FOI Enquiry- Understanding your approach to Services Procurement
Case reference FOI2026/00664
Received 1 July 2026
Published 29 July 2026
Request
Response
In accordance with section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), Oxford City Council (OCC) confirms that it holds information falling within the scope of your request.
The Council’s response is set out below.
* How SOW or project-based services are currently procured and managed
Statement of Work and project-based professional services are procured in accordance with OCC’s Contract Rules. The procurement route is determined by matters including the total contract value, the nature of the requirement and whether a suitable procurement framework is available.
For procurements with a total contract value of £30,000 including Value Added Tax or more, tenders must ordinarily be submitted through OCC’s Corporate Tendering Portal, or through the electronic system used to invite tenders, subject to OCC’s Contract Rules.
OCC uses the In-tend electronic procurement portal to advertise and administer relevant procurement opportunities.
Once a contract has been awarded, responsibility for managing the contract rests with the relevant commissioning service area.
* Who the lead supplier(s) are for these services
Details of individual OCC contracts, including the appointed supplier where published, are available through OCC’s public contracts register.
This published information is reasonably accessible to you by other means and is therefore exempt from separate disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA. The contracts register can be accessed through the “Council contracts” section of OCC’s website.
Section 21 is an absolute exemption and is not subject to the public interest test.
* The procurement routes or frameworks typically utilised by the authority
OCC uses its In-tend procurement portal.
Depending on the nature and value of the requirement, the procurement route may include a request for quotation, an invitation to tender or the use of an appropriate procurement framework.
OCC also uses various external procurement frameworks where appropriate.
* The types of programmes or projects most commonly delivered through this model (e.g. digital, transformation, workforce)
Information relating to individual programmes and projects is available through OCC’s published contracts register and procurement portal.
This information is reasonably accessible by other means and is therefore exempt from separate disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA.
* Which internal functions are responsible for managing these engagements (e.g. procurement, HR, transformation teams)
The relevant commissioning service area is responsible for managing the engagement and the performance of the appointed supplier.
OCC’s Procurement Team supports the procurement process where required.
* Any current challenges, priorities, or strategic focus areas in relation to Services Procurement
OCC does not hold any separately recorded information specifically categorised as current challenges, priorities or strategic focus areas relating to “Services Procurement”. This is a response under section 1(1)(a) of the FOIA and is not the application of an exemption.
OCC’s broader procurement priorities are set out in its published procurement strategy. As that information is reasonably accessible through OCC’s website, it is exempt from separate disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA.
* The renewal or expiry dates of any existing contracts relating to Services Procurement Service
If possible, please provide this information in line with your obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Where relevant individual contracts are recorded on OCC’s public contracts register, the available information includes the supplier, contract value and expiry date. The register can be searched and exported electronically.
That information is reasonably accessible by other means and is therefore exempt from separate disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA.
Insofar as the Council has relied upon section 21, this response constitutes a refusal notice under section 17 of the FOIA. Section 21 has been applied only to information that is reasonably accessible through OCC’s website and public contracts register.
In accordance with section 16 of the FOIA, OCC advises that a more targeted request identifying a particular contract, supplier, programme, service area, framework or period may enable OCC to provide more specific recorded information.
If you disagree with any part of the response to your request, you are entitled to ask the Council for an internal review of the decision(s) made. You may do this by writing to the Monitoring Officer, by either email monitoringofficer@oxford.gov.uk – or by post to Monitoring Officer, Oxford City Council, Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford, OX1 1BX. After the result of the internal review, if you remain dissatisfied, you may ask the Information Commissioner to intervene on your behalf. You may do this by writing to the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Officer
| Freedom of Information Team | Law & Governance | Oxford City Council | Town Hall | St Aldate’s | Oxford | OX1 1BX |
Documents
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