Frequently Asked Questions

The catalogue does not impose any restrictions or limits on the value of an order. However, it is primarily intended for requirements of lower value and complexity, operating on a unit price basis. For higher value or more complex requirements, alternative routes to market should be explored. Further guidance is available for review here: https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6098.

This will depend on the warranty arrangements applicable to the product purchased. Please check the warranty documentation supplied with your product in the first instance.

There are three types of delivery you are able to choose from; 1. Next Day Delivery (Be mindful of the time of day you are placing your order) 2. Standard Delivery (3-5 working days) 3. Northern Ireland (3-5 working days)

Customers are unable to select a preferred supplier as the catalogue operates on a best price basis. The smart basket functionality will automatically select the cheapest supplier based on the stock and delivery that is required. This ensures that the customer always receives the best possible price for their goods.

Standard invoice for payment within 30 days maximum, ideally 5 days, in line with Government Payment Standards. Alternatively, you may choose to use an offline credit, debit or ePCS card.

Please use the Contact Us link on the homepage - this will generate an email to the support team. If you would prefer a call back please add your telephone number.

Registration and login procedures are implemented by Government Commercial Agency (GCA) to verify that only authorised Public Sector buyers can gain access to the catalogue. User catalogue functions are personalised based on your user profile, which includes your Public Sector organisation's name.

To ensure smooth and efficient processing of your feed file, we recommend downloading the Best Practice Guide.

Quotes can be requested for two purposes; Indicative - for budgetary and benchmarking purposes only. No pricing is held and the supplier is not informed of the quotation. Firm - to support an order where the buyer attaches or makes reference to the quotation within an internal purchase order. Pricing is held for 30 days and the supplier is made aware of a potential order. Please don't request a firm quote unless you have every intention of issuing a matching Purchase Order, either from your own process or system, or by returning to the catalogue and converting a firm quote to a purchase order and within 30 days. The expectation is that all firm quotes are converted to purchase orders. Firm quotes should only be cancelled in exceptional circumstances, and should not be allowed to expire without cancellation or issue of a purchase order. Catalogue Order is just that - a full purchase order/implied standard call off contract for fulfilment by the supplier(s).

No, the totals shown on system quotes and purchase orders should be the price payable, regardless of payment method. Please ensure that you make payment using the method stated on your quote/purchase order as suppliers may make an additional administration charge for subsequent changes.

If the desired item is not located, a request for product addition can be initiated. Search for the item using the homepage search engine. Should the item not appear in the results, select the 'Can't find what you're looking for?' hyperlink at the top of the page. This action will prompt you to complete a brief form, which is automatically distributed to all relevant suppliers. Suppliers will then respond via the catalogue to confirm their ability to list the item. The expectation is for suppliers to upload the product and direct the customer to the product page. During the order placement process, the platform's functionality will automatically select the supplier offering the lowest price.

Individual suppliers' hours of business will vary, but, as a minimum, we would expect them to process orders during standard UK office hours. Customers can select Next Day or Standard delivery options at checkout, but the time of day at which the order is placed, and availability of stock (local or in the distribution channel) will affect when an order can actually be dispatched. Next Day Delivery can't be guaranteed, but the earlier in the day an order is placed, the higher the possibility is of this being achieved. As each supplier has a different cut-off time depending on courier collection time, there are variable factors in operation here.

All products come with a minimum 90 day warranty. Please check the product specification for warranty details and duration.

A transfer to a different Public Sector organisation necessitates a new registration. A standard system maintenance process ensures that inactive accounts are deactivated following a notification period. Other fundamental updates, such as the default delivery address, can be managed through the "Account" menu, located at the top of every screen.

Once an order is sent to a supplier (whether directly from the platform or by using a PO with a firm quote) the supplier will follow their own, internal process for fulfilment so this will vary by supplier. A copy of each purchase order or firm quote is also sent to the buyer at the same time

Registration data is securely stored by Government Commercial Agency (GCA) within accredited, secure data centres.

Volume discounts are designed to offer greater savings when products are purchased in high values or high quantities. Suppliers can create individual discounts against product parts, product categories, and manufacturers. Discounts will be set as a percentage based on either the total value or quantity of an order. For example, a 2% discount is applied when a customer purchases 10 laptops by a particular manufacturer. When you are browsing the Catalogue, you will also be alerted with any applicable discounts on each product page. A ‘Volume Discounts Offer’ button is available next to the supplier pricing section. When you add the product to your basket and move through the checkout pages, select the ‘Calculate Volume Discounts’ button. The smart basket functionality will compare the cheapest supplier’s price against any volume discounts to ensure that you always receive the lowest overall price. Please note, suppliers may offer a better price without volume discounts. If a volume discount is not applied to your basket, the catalogue has identified a cheaper supplier for you without a volume discount offer.

Catalogue items are not available on a "try before you buy" basis. Once a firm quote or Purchase Order is issued, this will represent a confirmed sale. Suppliers may impose a restocking charge for items returned that were delivered in accordance with an order. Deliveries must be checked and any damage/omissions/incorrect items reported to the supplier (in writing) within 10 working days of receipt - please refer to the call-off terms of the associated GCA Commercial Agreement. There is an obligation for the supplier to remedy, but only if issues are reported within this timescale. For "dead on arrival" products (i.e. not working or damaged on delivery) or incorrectly-delivered items please contact the supplier directly using the contact details on your system-generated quote/order form to arrange a return. https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6098

Refunds for card payments should only be requested/expected/made in exceptional circumstances, e.g. failure of supplier to deliver, incorrect/faulty goods returned, etc. In exceptional circumstances suppliers may agree to a non-fault return. Refunds for card payments (i.e. made directly by telephone or through any dedicated supplier payment portal) are the responsibility of the individual supplier and should be requested directly from the supplier in question.

Please ensure that you make payment using the method stated on your quote/purchase order as suppliers may make an additional administration charge for subsequent changes.

No, access to and use of the catalogue is free to all qualifying Public Sector organisations, including registered charities and third sector organisations, as are any underpinning GCA Commercial Agreements (Frameworks, DPS, etc.) that support content on the platform.

If there is no intention to turn your quote to an order then it is best practice to produce an indicative quote. All quotes will automatically expire after 30 calendar days. Quotes can be cancelled in your quotes list although this is not good practice if a firm quote has already been created. This is because you have indicated to the supplier that there is an intention to create an offline order. Once a firm quote is created suppliers may hold stock and/or pricing pending receipt of your order. Orders are firm and can't be cancelled - please see the returns FAQ for further information.

Yes, these products are clearly labelled as refurbished/remanufactured. All other products listed are new.

The Catalogue takes 40+ live, dynamic feeds from the distribution channel which is where most of the suppliers source products for resale. The GCA Benchmark Price is set at the lowest of these plus 3.5% as an industry/supply chain benchmark for low value, low volume purchases. Individual suppliers may set prices above or below this benchmark, which may reflect stock availability, product lifecycle, etc. The smart basket process still follows the framework best price criteria for purchase. This benchmark is displayed both as a guideline and as an indication of savings where applicable. Some products may not show a benchmark - this will be where an independent price feed from the distribution channel isn't available (usually where there's no stock in the distribution channel, e.g. end of life or short supply products).

Please state: 'This purchase order constitutes a Call-Off Contract under the Framework Contract with reference number RMXXXX. the following documents are incorporated into the Call-Off Contract. Where schedules are missing, they do not apply. If the documents conflict, the following order of precedence applies: a. This Quote confirmation b. Joint Schedule 1 (Definitions and Interpretations c. Framework Special Terms d. The following Schedules in equal order of precedence i. Joint Schedule 2 (Variation Form) ii. Joint Schedule 3 (Insurance Requirements) iii. Joint Schedule 4 (Commercially Sensitive Information) iv. Joint Schedule 10 (Rectification Plan) v. Joint Schedule 11 (Processing Data) vi. Call-Off Schedule 17 (MOD Terms) Applicable to MOD orders only e. GCA Core Terms (version 3.0.11) as mentioned by the Framework Award Form f. Joint Schedule 5 (Corporate Social Responsibility) 4. No other supplier terms are part of the Call-Off Contract' This information is provided on the end page of your quote confirmation document.

The catalogue operates under the scope of RM6098 Technology Products & Associated Services 2 (TePAS 2). The terms and conditions of this framework are applicable to all catalogue quotations and orders. This registration/login requirement has been instituted to ensure all customers have a clearer understanding of the governing terms for each quote and order. The complete terms and conditions are also available on the framework's dedicated webpage: https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6098.

The terms and conditions that govern all quotes and orders retrieved from the catalogue are those of the RM6098 TePAS 2. These terms and conditions require the inclusion of the Data Protection Officer for completeness of the relevant data processing clauses within Joint Schedule 11 (Processing Data). The Data Protection Officer in your organisation is the person who ensures that your organisation processes the personal data of its staff, customers, providers or any other individuals in compliance with the applicable data protection rules. The Data Protection Officer for your organisation may be pre-populated as someone from your organisation has provided the details whilst using the platform. If you update the Data Protection Officer for your quote/order it will update at your organisation level and will pre-populate these details for future users. All users have the ability to override the Data Protection Officer details however need to be aware this will reset the pre-populated Data Protection Officer details for your organisation.

MOD has internal guidance available for end users that can be accessed at; https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/teams/8352

Each supplier has registered a list of distributors with whom they have an account relationship. Stock by supplier is the sum of available stock in distribution from those distributors, plus any locally-held stock supplied to us alongside each supplier's price feed. Please note, some suppliers will have access to the same distribution channel stock as others (and distribution stock is also available to the wider technology products market, including public/private sector and retailers), and there may be short delays in stock updates as orders flow through the process. There could be occasions where the supplier advises that a product is out of stock due to the timing issues and complexity of the market. This may result in the need to cancel a quote/order and select a different product.

If are you looking for a guide on how to create a quote/order, convert a quote into an order or obtain supplier's information to raise PO offline to place an order on the TePAS 2 catalogue, we recommend downloading the Best Practice Guide.

Lot 8 is the general catalogue made up of a number of technology resellers/OEMS. Lot 4 only features suppliers that have Facility Security Clearance (FSC), a clearance that ensures the supplier can deliver the goods through a secure supply chain. These suppliers have Developed Vetting (DV) cleared resources. This means suppliers meet and maintain required protective security controls to safeguard classified assets. Once you are logged in, please search for the item you need. When you reach the product results page, you will see a tick box at the top of the page that says 'Lot 4 suppliers only'. Tick this box and the page will refresh to show you products that are available through Lot 4. Click on the product you would like to view and select 'add to basket'. As you continue through the checkout process, you will reach the Basket by Item page. Please click on the button 'Lot 4 suppliers only'. The platform will calculate the best price and select the cheapest Lot 4 supplier for you. (If you would like to revert back to include Lot 8 pricing as well, select the 'All Suppliers' button. The catalogue will then calculate the cheapest possible price across the two catalogues). Continue through the checkout process as usual to complete your order. You can view the full list of suppliers for each Lot on the website - https://www.gca.gov.uk/agreements/RM6098

There is a lists function where products can be identified and stored - this facilitates reordering using the standard smart basket functions for availability and pricing each time.

MOD has internal guidance available for end users that can be accessed at; https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/teams/8352