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PR Agency Tenders: Why Tendering is Important to Public Relations

Posted on by John Hudson

PR Agency Tenders: Why Tendering is Important to Public Relations

What is Tendering?

Tendering is a key strategy for growing your PR agency, as tenders are an extremely effective way to gain contracts to expand your business by providing your services to new organisations.

Let’s quickly discuss what Tendering is. While the exact tendering processes will be different depending on the industry, the basic idea remains the same. Tendering involves formally presenting your business offer to an organisation (a ‘buyer’) in need of a specific service.  This is considered the fairest and most open procurement method for public sector organisations, and even private businesses have recognised the value of tenders. Overall, the tendering process will secure the most economically advantageous tender (‘MEAT’) for the organisation.

As you might expect, opportunities are always being published that anyone can bid for. Yet, because of this very fact, competition is fierce. Just as tenders are vital in gaining new contracts, so is having an amazing proposal showing that you meet all the buyer’s requirements, and why you are the best PR agency for the job.

 

The Tendering Process?

Tendering can seem long and terribly complicated, so here we will break down the process for you. PR tenders, as creative tenders, will commonly be Requests for Proposals, or RFPs. RFP formats are almost always free format and involve the buyer providing a specification used to produce a creative project. Often RFPs won’t have any strict word count or notable restrictions. After all, buyers in the creative industry will want to see the quality of what you produce, meaning this proposal is basically your first chance to display your talent! Showing your ability to go beyond a plain template document and be remembered will assure buyers you can achieve the same working with them!

Your proposal does still need to include important information regarding the project, including a:

  • Statement of Work
  • Projected Timescale to Complete
  • Specific and Detailed Plan.

As not all PR agency tenders are RFPs, we can also look at what the general stages of the tender process are:

  • Opportunity – Referring of course to the opportunity listed by the buyer.
  • Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, or PQQ – For closed tenders, a PQQ is issued by the buyer to determine which suppliers are appropriate. If you pass this stage, you arrive at the…
  • Invitation to Tender, or ITT – For open tenders, the supplier starts the process here.
  • Evaluation – Once the buyer has all the tender submissions they mark them against their specific criteria. At this stage, they determine which supplier is the best for their needs.
  • Contract – After deciding the best supplier, the buyer awards them the contract.

 

Should my PR agency tender for work?

PR agency tenders fall into the creative tenders category, and creative jobs make up a substantial amount of the UK workforce. New creative jobs are generated at a faster rate than in other sectors. What this means is there is an abundance of opportunities to secure tenders to grow your agency! Understandably, this only emphasises the importance of having an expert approach.

Searching for the perfect contract is key. Through your agency’s marketing, you may see some opportunities if businesses reach out directly, though not all may take this approach. Even if we include google searches or rely on word-of-mouth to discover opportunities, this is simply less reliable. Worse still, these results are likely not what you need to truly develop your agency!

Through tendering, your approach to gaining new contracts can be so much more efficient. You can find major PR tender opportunities with a variety of businesses and organisations. This is particularly important for newer and/or smaller businesses (SMEs). For instance, the opportunity to secure work alongside a well-known company would not only be lucrative but will look amazing when approaching future tender opportunities. After all, tendering isn’t just to help you secure a single contract, but to continue building your portfolio and expose you to new opportunities to help your PR agency grow!

 

Where to find Tendering Opportunities for PR Agencies

At Hudson Outsourcing, we have developed our Creative Tenders platform to provide the best experience when seeking PR tender opportunities. Rather than complicated codes or algorithms, our procurement team will categorise every tender with industry-specific keywords to allow an easier time searching for the right opportunity. Even when there are thousands of tender opportunities to manage, our team will ensure your agency’s time will only be spent looking at the most relevant.

 

Here’s a look at some previous PR agency tenders we sourced:

 

  • Public Relations Agency – 2023 Cycling World Championships

Buyer: 2023 Cycling World Championships Ltd

Location: Scotland

Budget: £165,000

 

  • Sefton Tourism PR Agency

Buyer: Sefton Council

Location: North West

Budget: £36,000

 

  • Freelance Media Relations and PR Consultant

Buyer: Coventry City of Culture Trust

Location: West Midlands

Budget: Undisclosed

 

  • PR campaign – Well-being of Future Generations Act

Buyer: Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

Location: Wales

Budget: Undisclosed

 

If you would like to see more examples these can be found on our Creative Tenders Portal.

 

How can we help?

A subscription to Creative Tenders provides you with:

  • Access to all new public and private sector digital marketing contracts across the UK.
  • A daily email bulletin is sent straight to your inbox when new marketing opportunities are uploaded.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed (our bid writing division).
  • 20 minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Management Consultants each month.

Also, we source opportunities for sectors including:

 

Book a free live demo with Creative Tenders to see how we can help your business grow.

 

Need additional support?

You don’t always have the time or resources to write a winning response in-house. Outsourcing to bid writing experts can help. Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, offers four levels of bid writing support.

They boast an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of bid writing experience.

The services on offer include:

 

How to get contract-winning bids

You can absolutely complete all your bid submissions from within your agency. However, this can pose an issue if the buyer requires an especially long or complicated bid, and that’s before considering how you might fit this into a schedule already filled by your normal contracted work.

We also offer free consultations if you would like to discuss what is the best approach for your PR agency. On top of offering our bid writing services, we can also advise you on your existing tender strategies and provide guidance if you wish to produce a bid independently still! You can call us on 0203 051 2217 or email us at hi@tenderconsultants.co.uk.

Creative agency tenders: What are they and where can they be found?

Posted on by John Hudson

Creative agency tenders

 

What are creative agency tenders?

Creative agency tenders are requests for bids from the public sector to provide services such as:

  • Marketing
  • Advertising
  • Branding
  • web design
  • and other services.

 

Where can creative agency tenders be found?

They are typically found on tendering websites such as our very own Creative Tenders! Also, many government and local authorities will post tenders on their own websites.

 

How to bid on creative agency tenders?

Bidding on creative agency tenders typically involves submitting a proposal that states the scope of the project, the timeline, and pricing.

The proposal should include:

  • A description of the agency’s qualifications and experience
  • Examples of previous work

Once the proposal is submitted, the agency may be required to provide more information such as:

  • References
  • Proof of insurance
  • Financial statements

 

Tips to win Creative Agency Tenders!

  1. Research the Tender: Before submitting a bid, take the time to research the tender and understand the client’s needs and requirements. The more information you have about the project, the better your chances of success.
  2. Demonstrate Expertise: Be sure to highlight your experience and expertise in the industry. Showcase your previous work, providing industry-specific case studies, and share examples of how you have helped other clients succeed.
  3. Showcase Your Team: Be sure to showcase the team that will be working on the project. Do this by including details on the qualifications of the team members, as well as any awards or recognition they have received.
  4. Outline Your Process: Explain your creative process and how you plan to deliver the project. Be sure to include a timeline and any other key steps in the process.
  5. Be Reasonable: Make sure you are submitting a bid that is reasonable for both parties. Do not overcharge for the project or under-price your services.

 

The 2-stage tender process for Creative Agencies

Pre-Qualification: The pre-qualification stage is the first step of the two-stage tender process. During this stage, the agency must provide information on their qualifications, experience and references. The agency must also provide evidence of its financial stability and insurance.

Tender Submission: The tender submission stage is the second step of the two-stage tender process. During this stage, the agency must submit a detailed proposal outlining the scope of the project, the timeline, and pricing. This proposal should include examples of the agency’s previous work and a detailed description of their team and process.

 

Creative Agency tenders include:

  • Website Design
  • Brand Identity & Logo Design
  • Digital Strategy & Social Media Management
  • Video Production & Animation
  • Creative Copywriting & Content Creation
  • Print Design & Advertising
  • Packaging Design
  • UX/UI Design
  • Event Design & Management
  • Photography & Videography

 

How can we help?

A subscription to Creative Tenders provides you with:

  • Access to all new public and private sector digital marketing contracts across the UK.
  • A daily email bulletin is sent straight to your inbox when new marketing opportunities are uploaded.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed (our bid writing division).
  • 20 minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Management Consultants each month.

 

Need additional support?

You don’t always have the time or resources to write a winning response in-house. Outsourcing to bid writing experts can help. Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, offers four levels of bid writing support.

They boast an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of bid writing experience.

The services on offer include:

 

Contact us to find out how we can help your business grow.

 

Also, we source opportunities for sectors including:

 

Book a free live demo with Creative Tenders to see how we can help your business grow.

Tender Writing – HELP! I need somebody – HELP! not just anybody

Posted on by John Hudson

Tender Writing – HELP! I need somebody – HELP! Not just anybody

HELP! I need somebody – HELP! not just anybody

The number one mechanism that puts off business leaders and development executives from getting help with bidding for work- is the sheer prices that many consultants charge for their expertise and support. We all have received that email from some portal, inviting you to attend ‘Bid Writing Masterclasses’ in a swanky conference suite, usually a million miles away for around £100 per ticket per day.

There was nearly £171 Billion spent within the UK’s public procurement sector in the last year alone. Why should companies pay for help in order to access this money? Who wants to pay over the odds for some helpful guidance? – especially when there are various options available … FOR FREE!

Tender VLE

In May 2018, we will be launching Tender VLE, a highly innovative virtual learning environment (VLE), where we will be sharing regular masterclass videos across a diverse range of procurement topics, including support and guidance around tender readiness, bid management and pretty much every procurement practice you can think of. This will be broken into various knowledge strands so that people with the most limited knowledge and those with advanced knowledge can receive the best help and guidance to succeed. The best part of all this – is that it comes at no cost to the learner/viewer. All videos will be made publically available on our VLE and onto the likes of YouTube, allowing unlimited access to ALL.

Tender Consultants

Additional to this online support, another one of our business development platforms, Tender Consultants, works with you on a more personal level to ensure a helping hand is always there when needed. Currently, procurement is far from being easy. Our mission is to de-complicate the sector so it remains simple for all buyers and suppliers across the country. Our firm is different from other consultancies, as we offer free impartial advice on your procurement strategy. Subsequent to our advice, you can then decide what kind of support you need. Whether this be our Tender Readiness Assessment? Tender Writing Service? and/or Guide and Reviews? etc. All services on offer are accustomed to your needs, meaning we do not overcharge or maintain bulk rates. We offer more than affordable consultancy rates that remain specific to your requirements and will only enhance your chances of winning.

Our upcoming Tender Bank system, launching within the next year, will also provide customers with a one-stop-shop for all of their tender needs, including templates, pre-established responses that are tailored to your sector and varying policies.

In the meantime, we are happy to provide whatever support you need. Contact us for free advice and consultations on your tendering efforts. Let’s get you some of that £171 Billion up for grabs! Don’t just use anybody – use the right body! Use Hudson Procurement Group!

New Facebook Business Update – How this affects you?

Posted on by John Hudson

New Facebook Business Update – How this affects you?

Can you hear that?

That’s the sound of creative agencies everywhere gasping at the recent news that Mark Zuckerberg wants to make Facebook’s news feed more ‘meaningful’ and ‘personal’.

One of Facebook’s biggest “focus areas for 2018 is making sure the time we all spend on Facebook is time well spent.”

This is the opening line in Mark’s latest monologue, posted on 11th January, where he states that consumer research has led them to the realisation “that public content — posts from businesses, brands and media — is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other”.

With changes already underway as of last year, Mark has promised all Facebook users that within a few months’ time “you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups’ and seeing “less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media”.

Apparently, this research has resulted from various studies carried out, including that on mental health and social media, in which Mark states “when we use social media to connect with people we care about, it can be good for our well-being […] we can feel more connected and less lonely, and that correlates with long-term measures of happiness and health.”

Facebook Business

So, how will you be affected?

The Creative Industry will undoubtedly be hit the hardest, due to many core services being the management of Social Media. Of course, we still have the likes of Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat. But Facebook, as many will know, is key into retaining new customers and serves a great platform for consumer interactivity. With less and less engagement toward Facebook by the end of 2018, is this the beginning of the end for Facebook targeted ads? Or are prices going to seriously rise in order to pull your content through to your engaged audience? This will become increasingly limited over the next few months!

Although millions of pounds have been spent by companies since Facebook’s ‘target ads’ launched have begun, it seems there will be a massive drop in the amount being spent to garner consumer and business leads through this platform going forward.

Thinking ahead…

Bad news for some businesses and consumers who don’t mind receiving the odd advertisement now and again. Engagement between businesses and audiences will be reaching an eventual all-time low by the end of the year. Mark warns us that time spent on the platform and “some measures of engagement will go down.”

It’s time to get your experts to think ahead on ways in which B2C and B2B engagement can be driven elsewhere. Make sure your strategies for both yourselves and your clients consider this vital update. Facebook goes “from focusing on helping [consumers] find relevant content, to helping [them] have more meaningful social interactions.

Creative Tenders Team Profiles – Kathryn Johansen

Posted on by John Hudson

Kathryn Johansen

When did you start working in the creative sector?

Just after finishing my Master’s degree in Media Production, in 2009.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the sector in the last ten years?

Probably the shift from print media to digital, I know everyone says this but name another sector which can literally change every single day with new technical advancements and developments.

What made you stay in the creative sector?

The variety of the work, it’s always changing so therefore never gets dull.

What is your biggest achievement in the sector?

I’d probably have to say working with this team on the creation of Creative Tenders, it’s such a great tool and I think it’s going to be a wonderful asset in helping businesses within the industry to grow.  I have been a part of it since day one, from initial planning to product launch and the whole team are 110% behind it, believe in it and are passionate about it which you don’t often see nowadays.

If you could describe the sector in 3 words what would you say?

Exciting, prosperous and fun.

If you could predict anything in the creative sector, what would it be?

The sector is strong here in the UK but in the coming years I would really like to see it grow and thrive, with more opportunities for us from abroad and to really show the strength we have as a digital and creative cluster.

If you didn’t work at in the creative industries what would you do?

It was after my A-levels that I really chose to go down the creative path so it would involve choosing my education differently but I would have got into archaeology.

What 3 skills do you think you need to be successful in this sector?

Ingenuity, imagination and drive

 

Creative Tenders launch Creative Growth | Write Good Digital Tenders

Posted on by John Hudson

Creative Tenders has officially launched Creative Growth, a tender training service for creative agencies and freelancers.

The service has been launched by Jill Hudson Founder of Creative Tenders to help agencies maximise the potential of their access to Creative Tenders.

Jill said, “this service allows businesses who are struggling to win tenders to seek advice and guidance about where they may be going wrong, or those agencies who have not tendered before, to become tender ready”.

“The service is only available to customers of Creative Tenders, as it is dramatically reduced in cost to be affordable to agencies UK wide. We want the businesses who use our system to be at the top of their game and we believe this service will help them to do so”.

The service is a very hands-on experience, where Jill will work in the selected agency for a maximum of two days, offering the required advice and structure to their sales team responsible for tendering. With experience of winning creative tenders into the millions, we are confident Jill is the right person to deliver this service for agencies.

The service, which has now officially launched, secured its first two clients within a matter of days, giving the team at Creative Tenders the confidence that the service offering alongside the product offering is a great mix for agencies who are serious about growth. The service hosts a wide range of creative contracts in the UK.

If you would like to know more about this offering, the full service information is present on the services section of the company website.

WE SOURCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SECTORS INCLUDING;

Book a free live demo with Creative Tenders to see how we can help your business grow.