Due to the current financial climate, central government is running initiatives asking councils to ensure they pay their smaller suppliers promptly.
As part of this initiative, we are offering to pay eligible suppliers in 20 days instead of our standard 30 days payment terms.
To be eligible suppliers must:
- employ less than 50 staff
- have a turnover of less than £10 million, and
- register in advance for the scheme
Suppliers can apply for the scheme by completing the
Small Supplier Scheme form.
Purchase order numbers
All suppliers providing goods or services to the council must obtain an official purchase order number starting with Z, S or EX followed by 6 digits prior to submitting an invoice. The order number must be included on the invoice to ensure that payment is made within our contract terms. If the purchase order number starts with a Z or an S the invoice must be sent direct to the accounts payable team. If the order number starts with EX it must be sent direct to the person requesting the supply.
Suppliers providing goods or services to schools will not require an official purchase order number and should continue sending invoices to the school for authorisation.
If you require further information, please email
smallsupplierscheme@leeds.gov.uk.
Purchasing cards
We prefer to pay suppliers using a purchasing card, which is a Visa payment card.
Accepting payment by purchasing card means that you will be paid even quicker, usually within four working days. It also means that you do not need to obtain a purchase order number, and in some cases an invoice is not needed.
If you would like more information please contact the purchasing card team at
purchasingcards@leeds.gov.uk.
