Marketing services register for buyers

Buyers need to establish the service required and use the service category that matches the service need.

Buyers will need to have internal approval before issuing a request for quotation.

Log in to Digital Marketplace and click on the ‘Buy’ tab. Navigate to the Marketing services register tiles, and begin your request for quotation.

Fill in all the required information on the form. Buyers must fill out the Marketing services RFQ template and attach it to their RFQ. Buyers must not use an alternative template. The template is also available to download on the platform.

The number of quotes required will depend on agency procurement policy.

For complex or high-value services, consider requesting quotations from a wider range of service providers. More information on assessing the complexity and capability of a service is available at Complexity and capability assessment policy and guides.

Buyers should:

• define the scope of work
• develop evaluation criteria to evaluate offers.

The evaluation criteria describe how service providers will be:

• evaluated
• how those criteria are ranked in order of relevance.

To better evaluate value for money, the evaluation criteria should have both:

• qualitative evaluation criteria
• quantitative evaluation criteria.

The following policies apply to quotations made under this register:

• Local Jobs First - Victorian Industry Participation Policy
• Social Procurement Framework.

Ensure that the requirements of these policies are included in the request for quotation and the evaluation criteria.

Buyers are required to check the status of a supplier's insurances in their Supplier Hub profile and request for it to be updated if it has expired.

Use a unique reference number for each request for quotation. The Agency procurement representative can provide this number.

MSR <service category> <department> <year> <number>

For example: MSR – Campaign planning - DTF – 2020 – 1234

Issue the request for quotation in Digital Marketplace.

When the quotation period closes, log in to Digital Marketplace to review the offers submitted.

Evaluate each offer based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the request for quotation. Buyers must conduct the evaluation offline.

Select a service provider based on a value for money assessment.

Rates listed in Digital Marketplace are ceiling rates. Buyers should:

• verify that quoted rates are not higher than the ceiling rate
• negotiate lower rates for each engagement.

Extract copies of the following documents from the confidential information section of the Marketing Services Register in Digital Marketplace and file them in accordance with records management policies:

• request for quotation
• service provider questions and clarifications issued, if any
• all offer documents received from service providers.

Seek and obtain approval before sending a purchase order.

Complete a purchase order using the Marketing services register template purchase order, also available on the Digital Marketplace.

Check that the supplier's full legal name has been used in the purchase order, to ensure that a legally binding contract is formed. The legal name of a supplier may be different to the common name used by the supplier.

The list below explains business forms and what is required within purchase orders:

• Companies – this should be the company name appearing on the ASIC register that corresponds to an ACN (not a trading or business name corresponding only to an ABN)
• Sole traders – this should be the entity name listed on ABN Lookup (again, not a trading or business name)
• Partnerships – this should be the name of the partner(s) that are able to enter into agreements on behalf of the partnership, in accordance with the partnership agreement
• Corporate or individual trustees should be named in full and not listed simply as ‘the Trustee for the Service Provider

Seek further advice if it is not clear that the supplier has entered its legal name correctly.

The purchase order must be signed by both the supplier and the Agency.

Ensure that the supplier completes the confidentiality deed included in the Marketing services register agreement before work begins.

The purchase order confirms the contract between the buyer and the supplier.

Contracts made under the Marketing services register must be disclosed as set out in the Contract disclosure – goods and services procurement guide.

Disclose variations to the contract as set out in the Contract disclosure – goods and services procurement guide.