What are Public Sector Contracts?

Public sector contracts are legal agreements between a public sector body and an organisation, such as a company, individual or consortium. These contracts are used to provide goods and services to the public sector.

Public sector contracts can vary in size and complexity, from large projects such as construction or IT systems to smaller contracts for services such as cleaning or catering. Public sector contracts are subject to strict rules and regulations, as well as the Freedom of Information Act and other legislation.

The public sector body will have specific requirements for the contract, and these must be adhered to. When bidding for a public sector contract, it is important to research the requirements of the contract and ensure that you can meet them. It is also important to ensure that the bid is competitive and that you have the resources and capabilities to complete the project.

In order to be successful in securing a public sector contract, it is important to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the requirements, as well as the ability to deliver on time and to budget. A strong track record of successful projects is also beneficial. Public sector contracts are an important part of the UK economy, providing jobs and services to the public. As such, they should be taken seriously, and all the rules and regulations should be followed to ensure a successful outcome.

Are public sector contracts hard to win compared to private sector contracts?

Public sector contracts can be more challenging to win compared to private sector contracts. This is because public sector contracts are subject to stricter rules and regulations, as well as the Freedom of Information Act and other legislation. Public sector contracts also require more detailed bids, as the public sector body will have specific requirements for the contract. As such, it is important to ensure that the bid is competitive and that you have the resources and capabilities to complete the project.

Where do I find public sector contracts?

Public sector contracts can be found on websites such as Contracts Finder & Public Contracts Scotland. At Hudson, We have 11 sector-specific portals to help you track all Public sector contracts in the UK.

10 things to consider when bidding for public sector contracts!

1. Research the requirements of the contract and ensure that you can meet them.
2. Ensure that the bid is competitive and that you have the resources and capabilities to complete the project.
3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the requirements.
4. Demonstrate the ability to deliver on time and to budget.
5. Have a strong track record of successful projects.
6. Understand the rules and regulations surrounding public sector contracts.
7. Understand the Freedom of Information Act and other relevant legislation.
8. Have a robust complaints procedure in place.
9. Utilise the latest technology to increase efficiency.
10. Have a clear plan for how you will deliver the project.

Our services include:

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect bid for your business, send it our way. Our Bid Writers can take care of the whole thing for you they’ll even submit it on your behalf. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready 4-week programme is perfect for businesses that have never tendered before. A Bid Writer will work with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully. Tender Ready offers your business:

• A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover
• Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
• An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
• Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents. They will work with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to a Hudson Discover portal and additional tendering development services.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your tender response and need it double-checked for errors, Tender Mentor can help. A Bid Writer will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar, or spelling mistakes. They will also ensure it’s in line with the specification before you submit it. This is a great way of improving your skills and understanding of how to polish your tender.

Contact us:

Contact us to find out how we can help your business SUCCEED!

Additional support:

Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!

Submit the relevant information regarding the work you need, and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.

We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!

Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can optimise your tendering efforts!

Our two new time-saving tools can improve competitor awareness and success rate when bidding for a contract:

The Ultimate Time Save Package (for those on the go!)

• Five tender breakdowns per month.
• Annual subscription to two sector-specific portals.
• Dedicated account manager.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package

• All of the above.
• Seven tender breakdowns per month.
• Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager (minimum five years experience). Our Global Bid Director will manage the bid strategy.

Our other divisions:

Vocal

Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!

Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!

From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!

Vocal specialises in:

• Copywriting
• Marketing
• Branding
• Websites
• Design
• Illustration

Alpha

Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).

We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

• How to win a tender
• What is a Bid Writer?
• The tendering process
• Writing winning bids
• 7 tips for tendering for contracts
• Tips for bid management
• Bid writing services
• The types of tendering procedures
• Writing bids
• Bid Writing Consultants
• Submitting a tender response

The post Public Sector Contracts appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Apr 18, 2023 @ 11:12 am

Public sector contracts can be lucrative opportunities for your business. The UK public sector spends an estimated £284 billion annually on the procurement of goods and services. This means there is a massive market for businesses to supply a good or service to public sector organisations.

Important terms to know for public sector contracts

• The public sector – all government-run organisations and bodies financed by the British taxpayer, including local councils and the NHS, for example.

• Public procurement – the purchase of goods, works and services by public sector organisations.

• Public contracts – public sector job opportunities. Contracts are awarded to businesses that offer the most value for money, known as the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). This does not mean the contracts goes to the lowest bidder. Rather, it means it goes to the bidder offering the best product for the price.

• Awarding authority – the organisation that is buying the good, service or work, advertising the contract and decides who wins.

Misconceptions about public sector contracts

There’s a common misconception when discussing public sector contracts that only big businesses can compete for work. However, this simply isn’t the case anymore. In fact, in recent years there’s been a drive for public sector organisations to actively award more contracts to SMEs.

The UK government has a target of spending £1 in every £3 with SMEs by 2022. The latest figures show that they are well on track with this target. Currently, the overall spending with SMEs represents 26.7%, suggesting they are well on their way to the targeted 33%. New data published (May 2021) shows government spending with SMEs at an all-time high at £15.5 billion in 2019/20. This is an increase of £1.3 billion on the previous years.

Cabinet Office Minister, Lord Agnew, said:

“Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, fuelling economic growth and providing employment for almost 17 million people.

“That is why we are determined to make sure the power of government spending supports this vital sector and helps bring forward the delivery of top-class public services.”

Figures for government spending with small businesses are measured both in terms of:

• Direct spending – where money goes directly from the government to small businesses. The total direct spend was £6.6 billion in 2019/20, compared to £6.4 billion in 2018/19.
• Indirect spending – goes through the supply chains of larger companies. The indirect spend was £9 billion, compared to £7.8 billion in 2018/19.

Advantages of tendering for public sector contracts

There are multiple advantages when tendering for public sector contracts. A couple of them include:

• Guaranteed pay

One of the biggest is that suppliers benefit from guaranteed pay upon winning a contract. Public sector organisations are bound by their contractual agreement to pay the awarded supplier. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) must pay suppliers within 60-days of invoicing. This is to comply with the Prompt Payment Code. This can give peace of mind to new businesses with the guarantee of payment.

• Gain experience

Winning tender contracts can help you gain experience. Most contracts will require you to prove your experience and capabilities via past contracts that you’ve fulfilled. These are known as case studies and buyers can ask for as many as three in the last three to five years. The more contracts won, the more experience you have. More experience can then lead you to secure even bigger contracts, thus expanding your business.

Tendering for contracts as part of a framework agreement or Dynamic Purchasing System is an effective way to do this. Securing a place on one of these tendering procedures will save you time in the long run. It can also help you secure a pipeline of work for your business.

3 things to remember when tendering for public sector contracts

1. Contracts are awarded to the MEAT

As mentioned above, the public sector contracts are awarded to the most economically advantageous tender. This is referred to as the MEAT. The contracting authority will be seeking tenders that provide the most value for money while delivering the contract. The MEAT means that the buyer is evaluating more than just price. They could be considering a range of factors that can include, but aren’t limited to the following:

• Quality
• Cost
• Technical ability
• Sustainability
• Accessibility
• Innovation
• Environmental benefits
• Customer service
• Ability to deliver on time.

Each contracting authority will be seeking something different depending on their needs. The focus of what is required for each tender will be noted in the specification and tender documents.

2. Social value shouldn’t be glossed over

The Central Government Social Value Model is used by organisations in the public sector when tendering. As of 2021, there is a minimum mandatory weighting of 10% on social value within public sector contracts. Some may even be as great as 30%.

Social value is the social, economic and environmental aspects that should be considered during a public sector contract. It was launched with five key themes in mind that should be addressed where possible. These are:

• Tackling economic inequality
• Supporting COVID-19 recovery
• Fighting climate change
• Improving equal opportunities
• Showing commitment to health and wellbeing.

Social value is an opportunity for SMEs to differentiate themselves from their competitors, adding commercial value to their bids.

3. Address what’s in the specification

One of the reasons that SMEs don’t win a tender is that they don’t answer the questions in the specification. That along with not pricing their good or service right. It’s important when responding to public sector contracts that you address all the questions being asked in the specification. The contracting authority is asking them for a reason. These will help them understand whether your business has the capabilities and capacity to deliver the contract.

A buyer will often want you to demonstrate in your public sector contract response that you:

• Understand what they’re asking for
• Have the economic and financial abilities and resources to fulfil the contract
• Hold evidence of a track record in delivering similar goods or services to similar standards
• Have a qualified and professional team to deliver the contract.

Where can I find public sector contracts for my business?

You may be wondering where you can find public sector contracts for your business. There’s no shortage of websites offering multi-sector tendering opportunities and leads. Ideally, you should be searching for a sector-specific site that posts all unique, public and private sector opportunities.

Simply relying on CPV codes can result in missed opportunities as they are often mislabelled. Finding a portal that uploads and categorises tenders by keywords, location and budget and more can streamline the process. Our sister company, Hudson Discover, hosts 11 sector-specific tendering portals. One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

These sectors consist of;

• Creative Tenders
• Healthcare Tenders
• Facilities Tenders
• Construction Tenders
• Technology Tenders
• Logistics Tenders
• Research Tenders
• Consultancy Tenders
• HR Tenders
• Finance Tenders
• Hospitality Tenders

Once signed up, you’ll have access to your own dedicated Account Manager. They’ll be able to answer any questions you may have about public sector contracts. You’ll also get an email alert when new and relevant tenders are uploaded to your sector.

Need help when tendering for public sector contracts?

No matter the sector you’re in, the quality of your response matters. We understand that running your own business can be fairly time-consuming without having to deal with the tendering process. You don’t necessarily have the time or resources to write a winning response in-house. If this is the case, outsourcing to bid writing experts can help you win your next public sector contracts. Here at Hudson Succeed, we pride ourselves on being tender writing experts.

We proudly hold an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of collective bid writing experience. We offer four levels of bid writing support to suit every business need. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or need a response proofread before you submit – we can help with writing bids. Our services include:

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready 4-week programme is perfect for businesses that have never tendered before. A Bid Writer will work with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully. Tender Ready offers your business:

• A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover portal.
• Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
• An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
• Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents. They will work with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to a Hudson Discover portal and additional tendering development services.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect public sector contract for your business, send it our way. Our Bid Writers can take care of the whole thing for you they’ll even submit it on your behalf. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your own tender response and need it double-checking for errors, Tender Mentor can help. A Bid Writer will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar or spelling mistakes. They will also ensure it’s in line with the specification before you submit.

Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can help optimise your tendering efforts – even when you’re busy. Our two new time-saving tools can improve your competitor awareness and success rate when bidding for public sector contracts.

The Ultimate Time Saver package offers your business:

• A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
• An annual subscription to a maximum of two Hudson Discover sector-specific portals. This option can help businesses that overlap two industries such as Technology and Healthcare, for example.
• Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
• Buyer portal management, including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid strategy.
• Weekly phone calls with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss viable tendering opportunities.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package also includes:

• All of the above.
• Up to seven tender breakdowns per month.
• A tendering strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager with a minimum of 5 years of experience. Our Global Bid Director will manage this.

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

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

• How to win a tender
• What is a Bid Writer?
• The tendering process
• Writing winning bids
• 7 tips for tendering for contracts
• Tips for bid management
• Bid writing services
• The types of tendering procedures
• Writing bids
• Bid writing consultants
• Submitting a tender response
• And many more.

The post 3 Things to Remember When Tendering for Public Sector Contracts appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Dec 17, 2021 @ 9:49 am

The world has entered new territory following the spread of COVID-19. Individuals, communities and businesses must rapidly respond to local and global news and changes. These changes affect every part of our lives and livelihoods – these are unprecedented times.

At Hudson, we are doing everything we can to support our clients going forward into this new landscape. We will continue to do so – we are in this for the long haul. Our team at Hudson will do all we can to adapt, thrive, and ensure our clients can too.

Making the future matter now

In times like these, it is essential to maintain a positive approach to the future. The choices and actions that business owners take now will affect their future prospects. Let’s make those prospects good ones – not just for businesses, but for our communities.

Key workers play an essential role in the fight against coronavirus, and the public sector fully recognises this. Communities supporting each other makes sense, now more so than ever. Council tenders will seek out businesses who add real social value to their work during these difficult times.

For now and in the coming weeks, we are in a unique situation where proximity to others is limited. The government, health officials and individuals are coming together to tackle the spread of COVID-19. Ultimately, when a resolution is found, businesses will be in a unique situation.

Councils and public sector bodies will look for businesses who championed social value during this time. Turning this crisis into an opportunity to make a difference to communities is essential. Doing so will benefit our wellbeing, our community relationships and our economy in ways previously unimagined.

What can I do?

Many people will have heard of the term ‘social value’. Put simply, social value is the positive social impact that businesses have in society. We create this impact directly and purposefully through our business practices. This impact can be generated in the form of:

• Policies and procedures
• Spending
• Training
• Volunteering
• Mentoring
• Community engagement

We can deliver positive social impact through delivering public sector and council tenders.

By doing so, we create a positive impact in terms of wellbeing, resilience and other factors. It makes business sense to support communities. In turn, communities will increase engagement with businesses long-term. The challenge here is doing so within the current limitations we have. It is challenging – but not impossible.

Where do I start?

There are four key areas of social value which we can contribute to. These are:

1. Economic impact. This considers:

• Employability, work placements and recruitment
• Training opportunities, apprenticeships and upskilling
• Graduate schemes
• Volunteering
• Using local resources

2. Environmental impact. This considers:

• Sustainability
• Carbon footprint
• Energy reduction
• Minimising waste
• ISO 14001
• Embodied carbon
• Passivhaus

3. Community impact. This considers:

• Supporting charities
• Supporting local and cultural heritage
• Community groups

4. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This considers:

• All of the above
• A region’s Strategic Economic Plan
• Policies
• Supply chain management

How these apply to your organisation is sector dependent. Each sector will have its own unique opportunities and challenges to do the above. In procurement, buyers will prioritise certain matters. For example, council tenders who need cleaning services may prioritise the environment. On the other hand, those who need HR services may prioritise community and economic impact.

How do I know what to look for?

The key here is to identify where your organisation can make a difference and implement this in your bid management strategy.  This way, you can judge what buyers may look for within your sector. You can do this in a number of ways:

1. As a business owner, self-reflection. Is there anything you have been overlooking that you could improve?
2. Ask your team. Feedback is essential. Take comments on board, particularly if several people are providing the same feedback. Similarly, if a team member has an innovative idea, consider it.
3. Review your policies and procedures through an internal audit.
4. Produce a Social Value Action Plan. Map out what you are doing now, and what you will do in future.
5. Listen to past experience. If you have tendered before, don’t ignore issues where you may have tripped up in past submissions. Do you have the certification, policies or evidence the buyer asked for? If not, don’t ignore it. Implement those changes. It will benefit your social value responses further down the line.

What council tenders & public sector contracts are there?

In the coming weeks, public sector and council tenders will request services including:

• Facilities Tenders.

These include cleaning contracts for schools, offices, hospitals, social housing and more. These are essential and will be in high demand. Councils will seek to protect their staff and individuals as much as possible from illness. Other contracts may involve manned security or building repairs.

• Logistics Tenders.

This can involve contracts for vehicle hire, transport and deliveries. They might involve courier services or storage. Effective logistics which limit physical proximity will be essential in upcoming contracts.

• Hospitality Tenders.

These tenders can involve catering contract services and laundry service contracts. These are essential to ensuring key workers whom council tenders may serve are supported.

• HR Tenders.

Opportunities here might include contracts for recruitment, HR or restructure planning. New opportunities may arise in the form of virtual and offsite staff. Swift changes in how we must communicate with colleagues digitally can stimulate new types of council tenders.

Going forward, councils and public sector bodies will seek businesses who demonstrated social value in the face of adversity. When tendering, they will ask how you delivered social value during the crisis. The critical question will be:

How did your business go over and above what was asked, whilst delivering what was needed?

Of course, buyers will be mindful of the impact on businesses. Organisations must keep a balance between supporting others and staying afloat. It is critical to reflect on your organisation’s ability to support others. We must be proactive, innovative and pragmatic to meet these challenges.

Delivering social value is critically dependent on our ability to maintain business, first and foremost. Businesses without essential plans in place to tackle the crisis will lack the capacity to deliver social value. Reflection now is essential for future delivery. It is useful to reflect on aspects such as:

• How do I keep my staff safe from COVID-19 to do their job? Is it possible at this stage?
• Do I have the finances in place to deliver? If not, have I looked at available support?
• How will the impact of COVID-19 change the way my service is delivered in future?

How do I move forward?

In these uncertain times, there has been huge support from communities across the country. Individuals and businesses are rallying to volunteer across the UK. They are providing services such as deliveries, driving and phone calls.

1. Even if your organisation does not have the resources, the best asset you have is time. Make some time.
2. As an organisation, you can engage with your local community through volunteering and advice.
3. When business is slow, use this time wisely to develop your policies and procedures. Can you implement current needs into future policy?
4. Develop your training and mentoring programmes to respond to the new social and economic climate. Refine and hone how you do things not just now, but for the future.
5. Be adaptable. Demonstrate this in facts and figures.
6. Use social media. It can be an easy trap to fall under the radar – don’t. Communicate with your clients. Demonstrate that you are taking positive steps forward. Engage with your community through social media. This uncertain time highlights now more than ever that we are all human. If you have good news or have achieved something locally, let people know. Celebrate the successes of others, let them know that your organisation cares.

By doing so, you will have a bank of social value evidence for council tenders in future.

How can we help with your Council Bid?

To support you, at Hudson Succeed we offer our Tender Mentor service. This is for businesses who want to ensure the bid they have produced is the best it can be. Here, we will externally review and advise on all aspects of your written submission. This way, you can be sure that your responses – including social value – will be persuasive and engaging. Through this service, we will mark your bid against scoring criteria, in advance of submission. If you have done your research, produced your draft and are looking for bespoke consultation, get in touch.

Council Tenders – Looking to the future

Businesses are in a unique and intimidating position during the COVID-19 pandemic. When we look outwardly at news reports, the situation seems bleak. It is so important to look inwardly – at our team members, local communities and business practices. We can find ways of helping our communities. Our approach must be a mindset of not just mitigation, but planning for an optimistic future.

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

• How to win a tender
• What is a Bid Writer?
• The tendering process
• Writing winning bids
• 7 tips for tendering for contracts
• Tips for bid management
• Bid writing services
• The types of tendering procedures
• Writing bids
• Bid writing consultants
• Submitting a tender response
• And many more.

The post Council Tenders and the Community appeared first on Tender Consultants.