Home  Latest News Tendering help is at hand
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Tendering help is at hand |
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 More than three-quarters of the UK’s SME owners say that the process of applying for public sector contracts is unfair.
Research from the Tenon Forum also showed that 85% of firms who have actually applied for a public sector contract find that the odds are stacked against them.
But one fledgling Scottish entrepreneur hopes to change that with the launch of her new company, aimed at helping firms bid for and win public sector contracts both nationally and internationally.
Gill Joy, along with her Holland-based business partner Joeke Abbing, launched their new firm, Intend, after seeing a gap in the Scottish market.
Joy, who worked in the commercial tendering sector for 12 years, said: “The firms that already exist to help SMEs with the tendering process tend to be focused on specific sectors, such as the NHS or construction. But we offer advice and support on all aspects of public sector tendering.
“We see many firms submitting tender after tender and not getting anywhere and if you’re a small company then it’s a huge drain on your resources.
We come in and get a view on where they’re bidding, where they’re going wrong and get them through the first hurdle.
The firms who come to us are the ones who are serious about doing the bidding. It’s usually a bit of a detective process at the start, identifying where they’ve been going wrong.
Joy says it can be simple things that trip many firms up such as not reading the question fully or forgetting to tick a box. But she also highlights that for many companies, the ability to understand who tenders work can be a bit of a minefield and that’s where firms such as hers can help.
She said: “With tenders now, it’s all about scoring, so for example if 100 points are allocated for a question, then firms need to write more than one or two paragraphs. Recognising where the highest scoring is being put and ensuring enough information is provided can make a big difference.
“The other huge mistake that a lot of organisations make, both large and small, is presuming that the company looking to appoint a contractor already knows your firm because you’ve been working with them for years. Many people don’t realise that the scores are based simply on the tenders that are submitted and what’s actually written on the paper. So even if a company has supplied a council for 20 years, the tendering firm has got to make that clear.
“Both Joeke and I have been tendering all our lives so we know the pain it can bring.”
This year, HM Treasury expects lower-value public sector contracts to exceed £175 billion within the UK alone.
Tips for tendering
- • Put yourself in the client’s shoes – what would really add value for them? What risks are they concerned about? Reflect this in your tender
- • Pay attention to the scoring/weightings given for each part of the tender/PQQ and ensure your answers reflect this
- • A frequent mistake is questions left unanswered – this can lose you vital points in the overall scoring
- • Avoid general statements that any other company could make. Back up general claims with concrete examples of excellent performance or added value
- • Develop simple tables to describe your main business processes and how you manage quality
- • Provide project references that fully demonstrate your capability for this job
- • Overall, make it easy for the client to give you a high score rather than adequate score – points mean prizes!
Where to search for tenders
Public Contracts Scotland
www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Universities and Colleges
www.apuc-scot.ac.uk
Local Authorities
www.scotland-excel.org.uk
Public Sector
www.procurement.scotland.gov.uk
UK Government
www.supply2.gov.uk
Contact
Intend Business Development
T: 01334 479 899
E:
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www.intend-eu.com
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