Public sector buyers speak at ways2win event and network with potential suppliers
“Procurement Connection 2009” , held on Thursday 22nd October and organised by Exeter-based tender specialists, Ways2win, brought together top Public Sector buyers from Exeter City Council, Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue, The Met Office and The University Exeter to meet with over 100 Businesses from across the south west. Business Link were also present to advise businesses.
Wendy Wills, Managing Director of Ways2win commented:
“Increasingly South West suppliers are looking to the public sector to sustain their financial targets, however, for many the process of gaining work from the public sector is daunting. Procurement Connection 2009 has helped breakdown some the perceived barriers for small businesses, and indeed, many small businesses are in a good position to win work on the grounds of environmental and local sustainable issues.”
Each senior public sector buyer gave a short 10 minute presentation on a procurement related subject of their choice including; how tenders are evaluated, the challenges of a procurement department and what the public sector can do to make it easier for suppliers to win work. Following the presentations, a question answer session gave the speakers the opportunity to address points from the assembled businesses.
“It’s a great opportunity for the public sector buyers to get out from behind the desk, meet real businesses and give us a reality check on what we are doing well and what we do badly" Clive Woodley - Product Portfolio Manager - Plymouth City Council
“I can say it was a fantastic opportunity to understand some of the difficulties local companies face when bidding for Public Sector contracts.” Darren Ball - Contracts and Procurement Manager - The Met Office
“The more help that we can give businesses the better as it helps both sides when processes are well understood.” Katherine Parker - Contracts and Procurement Manager - Devon and Cornwall Police Authority
“If we have better relationships then we get better results” John Malloch – Head of Procurement - University of Exeter
For two hours following the presentations businesses and procurement officials stayed to discuss business in and informal setting. Following the event the businesses gave some very positive feedback:
“A fascinating insight into the people and the thoughts of those who write these tenders and use them as a tool to accurately procure goods and services. Made the tendering process seem less impersonal” Mark Dowse, MMAP Design
“Applying for public sectors seemed to be a stuffy and complex process before I attended the event. However, it’s now apparent that the public sector are very keen to be working with local small businesses. Add the skills of Ways2Win to the mix and I can see an approach to applying for public sector tenders. Thanks for the insight.” David Thomas, Bluegrass Computer Services
We would like to thank the speakers for giving up their time to present at the event and our partners for their support – Basepoint Business Centre, Fresha, Stage Electrics, Tim Pestridge Commercial Photography.
Ways2win are specialists in completing tender responses, with particular focus on the public sector.
The services provided are - training on successfully tendering, analysis of tender responses before they are submitted, and tender writing services.
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Friday, 28 August 2009
20 Different perceptions: How do you see an invitation to tender?
1. A bunch of unnecessary bureaucratic hoops to jump through
2. An administrative function
3. A scientific research paper
4. An exercise in corporate culture matching
5. An exercise in talking about what you can do
6. A demonstration of the way your company communicates
7. A marketing function
8. A pointless paperwork exercise
9. An office junior’s job
10. A list of your companies credentials
11. A standard from-filling activity
12. Compiling a load of company polices, references and CV’s
13. A competitive sporting activity
14. A formal box-ticking exercise
15. A sales proposal
16. A route to market
17. A specifically targeted business opportunity
18. The MD’s top priority
19. Opportunity to win a top new client
20. 2 weeks of late nights and endless redrafting
Tip: The way you see an ITT will determine how successful you are at winning the contracts.
2. An administrative function
3. A scientific research paper
4. An exercise in corporate culture matching
5. An exercise in talking about what you can do
6. A demonstration of the way your company communicates
7. A marketing function
8. A pointless paperwork exercise
9. An office junior’s job
10. A list of your companies credentials
11. A standard from-filling activity
12. Compiling a load of company polices, references and CV’s
13. A competitive sporting activity
14. A formal box-ticking exercise
15. A sales proposal
16. A route to market
17. A specifically targeted business opportunity
18. The MD’s top priority
19. Opportunity to win a top new client
20. 2 weeks of late nights and endless redrafting
Tip: The way you see an ITT will determine how successful you are at winning the contracts.
Friday, 21 August 2009
5 visuals to improve your tender answers
As a tender writing organisation one of the most common questions we get is: “How do you stand out when it’s an online submission – don’t they all look the same?”
There a multitude of ways to distinguish your response from your competitors, one of which we share here is the use of visuals.
1. Flow charts
Some people are very visual and don’t like reading long passages of text. A flow chart can demonstrate a process very clearly and quickly. With word limits and page limits this can have a great impact on the reader in a very small space. It is particularly powerful when two charts are used in comparison – demonstrate the improvements you have made.
2. Photographs
As we all know sales are built on relationships, we buy from those we ‘know, like and trust’, and as the old cliché goes; ‘people buy from people’. Adding photographs of the management team, showing your offices or places of work, images of your products or services being delivered is a transparent way to communicate. Photos say ‘here we are, come and have a look at our business’ - that is a positive message to get over.
3. Video clips
As on websites, video clips in tender responses are often encouraged and welcomed. You need to check the rules of the specific tender, but a short clip showing your company in action can have a dramatic effect. The first point is that you have taken the time to make the clip – which shows you are committed. The second point is that it explains with clarity what can be complex to put across in words.
4. Colour charts
If you can imagine shutting yourself in a room to wade through 50 tender responses over days you can gauge how tough it can be for procurement professionals sometimes. A chart can show numbers with a contrast in a way that language can often lack. Putting KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) in to a pie chart or bar graph not only shows how you improve year on year – ‘in colour’ it also breaks up the text and makes life easier for those marking your tender. Is your business one that makes life easier for your clients?
5. Screen shots
One of the easiest ways to be remembered is to put in an image. ‘Ctrl and PrtScr’ is a way of showing what you do in the office. You can take a dry subject and bring it to life with a screen shot of you at work. When you are being evaluated you want to stand out in people’s minds, so try showing what you do instead of just talking about it.
For more information visit www.ways2win.co.uk
There a multitude of ways to distinguish your response from your competitors, one of which we share here is the use of visuals.
1. Flow charts
Some people are very visual and don’t like reading long passages of text. A flow chart can demonstrate a process very clearly and quickly. With word limits and page limits this can have a great impact on the reader in a very small space. It is particularly powerful when two charts are used in comparison – demonstrate the improvements you have made.
2. Photographs
As we all know sales are built on relationships, we buy from those we ‘know, like and trust’, and as the old cliché goes; ‘people buy from people’. Adding photographs of the management team, showing your offices or places of work, images of your products or services being delivered is a transparent way to communicate. Photos say ‘here we are, come and have a look at our business’ - that is a positive message to get over.
3. Video clips
As on websites, video clips in tender responses are often encouraged and welcomed. You need to check the rules of the specific tender, but a short clip showing your company in action can have a dramatic effect. The first point is that you have taken the time to make the clip – which shows you are committed. The second point is that it explains with clarity what can be complex to put across in words.
4. Colour charts
If you can imagine shutting yourself in a room to wade through 50 tender responses over days you can gauge how tough it can be for procurement professionals sometimes. A chart can show numbers with a contrast in a way that language can often lack. Putting KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) in to a pie chart or bar graph not only shows how you improve year on year – ‘in colour’ it also breaks up the text and makes life easier for those marking your tender. Is your business one that makes life easier for your clients?
5. Screen shots
One of the easiest ways to be remembered is to put in an image. ‘Ctrl and PrtScr’ is a way of showing what you do in the office. You can take a dry subject and bring it to life with a screen shot of you at work. When you are being evaluated you want to stand out in people’s minds, so try showing what you do instead of just talking about it.
For more information visit www.ways2win.co.uk
Thursday, 13 August 2009
5 tips on finding contract opportunities for free
The government have announced this month that they are making more low value contract opportunities available for free, low value being contracts worth less than £100,000. Supply2.gov were providing local opportunities for free but charging up to £180 per year for UK-wide information. (Source: Department for Business Innovation & Skills)
All public sector tenders above a set threshold must be advertised on in the Official Journal of the European Union – the OJEU. The thresholds are currently:
Supplies - £90,318
Services - £139,813
Works (construction) - £3,497,313
Most local and central government do put out to tender contracts below these amounts although they are not required to do so by law, and so there are plenty of opportunities available.
There are many websites out there that provide access to free information on tenders in the public sector and here are 5.
1. http://www.publictenders.net/ – Public Tenders.net
Contracts from public sector bodies all over the nation and internationally are available for free. Use key-word search or get daily alerts for free.
2. http://www.supply2.gov.uk/ – Low value Contracts
3000 new opportunities available every month including. Sign up for free daily alerts on opportunities for your business.
3. http://www.bluelight.gov.uk/ – The Emergency Services
Register and find opportunities for free. The emergency service can actually contact you to quote for work once you make yourself know to them by registering.
4. http://www.contracts.mod.uk/ - MOD
The Ministry of Defence publish contracts on this website and have a wide range of business requirements.
5. http://www.ted.europa.eu/ - The OJEU
This is where all public sector contracts exceeding the thresholds must be published.
(Why the funny threshold numbers? Answers on a postcard..email me at: enquiries@ways2win.co.uk)
www.ways2win.co.uk
All public sector tenders above a set threshold must be advertised on in the Official Journal of the European Union – the OJEU. The thresholds are currently:
Supplies - £90,318
Services - £139,813
Works (construction) - £3,497,313
Most local and central government do put out to tender contracts below these amounts although they are not required to do so by law, and so there are plenty of opportunities available.
There are many websites out there that provide access to free information on tenders in the public sector and here are 5.
1. http://www.publictenders.net/ – Public Tenders.net
Contracts from public sector bodies all over the nation and internationally are available for free. Use key-word search or get daily alerts for free.
2. http://www.supply2.gov.uk/ – Low value Contracts
3000 new opportunities available every month including. Sign up for free daily alerts on opportunities for your business.
3. http://www.bluelight.gov.uk/ – The Emergency Services
Register and find opportunities for free. The emergency service can actually contact you to quote for work once you make yourself know to them by registering.
4. http://www.contracts.mod.uk/ - MOD
The Ministry of Defence publish contracts on this website and have a wide range of business requirements.
5. http://www.ted.europa.eu/ - The OJEU
This is where all public sector contracts exceeding the thresholds must be published.
(Why the funny threshold numbers? Answers on a postcard..email me at: enquiries@ways2win.co.uk)
www.ways2win.co.uk
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Tendering to Survive!
Tendering to Survive!
I would like to begin this blog with a very current phenomenon – tendering to keep the contract.
We work with many businesses from law firms with established tender teams to small print operations that we help to win framework agreements. This has been to date about winning new business in order for those organisations to grow, and become more profitable, but we have noticed a shift in demand over recent months. What is becoming more and more common is the situation where companies being asked to tender to provide a service that they have been delivering for years.
It can be quite daunting to find that in order to keep a contract that you have been delivering with first class service for years; you need to complete a 30 page PQQ before a 90 page ITT.
I would like to begin this blog with a very current phenomenon – tendering to keep the contract.
We work with many businesses from law firms with established tender teams to small print operations that we help to win framework agreements. This has been to date about winning new business in order for those organisations to grow, and become more profitable, but we have noticed a shift in demand over recent months. What is becoming more and more common is the situation where companies being asked to tender to provide a service that they have been delivering for years.
It can be quite daunting to find that in order to keep a contract that you have been delivering with first class service for years; you need to complete a 30 page PQQ before a 90 page ITT.
- PQQ – Prequalification Questionnaire
- ITT – Invitation to tender
When the focus of your business has been providing the service and suddenly it switches to a situation where you have to compete with other companies to keep going, it can be tough.
Below are a few free pointers on handling the situation.
1. Take it seriously.
Public sector tenders are open to challenge, you won’t be awarded the contract because they like you, they can only award it on marks, and can only mark what they see.
2. Ask questions.
There will be plenty that you are unsure about and there is always a means of asking questions. Often this will be via an online portal or email, if you don’t follow the rules you won’t be considered.
3. Check the marking criteria.
It’s easy to assume that it will be the cheapest price wins. It is not the case in the public sector, with a strong environmental agenda it is not uncommon to see 10% of your marks being on your environmental policy.
4. Respond with specific facts.
Unless you are used to tendering it is very difficult to articulate the strengths of your business in with clarity. “We really care about our customers” may be true but won’t make a good answer to any question. “In June this year 92% of our customers rated our service as ‘Excellent or outstanding’ provides evidence that can be credited.
5. Respond in plain English – never technical talk.
The people marking your response will not always be as expert in your field as you are. Procurement departments are there to manage the process, and so one day are purchasing legal services, the next may be buying fleet vehicles. No one can be an expert in all areas.
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