7.—(1) These Regulations shall not apply to the seeking of offers in relation to a proposed public supply contract where the estimated value of the contract (net of value added tax) at the relevant time is less than the relevant threshold.
(2) The relevant threshold for the purposes of paragraph (1) above—
(a)in relation to a public supply contract in relation to which offers are sought by a GATT contracting authority, but in the case of such a contract in relation to which offers are sought by the Secretary of State for Defence only if it is for the purchase or hire of the goods specified in Schedule 2, is the amount for the time being to be treated as the ECU equivalent of 130,000 special drawing rights for the purposes of Council Directive 93/36/EEC(1) as published from time to time in the Official Journal(2);
(b)in relation to all other public supply contracts, is 200,000 ECU.
(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) to (10) below, the estimated value for the purposes of paragraph (1) above of a public supply contract shall be the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to give under the contract.
(4) Subject to paragraph (7) below, where a contracting authority has a single requirement for goods and a number of public supply contracts has been entered or is to be entered into to fulfil that requirement, the estimated value for the purposes of paragraph (1) above of each public supply contract shall be the aggregate of the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to give under each of those contracts.
(5) Subject to paragraph (7) below, where a contracting authority has a requirement over a period for goods of the type to be purchased or hired under the public supply contract and for that purpose enters into—
(a)a series of contracts; or
(b)a contract which under its terms is renewable,
the estimated value for the purposes of paragraph (1) above of the contract shall be the amount calculated under paragraph (6) below.
(6) The contracting authority shall calculate the amount referred to in paragraph (5) above either—
(a)by taking the aggregate of the value of the consideration given by the contracting authority under such public supply contracts which have similar characteristics and which were for the purchase or hire of goods of the type to be purchased or hired under the contract, during its last financial year ending before, or during the period of 12 months ending immediately before, the relevant time, and by adjusting that amount to take account of any expected changes in quantity and cost of the goods of that type in the period of 12 months commencing with the relevant time, or
(b)by estimating the aggregate of the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to give under such public supply contracts which have similar characteristics and which are for the purchase or hire of goods of the type to be purchased or hired under the contract during the period of 12 months from the first date of delivery of the goods to be purchased or hired or, where the contract is for a definite term of more than 12 months, during the term of the contract.
(7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (4) and (5) above, when the goods to be purchased or hired under the contract are required for the sole purposes of a discrete operational unit within the organisation of the contracting authority and—
(a)the decision whether to purchase or hire goods of that type has been devolved to such a unit, and
(b)that decision is taken independently of any other part of the contracting authority,
the valuation methods described in paragraphs (4) and (6) above shall be adapted by aggregating only the value of the consideration which the contracting authority has given or expects to give, as the case may be, for goods of the type to be purchased or hired under the contract which were or are required for the sole purposes of that unit.
(8) The estimated value for the purposes of paragraph (1) above of a public supply contract for the hire of goods for an indefinite period, or for a period which is uncertain at the time the contract is entered into, shall be the value of the consideration which the contracting authority expects to give in respect of each month of the hire multiplied by 48.
(9) Where a public supply contract includes one or more options the estimated value of the contract for the purposes of paragraph (1) above shall be determined by calculating the highest possible amount which could be payable under the contract.
(10) A contracting authority shall not enter into separate public supply contracts nor select nor exercise a choice under a valuation method in accordance with paragraph (6) above with the intention of avoiding the application of these Regulations to those contracts.
(11) The relevant time for the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (6)(a) above means, in relation to a public supply contract, the date on which a contract notice would be sent to the Official Journal if the requirement to send such a notice applied to that contract in accordance with these Regulations.
OJ No. L199, 9.8.93, p.1.
The amount is determined for each successive period of 2 years commencing on 1st January 1988 by calculating the average of the daily exchange rate between the ECU and the special drawing right over a period of 24 months preceding the commencement of the revised valuation and adjusting that figure to exclude value added tax at a notional rate of 13 per cent.