suppliers

  You do not need to select a single supplier for a fit-out. A range of suppliers can be used to cater to your different fit-out requirements. For example, a particular supplier may be able to supply your storage cabinets, whilst another supplier may be able to supply your desk chairs.

  To support your sustainability goals, our suppliers have targets to increase the proportion of products on their catalogue with sustainability accreditations.

  Workplace and classroom furniture broader outcomes

• 3

  Talk to the suppliers

  Talk to some or all of the suppliers to communicate your needs, and to learn more about their services.

  Depending on the estimated value of your engagement, you may then have to seek quotes from a selection of panel suppliers.

• 4

  Decide on a selection process

  Your secondary procurement process will be determined by the value of your engagement based on the estimated whole of life contractual value, according to your agency’s procurement policy.

  • For expenditure greater than $100,000
    Your agency may seek quotes from as many relevant panel suppliers as necessary, according to your internal procurement policy. You do not have to seek quotes from all panel suppliers, but seeking quotes from a greater number of suppliers will result in better value for money.
  • For expenditure of $100,000 or less
    Your agency must act in accordance with its internal procurement policy. Depending on your procurement policy, you can either select one supplier or request three quotes. Your agency can source products directly from your chosen commodity furniture supplier where the products are stand-alone items not part of a fit-out project.
• 5

  Request information

  Issue a Request for Quote (RFQ) to the selected panel suppliers. The RFQ should contain as much of the following as possible:

  • quantity and description of product required
  • requirements in regard to colour, quality, materials, style and functionality
  • relevant timeframes
  • location of delivery
  • weighting criteria for the final selection of who will provide the products and services
  • contact point for any clarification questions and
  • any other criteria deemed necessary.

  If a supplier can meet your requirements, they may respond to the Request for Quote.

  Government model RFx templates

• 6

  Evaluate the responses and select a supplier

  Evaluate the responses against your requirements. It is good practice to establish an evaluation panel with members that have a range of relevant expertise, such as those across facilities management. You can find more information about evaluation panels below.

  Setting up the evaluation panels

  Once you have chosen your supplier and agreed on your service requirements, you will need to issue a purchase order, other order documentation or a Statement of Work to the successful supplier. The Statement of Work template for office furniture in the contract document section can help you do this.

  Contract documents

• 7

  Debrief unsuccessful suppliers

  Unsuccessful suppliers should be offered a debrief. This can be in the form of a face-to-face meeting, phone call or email. In the debrief, you must:

  • provide the reasons why an offer was not successful
  • explain how the offer performed against the evaluation criteria
  • indicate the advantages of the successful offer
  • answer any concerns or questions from the supplier.

  You can find more information about supplier debriefs below.

  Debriefing unsuccessful suppliers

  End of process