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Framework Agreement – Top 4 questions to ask yourself!

Posted on by John Hudson

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT – TOP 4 THINGS TO ASK YOURSELF

You’re most likely to see the term ‘Framework Agreement’ scattered across our tendering portals, asking for multiple suppliers to deliver/supply either one or more services/goods across various locations. Sounds pretty broad, right?

Well, through utilising a Framework Agreement, this is a much smarter way of working for a lot of buyers and procurement agencies. Although it may be a contractual headache at times, the long-term aspects to delivery remain progressive and are more and more often used across the UK procurement sector.

See our ‘TENDERING DOESN’T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED’ blog for other terms you may see!

Multi-provider Framework Agreements are quite simply, contracts or agreements between one or more organisations. There is such a thing as a Single Provider Framework, where one provider is utilised for ad-hoc call-off requests for particular services/goods, however, that is a story for another day.

Multi-provider frameworks can be exhibited via the following example:

London-based Council seeks up to 8 Creative Agencies / Freelancers (per LOT) to undergo multiple creative services. This includes:

  • LOT 1: – Digital Design & Branding
  • LOT 2: – Website Development & Build
  • LOT 3: – PR & Marketing
  • LOT 4: – Managed Print Services

As you can see here, the buyer is asking for 8 suppliers per LOT (service), meaning there will be a total of 24 suppliers as part of this contract. Although you may have to share the spotlight with your competitors, it’s a fantastic way of getting your company heard across the Creative Sector and to show your position in the market alongside your competitors. Plus, there’s work and money involved.

The majority of companies argue that if you don’t score the highest tender, then your impending work is decreased by a long shot. Sometimes, you may be right, but a lot of the time you may be wrong.

Here are the 4 crucial questions you must ask yourself when tendering for a framework agreement:

1. How many suppliers is the opportunity open to?

Remember, the more suppliers the opportunity is open to, the more chance of securing a place on the Framework.

2. Do you have a good chance of winning it?

Obvious question you might say, but you’d be surprised at how many organisations go for work that (at the time of tendering) they could potentially deliver but haven’t got the corporate literature or writing skills to make them stand out on paper. Look at our ‘To Bid or not to Bid’ blog to look at what you can do to ensure your success is maximised! 

3. Are you going for multiple LOTs?

Do you have to submit a response per service/LOT? Does this mean you have to submit 4 or more tender responses? – if so, always make sure you have the resource and time to do this. Never replicate your answers, always give as much time to each individual tender/LOT to ensure increased chances of success. It is better to focus more of your time with something that you can deliver better in, than going for all LOTs where other competitors may have the upper-hand. Go for the LOT where you know you can be number one! If you don’t think you’ve got the upper-hand, then should you be wasting time on it.

4. What is the process of contract award?

One of the most important aspects of a Framework Agreement is to understand the process that you undergo when you’re in the framework and how is work dished out? This could work in multiple ways, so remember to read the instructions carefully. Some examples include:

  • Mini-competition – this is where the buyer asks all suppliers on the framework to quote them a price for a specific job at hand. This may include a quality aspect also. The cheapest quote wins!
  • First Supplier wins all – this is where the supplier who scored the highest via the tender process, will be guaranteed all work. If they can’t deliver a specific element, then it will go down the chain to the supplier who scored second. If they can’t deliver, then the supplier who came third and so on – all the more reason to be completely focused on the service you work best in and become number one!
  • Drop down effect – some buyers take it in turns to disperse work. In this case, the highest-ranking supplier would receive the first job, the second highest ranking supplier the second job and so on.

All decisions to how the framework is managed are declared by the buyer in the ITT (invitation to tender) stage. It’s usually transparent from the get go!

Find out how you can receive various framework opportunities straight to your inbox, by BOOKING A FREE DEMO TODAY!

Frameworks can be extremely complex when tendering for works. Remember our Tender Consultants are here to help!

BID WRITING SUPPORT – THE DAPCAS MODEL

Posted on by John Hudson

BID WRITING SUPPORT – THE DAPCAS MODEL

Bid writing support can be varied and contradictory – that’s why we invented the DAPCAS model, to boil down the tendering process into its most simplistic formula. Here is a short breakdown to outline the parameters of the model.

D is for Decipher

Before you start tendering you need to decipher the opportunities that you want to go for.

Do NOT just go for any opportunity in the hope of being successful. This is not only a waste of time and money but weakens your overall tendering approach.

When starting any business, these are some of the questions you need to ask yourself, so that you understand your place in the market and set defined goals to succeed in tendering.

Start by asking yourself three simple questions; What services do you ideally want to deliver? Where do you want to deliver these services? and Who is your ideal buyer?

Once you have the answer to these questions, you then need to source the relevant opportunities. You can do this by signing up to our sector-specific portals, where you can receive daily tender opportunities that remain specific to your service/offering. Our service will signpost you directly to the client/buyer via published notices across the thousands of websites/portals that remain across the UK alone.

A for Assess

To bid or not to bid. That is the question!

After you have deciphered what you want to start tendering for, and you have sourced an opportunity, you then need to conduct an assessment to make sure it is 100% worthwhile.  Remember the contract title doesn’t tell you everything!

A few questions to try answering, in order to gage the feasibility of the bid are; Have you delivered work like this before? Do the opportunity outcomes align with your long-term strategy? Is it financially viable? What is your USP in the market sector?

Have a look at our ‘To Bid or Not to Bid’ for further information into ways of assessing the opportunity at hand.

P for Plan

One of the deciphering factors, as to whether your bid will be successful, is the planning of the whole tender process itself.

Each tender is different and in turn, the planning must evolve to match the specification. You should define clear-cut milestones for what needs to be actioned, when and who is responsible for the deliverables.

The volume of an Invitation to Tender (ITT) can range from half a page to 100 pages long and contain pertinent information that it is imperative to consider. Our bid writing support experts advise that each document should be read one by one with the following aspects in mind;

  • Reading Instruction – You should over-allocate time for this step as the instructions should contain everything from practicalities such as where to submit the tender to design requirements for word count, font size and style.

 

  • Submission Deadline – Obviously this is a crucial aspect as tender deadlines are very strict, a delayed submission of one minute could result in the dismissal of your bid.

 

  • Clarification Deadline – Some aspects may be unclear or missing from the specification, this is your chance to ask questions so also keep a note of this deadline.

C for Compose

Business owners/managers may not have the time, skills or resource to pull together a high-quality bid that is concise, detailed and exceeds buyer expectations. Writing is not everyone’s cup of tea – especially when you operate a fully functioning business.

Hence the reason why bid writing support exists and our Tender Consultants offering is highly sought.

However, should you wish to carry out the writing process yourself, there is one fail-safe process to ensure high-quality results. The PEE method;

  • POINT – This is where you state what you are going to do, or what you are already doing. This should be clear and concise.

 

  • EXPLAIN – As it says on the tin, explain how you are going to deliver the desired outcome.

 

  • EVIDENCE – It is no good talking about achieving something if you can’t back-up the fact that you have already accomplished something to demonstrate that you are a worthy winner.

A for Analyse

This step is something that remains an absolute necessity throughout the tendering process. We advise that you create multiple drafts and have them reviewed by multiple colleagues or be even more thorough and ask a new employee to read over the document to ensure that the inner workings of your company can be understood by somebody with little prior knowledge of your structure and function.

You should never assume that the reader shares the same depth of knowledge about your company as you.

S for Submit

 As simple as this step might sound, to a tender newcomer, it can be very daunting. You should take thorough precautions to ensure that your bid is submitted within the deadline.

If the bid is due in at 13:00 and you submit it at 13:01 – you’re out!

Once you have successfully submitted the bid you should always receive some form of acknowledgement that the bid has been received, this is most commonly done via email or an online portal.   

For further guidance and expert bid writing support, please see our Tender Consultants platform.

BID WRITING – TOP 6 NECESSITIES By Daniel Hall

Posted on by John Hudson

Top 6 Necessities to Bid Writing! By Daniel Hall

As Nathanial Hawthorne once said – “easy reading is damn hard writing.”

That is exactly what every bid writer needs to do! Make the reading of the proposed content as easy as possible for the buyer/evaluator to comprehend.

Although I’m considered the Procurement / Content Manager across the Hudson Procurement Group, this is a position I gladly accepted based on my skills as a bid writer!

Like any job in the world, there are highlights and there are headaches. Bid Writing ain’t no piece of cake and you need to make sure you always focus on delivering the highlights to avoid getting a headache!

Here are my Top 6 Necessities when you are writing a bid:

1. Start planning

If you go in with the intention of winging it – you’ll undoubtedly lose. Make sure you create a Gantt chart (or similar) and assign clearly-defined roles for pertinent actions and time-bound deadlines for the likes of first drafts, content completion and reviews.

 2. Adapt your content

You can reuse some previous content but please remember that every question is different and you’ll need to adapt this to align with the specification. You will, in a lot of cases, have to rewrite your content based on the ongoing changing needs of buyers.

3. Make it appealing

In ITTs, it is of course, typically all about your written word and the way you respond to buyer requirements in a confident and engaging manner. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t jazz your content up. On ‘free-flowing’ proposals (those that aren’t constrained by word counts and the inability to change your response layout). Use the likes of InDesign to make your proposal stand out! There’s nothing better than a first class response that is both descriptive, assertive and makes use of images, infographics, charts and other visually engaging content – depending on the opportunity and sector of course!

4. Know your buyer

Research goes a heck of a long way, especially when you can provide additional value that accommodates your buyer’s goals and aspirations. Hit the [e]books and start researching the buyer to help you gain further insight into what further points you can respond to.

5. Remain assertive and direct

Never write terms like – ‘we shall try …’ instead use assertive vocabulary such as ‘we will …’ – act like the contract is yours already.  Describe what you are going to do not what you’re willing, attempting or trying to do. Write this using bullet points. It allows the response to remain concise, free from superfluous information and more direct- overall supporting your assertiveness.

6. Review. Review. Review

Get your peers to check this. If you’re working on a piece of work for 3 days straight, you’ll have undoubtedly missed simple grammatical mistakes that others will pick up on. Leave it a day or two and go back to review the lot. The more time you have away from any finalised work, the more attention and recognition you give when you come back to it.

These are just a few helpful yet brief hints when bid writing.

Make sure you check out our Tender Consultants for further support OR our Impending Tender VLE service, offering FREE video tutorials on all aspects of bid writing and tendering.

TENDER HELP! TOP 5 TIPS FOR MARCH 2018

Posted on by John Hudson

Tender help? Top 5 Tips – March 2018. 

I’ve learnt a lot over the last 15 years of tendering. I’ve made all the mistakes you’re likely to have made and I’ve read hundreds if not thousands of pieces of feedback, both good and bad.

I’ve also sat on both sides of the table. Both as a buyer and a supplier, which allows me a unique perspective on what you should and shouldn’t do when tendering.

During 2018 I will be providing you with thorough tender help in the form of a monthly ‘Top 5 Tips when Tendering’, passing on my knowledge of how to keep on track when bidding for work, in both public and private sectors.

Mastering the art of tender writing is complex. It isn’t something which can be achieved overnight, but once you have a solid foundation, you will be set to achieve significant growth in your business.

With that in mind, my top tips for March 2018 are:

Number 1 – Be realistic

If you turnover £100,000 you’re not going to win a million-pound contract.  If you only set up your creative agency two months ago, you’re not going to win London Fashion Week. Start small and build up.

Number 2 – Set realistic goals

Don’t expect to win the first tender you submit. If you win it, then it is a bonus. Put a value on what you would like to generate in the first year and be sensible with the effort you’ll have to put in to reach that target.

Number 3 – Don’t be afraid to ask questions

If something is unclear, then ask the question. This is usually via the dedicated tender system or email address provided, but make sure you follow their process for clarifications.

Number 4 – Can you make a profit?

If you can’t, bin it. You need to be ruthless and move on.

Number 5 – Ask yourself.  Do you have the time needed to give it your all?

If you don’t feel like you can, don’t even start the tender. Don’t forget, there are other businesses that will put their best resource on winning this tender. You need to compete and assume you’re up against the best. Go for it and give it everything you have.

I hope these tips are useful. If you’re looking at a tender, ask yourself these questions. If you’re still unsure take a look at some other blogs on our website and stay tuned for our Tender VLE website for more response-specific videos we have created.

Or better yet, get in touch with our Tender Consultants for professional tender help.

We are happy to help!

Good luck.

WHAT ARE CPV CODES? THE PAINS AND PITFALLS OF PROCUREMENT

Posted on by John Hudson

What are CPV Codes? The Pains of Procurement

CPV Codes – the abbreviation most people assume is Complex, Problematic, Valueless.

In actual fact, the term stands for Common Procurement Vocabulary – although the prior may still apply.

 What are they?

CPV codes are used to categorise tenders into a ‘subject matter’. This allows for buyers to classify a criterion of what they want to procure and helping suppliers source these business opportunities more efficiently and effectively.

Or so we had hoped.

CPV Codes are 8-digit signifiers, followed by a classification number (for e.g. 12345678-1). This is to electronically source tender/business opportunities and publish them in front of the eyes of the right businesses that offer the required service.

Basically – when a Council needs to tender for a Security contract (for example) over 5 years costing approximately £700,000 per annum, they have to post this on OJEU (due to the high value amount). They publicise this to both UK and European companies (due to the value) and list the code in order for it to be recognised by relevant Security Companies nationally and internationally. In this case, the code is 79710000-4.

This opportunity is then broadcast on various websites across the country specifically appealing to those companies who are registered on various platforms to receive opportunities with the code 79710000-4.

Following so far?

Now, the initial concept of CPV codes was destined to be the answer to buyers and supplier’s prayers nationally, as procurement moved closer toward the digital age over a decade ago. However, somewhere along the line, things got a tad confusing and more complex.

Because UK procurement is so vast and wide, there is literally a CPV code for every service and product you can think of that is mainstreamed in the UK/EU. It’s apparent that a lot of buyers are either not aware of this, are using codes incorrectly or not using them at all.

Want to find out about CPV codes and love a little light reading? Feel free to read this 375-page document – it tells you every code from the supply of Petroleum jelly (09221100-5) to the supply of Beetroot (03221111-7).

In 2016, there was a large piece of research carried out by the European Commission which stated that out of the sampled 405 contract notices tested.  23% had the wrong code associated with the scope of work tendered. That is nearly a quarter of notices not being sourced and published in the correct way through using these codes, making it HARDER for buyers to get their opportunities in front of the right businesses. Now imagine if they had tested 1000 contract notices. How many of these would have been seen by a minority and not the majority.

A recent example of this (from Feb 2018 – below) shows a DPS for the Provision of One-to-One Tutors.

CPV Codes
CPV Codes

Please also see ‘DPS – What is a Dynamic Purchasing System?’ for more information on this type of opportunity.

The buyer AND online portal in question have used the following code – 80000000-4 Education & Training Services, and probably unbeknownst to the buyer, there is a more specific code available for use – Tutorial Services 80590000-6. This is a prime example of how opportunities aren’t filtered across sub-sectors and are typically kept general and as a supplier (for let’s say ‘Business Enterprise Training’, who don’t offer 1-2-1 tutorials to children) you are either inundated with irrelevant opportunities or depending on what codes are used and which portals you are registered with (as not  websites use CPV coding) – receiving no opportunities at all.

Now, what if the buyer had only used the code Tutorial Services 80590000-6 and the supplier wasn’t receiving notifications due to them clicking an incorrect code upon sign-up or if the portal doesn’t use the CPV code option all at.

WE HOPE YOU’RE STILL WITH US!

It’s worthy to note that a contract for the ‘COLLECTION OF KEY QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION ON THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S MERGER DECISIONS’ was never awarded due to the code for ‘market research’ being used, when in fact, something more appropriate like the code for ‘economic research’ or ‘research services’ could have been used.

 This is where Tender Connect steps in.

We NEVER rely on CPV codes and through using procurement specialists, we filter through all opportunities in the Creative Sector across hundreds of notification platforms daily to ensure our customers receive the bespoke opportunities that apply to THEM!

The majority of national portals have electronic algorithms that scour and publish opportunities based on CPV codes alone, meaning a quarter of these are not being publicised as effectively as they can be.

With our services – If you are a website/digital agency, a design agency or an events management company, you’ll receive individual tenders that apply to you.

We also provide Full Service Agencies a range of opportunities that are specific to them too!

 

Please see our ‘Why use Creative Tenders’ blog for how this works in full.

Or for more information about our Creative Tenders portal CLICK HERE.

Don’t get put off by CPV codes.

We don’t use them!

We don’t need to!

Join the revolution!

WHAT IS A DYNAMIC PURCHASING SYSTEM? The DPS in Tendering!

Posted on by John Hudson

WHAT IS A DYNAMIC PURCHASING SYSTEM? The DPS in Tendering!

Here we go again – another term which is not well known in all industry sectors across the UK – a Dynamic Purchasing System.

As always, we are here to help you understand all these ‘niggly’ bits to tendering, to ensure you are prepared to undergo some serious business development planning across your sector and beyond!

You can see the different bidding terminologies applicable in our ‘Tendering doesn’t have to be complicated’ blog. 

In a nutshell – a Dynamic Purchasing System (or DPS for short) is basically a supply chain list where tenders or other bidding opportunities are published to specific members that have been successful in maintaining a position on that list.

As quoted in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, “[a] DPS should be set up for identified types of requirement, which may be divided into categories of products, works or services.”

This could be any organisation or group of organisations, who wants to outsource work in either one or more service areas [or LOTs] and rather than having 50-100 applications come through for the [potentially many] tenders they publish, they start by narrowing down a set-list of applicants onto their own DPS.

Differences between Dynamic Purchasing System & General Tender processes

The main differences from the typical tender process are that a DPS is to:

  • be run as a completely electronic process (no paper or posting required here)
  • allow new suppliers to join at any time (meaning that if you have been unsuccessful at securing a place – you can always try again in the future)
  • and show longevity in its run (we’ve come across DPS’s which are open for 10 or more years)

All that suppliers would need to do, is register their company onto this DPS online, click which service area they are interested in delivering and undergo a Stage 1 submission in order to secure a place. Once secured, Stage 2 is the actual tendering of the works in question.

For example – A Housing Association could create a DPS for their outsourced Creative activity, which includes a range of service areas/LOTs – i.e. Branding, Printing, Website Hosting etc. They would publish this DPS opportunity to all and then undergo multiple stages to narrow down the process of awarding the work via the ‘most economically advantageous tender’ (MEAT).

Stage 1

In the average UK tender process, a lot of suppliers may be asked to complete a Pre-qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) to help the buyer narrow down their list of Invitations to Tender (ITT). This is now being taking over by a ‘Selection Questionnaire’ on many portals. It’s similar with a DPS – the supplier has to get onto the DPS in order to be Invited to Tender for works and they do this by completing a Stage 1 application process that heavily resembles a PQQ, with maybe a few additional questions thrown in.

Like a typical PQQ-to-ITT process, securing access to the DPS reflects a ‘weed-out’ procedure, with the buyer ensuring they progress all applicants who demonstrate greater strengths in their financial, technical and professional capabilities.

Stage 2

Once you are successful and Stage 1 is complete – it is complete. You do not have to re-do any capability and competency-based questions. Every time a tender is published in relation to your service area, as part of this Dynamic Purchasing System, you are automatically invited to tender and answer all questions specific to that service!

Once on the DPS then a range of tenders will then ensue (as and when required), allowing the buyer to streamline a more technically-focused evaluation on the responses collated.

Where we stand in all of this!

Our Tender Connect platform, which will be launching within the next 12-months, has many traits of a Dynamic Purchasing System, in that a buyer, let’s, for example, say a Design agency on our Creative Tenders portal, seeks a professional company who can support their financial/accountancy needs. All that the Design agency would do is:

  • Log on to Tender Connect
  • View a list of our Professional Tenders subscribers, which encapsulates a large list of Accountancy firms
  • Publish their ‘private opportunity brief’ to a filtered list of suppliers
  • Receive responses, evaluate and award

The reason we filter this list is to avoid publishing opportunities that bare minimal relevance to our suppliers. And to streamline the process for our buyers, helping them publish specific competitive opportunities to the most competent suppliers.

So, if you ever come across a DPS that contains services specific to your offering – get on board.

Our Tender Consultants can help you succeed!

WE HAD TO GOOGLE THE VISION OF OUR OWN COMPANY! – Making sure you have consistent marketing messages!

Posted on by John Hudson

WE HAD TO GOOGLE THE VISION OF OUR OWN COMPANY! – Making sure you have consistent marketing messages!

Businesses can often feel like they’re losing their way, especially when producing tender documents and relaying their ‘spirit’ and clear marketing messages across on paper. Competition is growing with the increase in entrepreneurial mindsets and innovating youngsters in Universities, who are now encouraged to master their talents and develop start-up new businesses with help from mentors and growth coaches.

For those of us who are already trading and focused on either sustaining or growing our businesses, we need to make sure we remain valid and innovative to stand the test of time and fulfil client requirements using innovative tools and techniques that make it easier for our buyers to use our services.

You wouldn’t be the first if you’d admit that you had to google the vision of your own company.  We all lose our way from time to time, but the most important thing is, that it remains consistent in the public eye. If you’re writing one thing in your tender documents but your website, marketing materials and employees are saying another, it only reduces the confidence that buyers have in your ability to deliver a consistent service.

Our vision…

We thrive on the vision of our Company – to become the next Billion-pound company to come out of the UK, and we plan to do that with our headquarters in County Durham. It’s a simple vision that no one in this company will ever forget. Yes, we have sub-ambitions about innovation and employee development, but they all work towards our billion-pound vision and we write it absolutely everywhere. It’s consistent, it’s daring and it’s a powerful message for anyone who wants to work with us.

The core focus of this article is to encourage consistency. If you do one thing after reading this article, try reading your website and your marketing materials and then ask each of your employees (separately) what they believe your vision is, mark a percentage of how many of them are right. From that, you can fix one thing today – you can ensure your team are working toward the same goal.

Standout by being consistent. Discover your vision to allow you to succeed when tendering. Procure the best and invest
in innovation.

We’re happy to help you ensure your vision and marketing messages are all conveyed clearly across
your Tendering efforts.

Get in touch with our Tender Consultants for more information!

WHY CHOOSE CREATIVE TENDERS? Helping you discover Creative Bids!

Posted on by John Hudson

WHY CHOOSE CREATIVE TENDERS? Helping you discover Creative Bids!

Creative bids can be difficult to find, so we have put together a short guide to demonstrate how Creative Tenders can help you!

Creative Tenders is an online platform which ensures all UK-wide contracts and tender opportunities (both private and public) are captured from the excessive number of national portals. These are categorised through specific sub-sectors, and uploaded on a user-friendly website – daily!

That’s ‘what’ it is – now let’s go to the ‘why’ you should be using it. 

Are you registered to a platform where you receive opportunities regularly?

If so –surely, you’ll have noticed that you receive opportunities that are not relevant to you. Or, sometimes receive the opportunity one week after it is posted, OR do not receive any opportunities at all.

These are a few of the many key issues we have recognised in our procurement/tendering experiences. Where electronic algorithms based purely on CPV codes hinder any efforts of receiving tender opportunities. We don’t mean to confuse you – but for a lot of SMEs that’s exactly what this is – confusing!

Please see our ‘What are CPV Codes? The Pains of Procurement’ blog to understand what CPV Codes are all about.

Basically – we are the only company in the UK that has sector-specific RESOURCE who scours thousands of internet portals MANUALLY and sends sub-sector opportunities to customers DAILY! Meaning, when our team members come across either public AND/OR private opportunities for creative bids, such as ‘website design’ – this will be immediately published to our customers who identify as a ‘website agency’ (for example).

Creative Tenders offers daily notifications of the most up-to-date business / tender opportunities across the UK. This is filtered and broken down to the following sub-sectors:

  • Design
  • Digital/Software
  • Marketing/Communications/Advertising
  • Video/Animation/Photography
  • Events/Exhibitions
  • PR
  • Print

After careful research and the fact our Growth Director, Jill Hudson (nee. Newey), holds almost two decades worth of experience in the Creative Sector. We know the types of creative bids that YOU WANT to see!

This is one of the 10 platforms we offer, with others including:

Phase 1 of our growth plans is happening now, so you can discover business opportunities that is bespoke to your service offering.

Phase 2 is coming later in the year with the launch of our Tender Connect Service. This will be where customers from our alternative platforms (above) can post private opportunities across another specific platform. i.e. if an events company on Creative Tenders requires catering support they will publish the opportunity to our Hospitality Tenders platform, directly to our Catering customer.

Inter-trading at its finest!

“We have been using Creative Tenders for over 7 months now and have already gained two contract wins based on the private and public opportunities available on this website, that we didn’t come across anywhere else. We love it how all opportunities are in one place and dedicated to the service we offer. This has saved us time seeking these ourselves, which has allowed more time on developing the opportunities at hand.” Design Agency, Creative Tenders.

As some may say – the proof is in the pudding. We offer a FREE demo to anyone who is interested. Get in touch now to join the hundreds of customers who are receiving bespoke opportunities daily!

Let us help you DISCOVER!

I’M IN COMPETITION WITH MYSELF AND I’M LOSING! – Tender Basics!

Posted on by John Hudson

I’M IN COMPETITION WITH MYSELF AND I’M LOSING! – Tender Basics!

Tender Basics are the foundation of your bid writing success. Our Growth Director, Jill Hudson, has over 16 years’ experience with Tender Writing, so she knows how lonely it can get when you see rejection in the early days.

“I quite quickly went from a success record of <15% in my very early days of tender writing to >70% just by spending the time needed to digest feedback and eliminate silly mistakes.  Mistakes I seemed to be making all the time without evening realising I was doing it.”

The thing you need to realise very early on is that feedback is the route to success.

No one really likes reading the feedback of how they’ve missed the point of the tender document, the response didn’t hit the mark – at all, or you’ve forgotten to proofread and your response to a question is littered with mistakes. Queue – kick yourself under the table and put the kettle on. It’s important to get back to the ‘Tender Basics’ every time you’re writing a bid.

Tender Basics
Tender Basics

However, without this feedback, you will continue to make these mistakes. The most common mistake you will make is not understanding the time it takes to respond to a bid correctly. Assuming you’ll write a winning submission in 2-hours is unrealistic, whilst ABC Ltd. are throwing all their resource at this competitive contract to ensure they will win it.

You need to quickly realise that the only way you will start to win is to get back to the Tender Basics:

  1. Believe you can win it – ensuring you have the right credentials.
  2. Do your homework – research is key.
  3. Spend the time needed to write a winning submission.
  4. Don’t leave it until the last minute – this is how mistakes happen.
  5. Ensure you understand the point scoring mechanisms to ensure you are maximising your answers to the questions asked.
  6. Answer the question with the information they have requested, not the information you believe they should know about your business.

We’re sure you’ve established that our main piece of advice over the many blogs we have written, is to be sensible with your expectations.  If you turnover around £100,000 per annum, you’re not going to win a £2,000,000 contract. Nor should you want to put all your eggs in one basket like that. So, if this is the course of action you’re taking you will continue to receive the rejection letters.

Tender writing is an art form, it isn’t for everyone but you will reap the rewards if you spend the time learning, building knowledge and correctly assessing what you need to do to allow you to win.

Jill states “I’m a firm believer that the only person you should ever be in competition with is yourself. That way you will always get better.”

Eliminate the noise and … focus!

If all else fails, give our Tender Consultants a call, we’re here to help you discover, succeed, procure and invest!

“THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO THEY WANT TO USE!” – The Tendering Process

Posted on by John Hudson

“THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO THEY WANT TO USE!” – The Tendering Process

We’ve all heard stories about backhanded business deals and brown paper envelopes passed under the table for the decision making to go in favour of a specific business on a particular contract/opportunity.

This is drastically changing for the better, having analysed tender processes now compared to where they were 10 years ago.  We’re not saying this doesn’t happen! We do still live in a world of human interaction (for now).  However, things are getting better and we’re super confident that this will continue.

Here at Hudson Procurement Group we are focused on creating a fair bidding process for all. We’re working hard to make headway with government organisations. Especially into how and why decisions are made when marking tender documents. And also, how buyers issue tender notifications and how to produce a fair Invitation to Tender and Specification document.

"THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO THEY WANT TO USE!" - The Tendering Process
“THEY ALREADY KNOW WHO THEY WANT TO USE!” – The Tendering Process

We like to advise our customers on how they can question the result of a tender notification and the tendering process if they believe they have been incorrectly scored. This does not mean that we’re going to back sore losers and encourage those who think they should have won when in actual fact the right company was awarded the contract.  On occasion, we’re simply pipped at the post and the best man won and we need to take it on the chin and learn from it.

If you truly believe you were not given a good shot, there are a couple of things you can do:

  1. Ask for thorough feedback, and if they don’t provide it then you can question ‘why not?’. If they’re spending public purse, they should spend the time needed to give you feedback against the winning submission.
  2. If they will not provide feedback ask the process for putting in a freedom of information request, this should prompt them into giving you feedback.
  3. If you are still feeling like you’re getting no response, you can contest the decision based on lack of feedback. This means that spending public-purse will be required to complete a thorough internal investigation into how they have purchased the required services/products.

The most important aspect of any ‘rejection letter’ is to look at it logically and ask for feedback, learn from it and make sensible decisions on how to move forward.

Things truly are changing in the world of procurement. We’re going to be central to making sure our customers are given a fair shot when investing the time needed to respond to an ITT.

We’re only ever a phone call away, and we would welcome your feedback on how you believe the procurement process should change to suit SMEs.  If we hear your feedback, we can help shape policy for the better.

See our ‘Rules & Regulations when Tendering’ Blog for additional regulations that buyers must adhere to.

 Want to learn more about the tendering process? We’re here to help you Discover, Succeed, Procure and Invest.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT DISTANCE: We live in a Digital World! – International Tendering!

Posted on by John Hudson

DON’T WORRY ABOUT DISTANCE: We live in a Digital World! – International Tendering!

This is an age-old debate here at Hudson Procurement Group. We’re constantly telling our customers to spread their wings when it comes to bidding for new business and succumb to International Tendering.

Historically, we used to take as much business as we could from our doorstep. It was, after all, deemed easier to deliver logistically and support with brand recognition. It was a major achievement to be a leading regional vendor.

But, things have changed drastically over the years and the government throws hundreds of millions into helping us SMEs to trade internationally. The world and its major cities are so much more accessible and connected with daily direct flights from the UK to the US, Dubai, Australia, China etc., especially for service and product-based enterprises.

We encourage our clients to eliminate any geographical fear when looking for business. We advise you to look at where the work is and look at the logistics of delivery. If it deems possible, then don’t put in place unnecessary barriers that will hinder your company growth.  An international business development strategy should be a core activity for your executive/director team until you’ve established there isn’t any profit in trading overseas.

Here at Hudson Procurement Group, we have over 1,000 clients all over the world. None of which we’ve met face to face, but it’s not important to meet them. We speak with them daily over the telephone, Skype and email. We still deliver the same value-added service regardless if they’re UK based, operate in the US or have their headquarters in India. We too revel in International Tendering!

Our advice when looking at which tendering opportunities are right for you is:

  1. Don’t eliminate any opportunity until you’ve assessed it properly.
  2. Ensure you can make a profit, taking into consideration traveling and shipping costs if this is a required part of the work.
  3. Take a risk! Sometimes these risks pay huge dividends. Just because you’re not based on their doorstep, doesn’t mean you’re not the right provider.
  4. Don’t assume you won’t be chosen just because you can’t pop to their office for a cup of tea. You’ll find that more and more people try to eliminate the number of meetings they have, not increase them.
  5. Seek advice and guidance from your local Department of International Trade. We’ve found them super useful during our research phase of opening our US office.
  6. Give us a call, we’re happy to help and to answer any questions you may have about bidding for work overseas.

 We’re here to help you discover, succeed, procure and invest.

DIGITAL MARKET PLACE – Creative Tenders Support

Posted on by John Hudson

DIGITAL MARKET PLACE – Creative Tenders Support

So, the government launched Digital Market Place to support digital companies with sourcing government contracts and government buyers to source digital suppliers.  Seems simple, right? Not exactly.

In theory, we totally love Digital Market Place, I mean who wouldn’t as a tender writer for digital businesses.  Our main concern, however, is that the tenders are locked down to registered suppliers and it’s been an age since they’ve opened it up for new registrations.  Great for our customers who are already registered, not so great for those who aren’t.

It’s simple to register your interest to get a notification when they open the gates for new supplier registrations, all you have to do is click this link and add your email address – https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/suppliers/supply.

The types of tenders you will find on Digital Market Place range from day-rate development work to full-scale multi-million-pound software and web projects. In our opinion, budgets tend to be larger and contracts posted are for experienced digital agencies rather than start-ups/small agencies, but don’t let that put you off applying to be a registered supplier. Once you’re on, you’re on.  You do however have to keep details up to date to ensure your registration remains live.

The words from the horse’s mouth over at https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/suppliers/supply states that:

You will be able to apply to sell:

  • digital outcomes, for example, a team to build a service
  • digital specialists, for example, an individual developer or user researcher
  • user research studios
  • user research participants

G-Cloud

You will be able to apply to sell:

  • cloud hosting
  • software
  • technical support

We will issue via our social channels and customer newsletters, information regarding Digital Market Place’s registration announcement, so keep an eye out in your inbox.

Common Trends in Public Sector Tendering!

Posted on by John Hudson

Common Trends in Public Sector Tendering!

We think it’s safe to say that every year, something new happens in the world of procurement. This is due to the ever-changing landscape that buyers and suppliers constantly find themselves in. Here are, in our opinion, a small collection of common trends across UK Public Sector Tendering as of late:

1. BREXIT

The word coined to fill the hearts of many with either progressiveness or ultimate decline. The word in our opinion is met with uncertainty, especially in the way procurement will be running long-term. It has been recorded that “since Brexit, the total value of tenders has risen”.  This implies that there is more work than ever before up for grabs. However, how long will it last? Well, there are no immediate changes due to the EU regulations being merged with primary UK legislation. However, we can expect a lot more focus on cost-effective supply chains that are held locally, given our potential departures from European partners. Risk assessments and the holistic management of contracts will surely be examined a lot more in technical questions based on the happenings of BREXIT.

2. Modern Slavery

Have you come across it yet? The question on an increasing amount of PQQs which ask if you abide by Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015? What you may not know is that the act contains a clause on ‘Transparency in Supply Chains’, which addresses the role of businesses and what they do to prevent modern slavery from occurring in their supply chains and organisation[s]. As per Section 54, it states that if your organisation has a turnover of over £36 million or more you must confirm adherence. You will then have to publish a ‘slavery and human trafficking’ statement annually on your company’s website. Mainly, to state what you are doing to prevent this. We find that SME’s tend not to worry about this, as it remains non-applicable 99% of the time, but still, it is something that is commonly being asked across the board.

3. Social Value

What are you doing for your community? what environmental aims does your company have? do you work with apprentices? – these are just a few of the questions that are becoming increasingly asked in public-sector tenders. Even if you are the smallest company around, we advise you to think of your corporate and social responsibility and how this is positively changing the world … or at least your local area. Every little helps! – we advise you do liaise with charities, apprenticeship providers, assess long-term goals and ensure that social value (aligned with a local authority and government initiatives) crops up one way or another, as this is becoming a key contribution to finalising scores in ongoing tenders.

4. SME Focus

By 2020, the UK government has promised “big opportunities for small firms” as they are set to spend £1 in every £3 with small businesses/SMEs. One thing a lot of SMEs DO NOT have that bigger companies DO HAVE is experienced and well-educated internal Bid Writing professionals. This means SMEs will see a surge of utilising external support functions to ensure their tenders are of the highest quality. We are one of those companies! Our aim is not to just write high-quality bids, but support you with understanding the procurement world. We’ll support you with:

  •  opportunity tracking (using our elite and secure Hudson Discover platforms, related to each UK industry) tender training (using our upcoming FREE virtual learning environment with regular VLOGs) eventually
  • maintaining/developing your ongoing content for tendering (using Tender Bank).

The increased use of Framework Agreements and Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) and getting onto these, require rapid and high-quality responses to ensure longstanding work is won and sustained.

These are just a small list of current trends that are recognised as of late. If you need help with writing bids or anything further feel free to get in touch!

We are Hudson Procurement Group and we are here to help you grow, develop and standout!