Working with Council

Do you have a product or service that may be of value to Whangarei District Council?

To become one of our suppliers, you should respond to one of our requests for a quote, tender or proposal through the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) or TenderLink.

If your response is successful, you will need to:

• agree to our purchase order and contract terms and conditions
• read and agree to our supplier code of conduct
• fill in and return our supplier application form.

Our projects vary in scope, from large-scale developments to smaller initiatives around our fast-growing District.

We have open and transparent procurement policies and procedures. New supply contracts are generally sourced via competitive procurement processes.

Our tender opportunities are advertised either on the tender website TenderLink or New Zealand Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS).

You need to register to these sites to get detailed tender information or respond to tenders. Once registered, you can set up notification alerts in areas of interest to you.

When you identify a job you wish to tender for, make sure you read the related information carefully. This will detail the format that the tender responses need to be in, and the date it closes.

LG Tenders New Zealand (tenderlink.com)

New Zealand Government Electronic Tenders Service (gets.govt.nz)

The New Zealand Government Procurement and Property website has some guidelines if you are new to this process.

How to supply to government (procurement.govt.nz)

For more information on winning Council tenders, see the business capability videos below.

We teamed up with the Northland Chamber of Commerce and Northland Inc. to provide business capability workshops to local business people.

The videos from these sessions are available below and cover the following topics:

• understanding Council processes
• winning Council tenders
• presenting and pitching ideas to get the best outcomes
• joint tenders.

Video: Council processes

Video: Winning Council tenders

Video: Presenting and pitching ideas

Video: Joint ventures

Once tenders are received, we will:

• evaluate all of the responses received against the criteria set in the tender documents. Further information may be required. We may also request a presentation or site visit.
• award a contract to the successful provider. All tenderers will be advised whether they are successful or not.
• manage the contract, measuring performance against the agreed terms throughout the life of the project.

Many of our workplaces are complex and in public spaces, so we need to ensure that everyone is protected, including our staff, contractors and the public. 

To ensure we all keep safe and meet our obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, contractors need to show they have robust health and safety systems by obtaining an independent health and safety pre-qualification.

Any contractors who do physical work on site are required to hold a valid pre-qualification. We prefer the use of SiteWise with the following conditions:

• a minimum overall score of 75 per cent
• score maintains or improves each year
• once Gold (above 90 per cent) is achieved, it must be maintained
• questions relevant to the work the contractor will do for us are answered and score reasonably well.

We will consider accepting alternate New Zealand health and safety pre-qualifications at the discretion of the Health and Safety Manager, on the condition a full report is provided, and they meet conditions like those above.

Tenders that involve site-based physical works will require the successful contractor to hold this pre-qualification and be health and safety approved by us before any site works commence.

To get paid, our suppliers must have a purchase order number. We will let you know your purchase order number when an order is made or you are engaged to perform a service. 

You must use the purchase order number for the goods or services you provide to us on your invoice. It should also be quoted on all correspondence regarding those goods or services. This will help us process your invoice quickly.

Invoices that don't have a purchase order number, or do not match the purchase order or agreed contract payment, value, quantity or detail will not be authorised for payment and will be returned to you for correction.

Purchase order terms and conditions

The following standard terms and conditions apply to all purchase orders created by Whangarei District Council from 1 April 2015 unless otherwise agreed in the contract. 

Purchase Order Terms and Conditions(PDF, 86KB)

We understand that getting paid on time is important to you. Here are some recommendations for speeding up the payment process. 

Review your invoice

Please check that all line items on the purchase order and invoice match exactly to what was delivered, including unit of measure, quantity and unit price.

If there are any discrepancies or changes, contact your Council point of contact before sending your invoice so that the purchase order can be corrected. Any inconsistencies between what was delivered, the purchase order and the invoice could result in delayed or non-payment.

Invoice requirements

We follow Inland Revenue Department (IRD) best practice, which states that a Goods and Services Tax (GST) invoice should contain a minimum of the following information:

• the words ‘tax invoice’ in a prominent place
• the name and GST number of the supplier
• the date the invoice was issued
• a description of the goods or services supplied
• the total amount payable
• a statement that GST is included.

Invoices over $1,000 must also contain:

• the name and address of the recipient
• the quantity of goods supplied (e.g. litres, hours, kilograms)
• a description of service(s) being rendered.

Your invoice must also:

• include the approved purchase order number (valid purchase order numbers are seven characters long and start with two letters, followed by five numbers)
• be computer-generated (not handwritten – this includes the purchase order number)
• include the bank account number that the payment is to be made to (this should also be included on all statements)
• include your contact phone number and email address
• be included as a separate attachment to your email (you may include more than one invoice, but each invoice must be a separate attachment)
• be in PDF file format.

Meeting these requirements will help ensure your invoice moves through our system without delay.

A copy can be sent via email to your Council contact if requested by them. This should be clearly indicated as a ‘Copy’.

Please contact us if you wish to discuss this further or have difficulty meeting any of the above invoice requirements.

Phone: 09 430 4200

Email: financehelpdesk@wdc.govt.nz

Where to send your invoice

Send your invoices to Whangarei District Council, Accounts Payable and copy in your Council point of contact. 

Please only send one copy to Accounts Payable. If you are unsure whether we have received your invoice, please contact us.

Phone: 09 430 4200

Email: financehelpdesk@wdc.govt.nz

When to send your invoice

You can send invoices to us at any time during the month, however the invoices should be with us by the fifth working day of the month to ensure they can be processed for payment within prescribed timeframes.

If the purchase order is authorised, we will make an electronic funds transfer directly into your bank account on the 20th of the month following the date on your invoice (or the first business day following the 20th if the 20th is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday).

For example, monthly services provided in January with an invoice dated:

• 31 January and delivered by 5 February will be paid on 20 February
• 1 February and delivered by 5 February will be paid on 20 March.

For ease of process, we recommend you send invoices to us as soon as they are raised to ensure effective delivery of payment.

Maintaining your details

If you change your bank account information, address, company name or any other information previously provided, please email us so our Accounts Payable team can make the necessary changes.

Requested changes should be sent separately to any invoice.

Email: financehelpdesk@wdc.govt.nz

The information below includes payment terms, our payment method and who to contact for further information.  

Payment terms

If you have a contract with us, it will state the payment terms.

If there is no contract in place, or no other payment terms are specified, our standard payment terms apply.

This means (providing we have received the invoice by the fifth working day of the month following the date of the invoice) payment is made:

• by the 20th of the month following the date of the invoice
• or the first business day following the 20th if the 20th is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday.

Payment method

Our payment method is electronic funds transfer. This means payments can be electronically deposited directly into your designated bank account.

We will aim to email a remittance advice confirming the electronic funds transfer payment on the day the payment is made.

Please ensure we have an up-to-date email address for remittance advices.

Key contacts

Phone: 09 430 4200 (ask for Accounts Payable)

Enquire online

Can I send more than one invoice?

You can attach more than one invoice in your email, but each invoice must be a separate file. You must send your invoice directly to Accounts Payable. 

Who do I send my invoice to?

Please email your invoice to Council – Attention: Accounts Payable, as well as a copy to your Council point of contact.

Please do not send a hard copy as well as emailing your invoice. 

Email: financehelpdesk@wdc.govt.nz

Why have I not been paid?

Please email us or phone our Customer Call Centre on 09 430 4200 and ask for ‘Accounts Payable’ to discuss.

Please ensure that any invoices that have been resent are clearly marked 'Copy'.

How do I send a credit note?

Please send credit notes to the same addresses as invoices and clearly state 'Credit' on them.

Email: financehelpdesk@wdc.govt.nz

How do I update my details?

Please email Council – Attention: Accounts Payable with your updated details.

Requested updates should be sent separately to any invoice. Changing the bank account details or similar information on your invoice without advising us separately is likely to delay payment while changes are verified with you.

Email: financehelpdesk@wdc.govt.nz

What file formats do you accept for emailed invoices?

We only accept PDF file format. Word or Excel documents are not acceptable, except for consolidated invoices.

Closed tender – a process where selected suppliers are invited to submit bids.

Consolidated invoice – a single invoice that combines multiple smaller invoices into one comprehensive Excel document. This method simplifies the payment process by allowing customers to make one payment for several transactions, saving time and reducing administrative work. The option of consolidated invoices will be discussed with suppliers when required.

Direct sourcing – appointing a supplier without requiring a formal tender process. This process is usually restricted to low-value transactions.

Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) – a website platform that advertises and helps manage procurement processes online.

Health and safety pre-qualification – a process where contractors are assessed on their health and safety management systems by an independent health and safety specialist.

Open tender – a publicly advertised process (usually advertised on GETS or TenderLink) where any interested supplier can submit a bid to provide goods or services. It's designed to be fair and transparent, allowing all potential suppliers an equal opportunity to compete.

Panel – refers to a list of pre-approved suppliers who have been vetted for their quality, reliability, and suitability to provide specific goods or services.

Procurement – the process of obtaining goods or services, typically for business or government purposes. It involves selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing the acquisition to ensure the best value and quality. Sometimes referred to as tendering.

Purchase order (PO) – a document issued by a buyer to a supplier, detailing the types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the buyer intends to purchase.

SiteWise – an independent health and safety pre-qualification specialist.

Tender – a formal offer made by a company to supply goods or services at a specified price. It's part of a competitive process where organisations invite suppliers to submit their bids, outlining how they can meet the required specifications and at what cost. This process helps ensure transparency and fairness in selecting the best supplier for the job.

TenderLink – a website platform that helps manage procurement processes online.