The Insider's Guide to Tendering

							         The Insider’s Guide to Tendering




          THE WISE GROUP EXPERIENCE




Jane Leavey
26 August 2008
CONTENT

  • The Wise Group

  • Deciding which contracts to bid for

  • Completing a tender/Top Tips!

  • Questions




NOTES:

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________




                                                    2
THE WISE GROUP


  • Who we are

  • What we do

  • How we do it




NOTES:

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________




                                                    3
DECIDING WHICH CONTRACTS TO BID FOR
• Fit with our Strategic Objectives

• Does it fall within our spheres of activity?
       o i.e. employability, regeneration, sustainability

• Consider previous experience and capacity to deliver

• Prioritise contract opportunities
        o Consider contract value, resources needed to complete
           the ‘tender response’ and deliver results

• Who will be our competition?
      o Consider probability of securing the
         contract/relationship management

• Learning experience
    o Is this an area where we don’t have much experience, but
       wish to develop? Will going through the process help us
       understand the target group/geographic area/local
       networks and continuums better?

NOTES:

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

COMPLETING A TENDER/TOP TIPS


                                                             4
• Identify Opportunities
     o OJEU, TED, Tenders Direct, local authority websites,
        networking/word of mouth, Newspapers

• Register Interest
    o Interest should be registered in line with deadline given in
       the ‘tender notice’

• Log project
    o This lets everyone in the organisation know about the
       intention to bid for the contract – no surprises Top Tip!

• Select a team to work on the tender:
    o Lead, Development, Operations, Finance, support depts.
       (e.g. H&S, IT, Skills and Learning?)

• Submit PQQ
    o Usually 7-8 pages. Basic questions about your
      organisation, it’s eligibility to deliver - legal status, financial
      robustness, and it’s capacity to deliver.

• Invitation to tender
     o Familiarise yourself with the ‘tender brief’
     o You might be invited to a Q&A session

NOTES:

      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
      ________________________________________________
COMPLETING A TENDER/TOP TIPS

• Devise a tender map/work-plan in preparation for ‘tender

                                                                       5
   response’
     o Assign tasks to each team member and agree timelines
        for each task
     o ‘Lead’ should co-ordinate this – carrying out regular
        quality checks and ensuring tasks are carried out in
        accordance with the timeline Top Tip!

• Organise:
    o Identify tasks that can be carried out prior to any written
      work or partner negotiations etc Top Tip!
      e.g. Appendices (Internal policies etc can be copied and
      ready for inclusion in the final document). Ensure you
      know the ‘contract area’ – conduct some desktop
      research – gather key socio-economic statistics/become
      familiar with issues and opportunities for the area etc. Top
      Tip!

• Administrative equipment check
    o Ensure you have all administrative equipment needed to
      complete the tender (Ink cartridges, presentation folders,
      binding clasps) Top Tip!
    o Check printers, ink cartridge/toner levels



NOTES:

     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
     ________________________________________________
COMPLETING A TENDER/TOP TIPS
• Partner negotiations
    o Identify possible sub-contractors (if needed).

                                                                   6
     o Be clear on the roles and responsibilities of each partner
     o Devise a SLA/Memorandum of understanding (Helps
       clarify roles and strengthens tender response.

• Sub-contractor/other delivery partners
    o Not all delivery partners will need paid
    o Identify partners that can help you deliver and inform them
       of proposals, ensuring they are supportive and are willing
       to assist where possible – incorporate this into ‘tender
       response’
    o Where payment for a service is required - agree and
       negotiate with partners ensuring that you are getting VfM
       and that costs agreed are realistic and in line with the
       available budget. Top Tip!

• Budgets
    o Work with finance team to devise an appropriate budget
    o Gather quotes
    o Be realistic! – under pricing might be just as harmful as
      overpricing. Top Tip!


NOTES:

        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
COMPLETING A TENDER/TOP TIPS




                                                                    7
• Health and Safety
    o Meet with qualified H&S representative from you
       organisation
    o Devise a risk register/risk management plan Top Tip!


• Infrastructure required
        o Identify what is needed to deliver the service(s) – is
           existing infrastructure adequate – are new premises/IT
           systems needed? – ensure this is reflected in the
           budget.

• Write up
    o Know your team/their strengths and ensure that they are
       comfortable with the tasks set.
    o If more than one person is involved in the write up, ensure
       the team is aware of the ‘house writing style’. Top Tip!

     o ‘Lead’ team member should be responsible for pulling the
       different sections of the tender together, editing and
       ensuring that it is written in a consistent style.


NOTES:

        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
COMPLETING A TENDER/TOP TIPS



                                                                8
• Finalising things
     o Always factor in time for proof-reading/final editing
     o Someone who was not involved in the write up should
        ideally, carry this out. Top Tip!
     o Ensure the person responsible for signing the document
        off is available on the day of signing. Top Tip!

• Printing and binding
     o This can take longer than anticipated always allow an
        adequate timescale for this. Top Tip!

• Delivering the document
    o All tender responses will have a date and time by which it
       has to be delivered.
    o Ensure you have adequate time for delivering the
       document and know who and how it will be delivered
       Courier/staff member/is the drop off location near-by? Top
       Tip!

• Following the submission of a tender response

     o You might get invited to a follow up interview presentation

     o There may be additional questions/clarification sought on
       your tender response

NOTES:
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________
        ______________________________________________




                                                                   9