<p> What to do about Leasing.</p><p>Leasing is a method of financing many types of assets in schools, particularly photocopiers. These contracts can vary tremendously in price and conditions. It is extremely inadvisable to enter into such contracts without seeking professional advice.</p><p>Please read the Mini Guide to Procurement for Schools in order to assist you in making the right choice of supplier in accordance with the rules and regulations within which we must work. It is important to remember that any provision of finance associated with an asset is not tied to the supplier; it is arranged by the supplier to make it easy for them to secure their payment.</p><p>UniLink Finance has been appointed as the Council’s Lease Advisors and is offering the following services: </p><p>(1) Competitive operating lease program for schools – The selected lessor is highly experienced with schools leasing. Very competitive lease rates for all types of school equipment are available. A detailed brochure is available on the intranet. </p><p>(2) A free UniLink Helpline to all schools – assisting schools with queries on new leases or resolving any problems or issues with their existing leases especially at the end-of-lease. </p><p>Your UniLink contacts are Andrew Moss and Phil Harrison, and they can be contacted as follows:</p><p>Telephone: 0870 749 5544 / 5549 Email: [email protected]</p><p> n.b. UniLink’s fee is included within the lease rental you pay to the lessor. </p><p>If you have any procurement queries, and have subscribed to the Schools Procurement Service, the Strategic Procurement Team, will be happy to help and can be contacted on:</p><p>Telephone: 01302 736906 Email: [email protected] </p><p>Schools Procurement Advisor 21/06/10 Page 1 of 2 Role of the Schools Procurement Team –</p><p>The Procurement Team can advise on:- </p><p> a) when and how to consider outright purchase or leasing options b) tendering/quotation procedures; c) the selection of supplier in specific circumstances; d) general compliance issues;</p><p>It is strongly recommended that schools subscribe to the Procurement Service, as there are often savings to be made when using contracts tendered for centrally as well the ability to take advantage of the advice on offer.</p><p>Role of the Lease Advisor – </p><p> a) to advise on leasing options; b) to advise on selection of lessor; c) to answer general queries in relation to leasing matters; d) liaison with lessors for the provision of lease finance in accordance with schools requirements; e) submission of lessor tenders to schools together with evaluations and recommendations; f) to assist schools with negotiations with lessors at the end of a lease to determine future requirements;</p><p>Your Role -</p><p> a) to ensure the school gets what it requires, on the best terms available, to obtain best value for money in accordance with the current regulatory framework; b) to comply with Doncaster Schools Financial Regulations when considering proposed expenditure below and above delegated limits; c) to maintain an audit trail of actions taken in relation to the arrangement of contracts. </p><p>Schools Procurement Advisor 21/06/10 Page 2 of 2</p>