The accessibility regulations build on existing obligations to people who have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 (or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland).

The accessibility regulations came into force for public sector bodies on 23 September 2018. They say you must make your website or applications more accessible by making it ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’. You need to include and update an accessibility statement on your website. 

This applies to any IT System or Website procured by the Council.

As an IT supplier please familiarise yourself with the procurement requirements list.

Automated payment direct into your bank account (e.g. payment by BACS – Banker Automated Clearing Services) is Worcestershire County Council’s only method of payment as it is cost effective, efficient and secure.

To apply for payment by bacs you will need to download our BACS Payment Form (PDF) and send it back to us with the following information:

• vendor number (if known)
• name or company name
• address
• email address
• bank/building society name and branch address
• bank sort code (top right-hand corner of your cheque)
• bank account number to be credited
• building society reference number (if applicable)

If you require further information or guidance regarding filling out a BACS Form, please email: WCCSuppliers@worcestershire.gov.uk 

No Purchase Order, No Payment Policy

If you supply goods or services to the Council you must not accept verbal or written instruction to supply goods or services from any member of staff unless they provide you with a valid Purchase Order number (PO number).

If you submit a non-compliant invoice (e.g. one without a PO number), you'll receive an email advising you that your invoice is not compliant and that future invoices with no PO number will not be paid.

Please make sure you request a PO number from your Council contact when an order is placed. Co-operating with this policy is one of the best ways to ensure your invoice is paid promptly.

No PO No Pay Policy (Word doc)

Purchase order numbers

Our financial system produces PO numbers in the format e.g. 'WCPO12345678'.

Most PO numbers will look like this. Each order must be accompanied by a PO number supplied by your council contact. If a Worcestershire County Council employee requests goods or services from you without providing you with a PO number, please refer them to the No PO No Pay Policy. Do not accept the order until a PO number is provided.

Invoices

To ensure the timely processing and payment all invoices should be sent as a PDF to: wccinvoices@worcestershire.gov.uk quoting a valid purchase order number. 

Failure to do this may result in delays in processing your invoice and making payment to you.

To assist with the processing of your invoice for payment, your invoice should contain:

• your company name and address
• your VAT registration number (if applicable)
• invoice number
• invoice date – we cannot accept future dated invoices
• valid PO number
• customer’s name this must be Worcestershire County Council
• name of the service area requesting goods/service or council contact person (this can be found on our Purchase Order)
• full description of the goods and services supplied (If you are a CIS Supplier, your invoice must show labour and materials separately)
• for each line item: quantity, description, unit price, net value, VAT rate, VAT value, line total
• invoice totals: Net, VAT, Gross
• where goods and services that do not have VAT applied to them - this should be shown clearly

If you have any questions about an invoice or about the No Purchase Order, No Pay policy, please contact wccpaymentenquiries@worcestershire.gov.uk 

All suppliers that wish to work with the Council should review our standard terms and conditions. These set out how we expect ourselves and suppliers to work together.

We are launching an exciting new initiative called the Premier Supplier Partnership (PSP) for our commercial suppliers.  

The Premier Supplier Partnership gives you the option to be paid as soon as an invoice is authorised, ahead of your 30-day terms. You'll need to pay a small, pre-agreed rebate which is applied when the invoice is paid. The rebate is proportionate to the number of days we accelerate the payment by and is only applied if the invoice is paid earlier than 30 days. 

The benefits of the Premier Supplier Partnership (PSP)

We believe that strong supplier relationships are essential in achieving our strategic goals. We recognise early payment can make a significant impact on the growth and development of your business. With PSP, you’ll benefit from improved cashflow, and reduced time spent chasing payments.

What happens next?  

You will receive an email from Oxygen Finance explaining more about the programme and enabling you to join the programme online – it is a simple and straightforward process that only takes a couple of minutes to complete. In the meantime, please visit our Microsite webpage, email worcestershire@oxygen-finance.com or call Oxygen Finance on 0121 295 4344 to speak to someone about the programme.