Are you looking to improve your win rate? The best thing you could do is work with a tender consultant. Keep reading to find out more!

What are tender consultants and how can they help you?

Tender consultants (also known as bid consultants), can help you and your business with your tendering processes. By working with a tender consultant, you can rest assured that the bid process will be smooth sailing. Tender consultants are trained professionals, whose sole purpose is to write bid proposals to achieve success. A tender consultant focuses solely on the tender process, whilst your focus can be divided across numerous business needs.

Here is a breakdown of why working with a tender consultant can be beneficial:

1. A tender consultant has industry knowledge

A tender consultant works on ensuring they are familiar with their client’s industry. Meaning they know exactly what is expected when it comes to the bid proposal, offering expert advice. Here at Hudson Succeed, our team of Bid Writers have knowledge that spans multiple industries. Meaning they’re well-equipped to help with a range of bid proposals.

2. Tender consultants are experts in their field of writing

Tender consultants’ expertise in writing is of the highest level. Our Bid Writers have written hundreds of bids. Therefore, they have perfected their writing skills to create high-quality proposals. So, you can rest assured you are getting nothing but the best.

3. Communication is second to none

A tender consultant excels at all things verbal – making for excellent navigators in complex bid proposals. They clearly and effectively communicate why a client should be awarded the contract. Showcasing your business to the buyer.

4. Tender consultants have controlled project management abilities

You’re probably familiar with how the tender process works, and how complex and long-winded it can be. A tender consultant consistently meets deadlines, without sacrificing quality. Managing their workload and ensuring they gather all the required information.

Want to find out more about how working with a tender consultant can be beneficial to you? Get in touch with our team today, to discuss this in more detail.

How can a government tender consultant help you?

Are you looking to specifically win government tenders? Then bringing in a tender consultant for support will help improve your win rate.

You may be thinking you don’t need the help. However, when it comes to government tenders, the better your response is, the more likely you are to see results. Here are three reasons why you should consider working with a government tender consultant:

1. They understand the complexity a government contract can bring

Due to the nature of tenders, there is an added complexity as there are regulations and legalities that need to be considered and followed. Without adhering to certain regulations, you may not even make the shortlist. A government tender consultant has first-hand expert knowledge when dealing with government contracts. They understand what is needed and are dedicated to writing a winning response.

2. A government tender consultant understands the importance of social value

Social value is a major component when it comes to government contracts. A government tender consultant understands this and ensures it is well established within the tender response. They will work with you and how you will effectively tackle economic, environmental, and social issues.

3. A government tender consultant understands the MEAT

Government contracts are always awarded to suppliers who showcase the MEAT. This stands for the Most Economically Advantageous Tender. What this means is, the buyer is evaluating tender submissions based on those who provide the most value for money. Thus, rewarding them with the contract. Because of the nature of tenders, each can be different from the next. Working with a government tender consultant can be the difference between winning and losing a tender. A government tender consultant understands what the buyer is asking, what the specifications are and how to best respond. Increasing your chances of being successful.

Let’s Summarise

By now you will be more than familiar with how a tender consultant can help you. Let’s recap why working with a tender consultant can be beneficial for increasing your win rate.

4 things a tender consultant brings to the table:

1. Industry knowledge
2. Writing expertise
3. Effective communication skills
4. Project management abilities

Looking to bid on government contracts? – Here are three reasons why you should work with a government tender consultant:

1. They understand the complexity a government contract can bring
2. Have a thorough understanding of the importance of social value
3. A government tender consultant understands the MEAT

Want to improve your win rate? – Enter Hudson Succeed

Our team of tender consultants are here to help you.

They have a thorough understanding of the tender process and government contracts, knowing exactly how to respond.

By outsourcing to professionals, you could improve your chances of winning contracts.

We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – we can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

• Tender Writing 

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. We’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit the bid on your behalf.

• Tender Mentor  

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once-over before you submit it. Our Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.

• Tender Ready 

During the Tender Ready service, our team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, we will review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. Once the programme is complete, you’ll have access to three days’ worth of bid consultancy. This can be used for bid writing, tender reviews, or general advice and guidance.

• Tender Improvement  

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Need help with searching for tenders?

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.

Our sister company, Hudson Discover, has 11 sector-specific tendering portals. One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

You’ll also get an email alert when new and relevant tenders are uploaded to your sector!

A subscription to one of our industry-specific portals will include:  

• Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See all the opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised, and easily accessible.
• A daily email bulletin. When we upload new tenders, we will send you an email alert.
• A free 20-minute phone consultation with a Bid Writer. Our expert Bid Consultants will chat with you about anything tender related.

 What opportunities can I expect from a tender search on a Hudson Discover portal?

Hudson Discover hosts all kinds of tenders in both the public and private sectors. These are inclusive of, but aren’t limited to:

• Open tenders
• Restricted procedure tenders
• Competitive dialogues
• Negotiated tendering procedures
• Innovation partnerships
• Single supplier contracts
• Framework agreements
• Dynamic Purchasing Systems.

Discover Elite

If you want to streamline the process even further, you can sign up to Discover Elite via your chosen portal. With this service, a dedicated Account Manager will find live bids on your behalf. They’ll speak with you weekly to discuss opportunities that may interest you. This is especially helpful for those with little time to spare.

Vocal

Our support doesn’t end there! Our creative content agency, Vocal, are on hand to help.

At Vocal, we are not afraid to stand up and make ourselves heard. And we make sure our clients aren’t either! From small, micro-businesses to large organisations, we are vocal about the things that make your business unique.

Our creative service is dedicated to using striking and thought-provoking content to help to grow your business. We’ll take your bid and give it a complete makeover. With professionally designed tender documents, you’re sure to make an impression on the buyer!

Our team specialise in six areas, including:

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

If you’d like to know more about what we can do for your business, introduce yourself to the team!

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 Win more contracts with a tender consultant appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Electronic tenders have become standard practice in the procurement industry, with more buyers adopting online processes.

It is not only buyers who yield benefits from this technology, but suppliers too. This online process presents easier access to tendering opportunities and a clear, structured procedure to follow. Here we run through the e-tendering process, along with some core benefits for suppliers.

The digital transformation towards electronic tendering

As technology continues to evolve, e-tendering processes now dominate the procurement industry. With this move to online processes, the question is no longer “is e-tendering right for my company?”. Suppliers must now adapt to the digital transformation of procurement.

Software solutions are now no longer exclusive to larger, more resourceful companies. Small to Medium Enterprises are now able to access these electronic procurement solutions and reap its benefits. This transformation typically aims towards goals such as cost savings, greater efficiency, and improved strategic and competitive decision-making.

Like all digital transformations, electronic tendering also has its share of advantages and disadvantages. Despite its cons, it is rapidly taking over paper-based solutions. It is important for suppliers to not only understand the benefits this yields, but how to successfully navigate them.

The e-tendering platform

There are a number of online portals that are used for submitting your tender online. These portals provide a secure online platform that improve the speed and efficiency of submissions. Such portals include but are not limited to: ProContract (Proactis), YORtender, DELTA eSourcing, and Oracle iSupplier.

Once you are registered on one of these portals, there are multiple utilities at your disposal. You can:

• Express interest in opportunities
• Complete and submit a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ)
• Complete and submit a tender proposal
• Access the tender documents, such as the buyer’s specification
• Ask the buyer clarification questions
• Receive notifications of any changes to the tender requirements
• Upload any appendices to support your bid.

What are the key advantages for suppliers?

The electronic tendering process provides a structured approach to submitting bids. While each portal may have different formats, they often abide by a sequential process. For example, when taking you through the tendering process you will often be required to complete parts before moving on. This mitigates the potential for error, such as accidentally missing out important parts of the proposal.

Depending on the tender portal used, there are also the following structural benefits:

• Formatted text fields

Not all online portals require you to submit your bid in the form of Word documents. Portals such as ProActis provide text boxes for question responses. This removes the burden of formatting from the supplier, putting all of the focus onto the content. This also means that no bidder can be at an advantage due to unique formatting or design.

• Clarifications and post-clarifications

Electronic tendering systems have processes in place to allow both buyers and suppliers to seek clarification from each other. If a requirement in the specification is unclear, the buyer would be able to clarify this in a timely manner. Buyers often get in touch with suppliers for clarifications post-submission. This reduces the chances of the submission quality being marked down automatically due to error. Additionally, all communications are within a clear, legally binding trail.

• Easy-to-use interface

While the online procurement process can take some time to adjust to, most interfaces are user-friendly. This greatly simplifies the submission and information acquisition process for suppliers. Not only is the paper-based alternative more costly, but it is also more tedious in general. Using this interface, it is also easier to manage documents for submissions and make edits where necessary. This is something that would be far more tedious with the paper-based option!

• Fool-proofing

As touched upon previously, the e-tendering process is usually fool-proofed to reduce error. This is achieved by dividing the proposal up into mandatory sections, requiring you to complete each section. Using an e-tendering portal also means that it is much easier to pick up where you left off. This is typically done with a completion tracker or visual cues indicating which fields still require responses.

8 tips for submitting electronic tenders

Electronic tendering improves access to opportunities with a structured format. However, it is still worth noting these e-tendering tips:

1. Don’t wait too long to submit clarifications

There is typically a deadline for submitting clarifications to the buyer before the official submission deadline. By getting your clarifications resolved early, the sooner you can submit your bid. You should aim to be clear about which part of the tender you are referring to. Taking too long to seek clarifications also means there is less time to make the amendments in question. It would be ideal to get these sooner rather than later.

2. Try not to submit your tender at the last minute

Leaving the submission of your bid to the last minute can run you into problems. If there is something wrong with the portal or the submission, you may not have time to resolve this. It is always good to submit the tender a decent length of time before the deadline. When it comes to the submission, if you do run into problems, it is important to evidence this. This can be done in the form of screenshots relayed to the buyer or portal administrator. It might also be worth submitting different parts of the tender when they are completed – instead of in one go.

3. Don’t forget your login details

While it may be obvious, losing access to your account can cause you to miss looming deadlines. Some electronic tendering systems will put a lock on your account after too many incorrect attempts. If you anticipate going on leave, it would also be worth passing these details over to colleagues. Losing access to your portal account would also mean any opportunities curated need to be found again. Avoid the unnecessary stress by keeping your login details handy!

4. Monitor your system notifications

Online portals will send you system notifications for various reasons. You will receive notifications when clarifications are responded to, or the buyer has relayed an update. You will also receive responses to clarifications made by other bidders for fairness reasons. It is important to keep on top of these so you don’t miss any crucial information. If you miss a notification about amendments to specification criteria, you may then be at risk of rejection.

5. Check grammar before you submit

Consider drafting your responses up in MS Word before pasting them into the text boxes. This yields the advantage of a visible word count, and a spellchecker. This will also ensure you have access to your proposal drafts should a problem occur with the portal. Have a look at our Tender VLE video for information on the editing process and proofreading tips!

6. Be careful of timeouts

Most electronic tendering systems have an automatic timeout system. This logs the user out after a period of inactivity (typically 10-20 minutes). While many portals have an auto-save feature, you should ensure your progress is saved before leaving it for this long.

7. Double-check portal submissions

Before you click that “submit response” button, it is definitely worth checking over your response to ensure accuracy. It may also be worth handing over to another team member to check over with a fresh pair of eyes. This reduces the chances of something being missed or completed incorrectly. Take note of the submission requirements in line with the documents you have attached. If something is out of line with the specified requirements, this can result in automatic rejection.

8. Opt-in to notifications for relevant opportunities

Many online tender portals boast a feature that automatically presents you with opportunities in your industry of choice. This is typically based on inaccurate CPV codes, and it is not always sector-specific. If you’d like more help finding tenders that are right for you, get in touch with the Hudson Discover Team.

Developing technologies in e-tendering

At Hudson Outsourcing, our goal is to help every business we engage with grow. We aim to propagate this by using innovative procurement technologies and smarter methods of working.

Currently in development is our Procure Smart software. This is a prospective technology and compliance solution that uses Artificial Intelligence to bolster procurement efficiency. Procure Smart will use this AI to not only improve the procurement process, but keep in adherence with regulations. The end-goal is to equalise the procurement process and make it more accessible for both suppliers and commissioners.

Need help with electronic tendering?

Many of the mentioned tender portals can be difficult to understand at first. It can take some time to get used navigating them comfortably without detrimental mistakes.

For help and support with the electronic tendering process and writing persuasive bids, contact our Bid Writers at Hudson Succeed.

We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – they can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

• Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. They’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

• Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. The Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.

• Tender Ready

During the Tender Ready service, our team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, we will review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. This service also helps businesses who are new to tendering with terminology and industry knowledge.

• Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch 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 8 Tips for Submitting Electronic Tenders appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Are you ready to tender for work? Do you know how to choose the most suitable bids for your business? Are you prepared to make your bid or no bid decisions effectively?

If you aren’t quite there yet, then you’ve come to the right place! In this blog, we’ll help you get ready to tender for contracts. Keep reading to find out more…

How to choose tenders for your business

1. Have you got enough experience?

When you’re deciding whether to tender for work or not, you need to look at your experience. Usually, the buyer will expect to see at least two to three case studies from the past five years.

These should be similar in size, scope and complexity to the bid you’re going for. You need to show the buyer that you’re the most suitable business to deliver their contract. For example, if you’re bidding for commercial cleaning tenders, don’t include evidence of your landscaping experience.

2. Do you meet the financial standing?

Another thing that you should consider when getting ready to tender is your financial standing. Do you meet the financial standing required to bid for the contract?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t bid for contracts that are worth more than 50% of your annual turnover. So, for example, if your annual turnover is £200k, don’t bid for contracts worth more than £100k. This is to ensure that you actually have the capabilities to deliver the work successfully.

3. Do you offer something unique in the market?

Before you tender for work, you should consider your company’s unique selling points (USPs). Do you offer something unique in the market? Are you offering a service that your competitors aren’t?

By doing this, you will greatly help your business get ready to tender. It will help you find business opportunities that you’re suitable for, particularly ones that will help you stand out.

4. Will the project help you meet your business goals?

Does the workload fit in with your long-term strategy? For example, are you planning to expand and, if so, will this project help you do that?

To make this process easier, you should carefully assess the tender documents and the work involved. Will completing the work help you reach your business goals? Where will your company be after completing the work? After asking yourself these questions, you can decide whether or not to tender for the work.

5. Will you need to outsource any work?

Another thing that you should consider is whether or not you’ll need to outsource any work. If the answer is ‘yes’, then how much will you need to outsource?

Generally, outsourcing over 50% of the work will require more explanation in your tender response. While your business can still tender for contracts successfully, the buyer will want to know more. For example, why should they choose your business over prime deliverers?

6. Can you actually deliver the work on paper?

Look at your team’s CVs. Are they able to deliver the work on paper?

This is a crucial step when deciding whether or not to tender for work. As well as everything else, the buyer will be expecting to see your qualifications and accreditations on paper. So, when you’re getting ready to tender, you need to make sure that your CVs are up to scratch.

Make sure that all of the relevant experience, qualifications and accreditations are evidenced in your CVs. It’s also a good idea to make sure that each CV is company-branded and follows the same format.

7. Is it financially viable for your business?

Simply put, will you be making a profit by completing the work? If you aren’t making a profit, then is it worth it? What will you be gaining from the project?

The tendering process can be time-consuming and, as a result, crafting a tender response can be expensive. Therefore, it’s important that you consider this before proceeding with a bid response. The last thing you want is to spend your time and resources on a bid that won’t benefit your business.

8. Do you have time to tender?

As we’ve already established, tendering for work can be incredibly time-consuming. However, there’s more than that. Should you be awarded the tender, you’ll be entering an agreement with the buyer that is contractually binding.

So, before you proceed with a bid, make sure you have enough time to complete the work. If you don’t, find another opportunity for your business.

9. Would you choose yourself for the work?

Finally, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Would you choose yourself to deliver the work over your competitors?

Try to think about it objectively. If you wouldn’t award yourself the contract, why not? What improvements could you make? These are all questions you can ask yourself to ensure you’re ready to tender for the right projects.

In summary

Remember, when you’re getting ready to tender for work, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you got enough experience to deliver the project?
• Do you meet the required financial standing?
• Can you offer something unique in the market?
• Will the project help you meet your business goals?
• Do you need to outsource any work?
• Can you actually deliver the work on paper?
• Is it financially viable for your business?
• Do you have time to tender?
• Would you choose yourself for the work?

How Hudson Succeed can help 

Still have questions? Why not call our Bid Writing Consultants? We’re always happy to help!

We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – we can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

• Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. We’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

• Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. Our Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.

• Tender Ready

During the Tender Ready service, our team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, we will review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. This service also helps businesses who are new to tendering with terminology and industry knowledge.

• Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Need help searching for tenders?

Now it’s time to find a contract opportunity for your company!

You may be wondering where you can find a tender 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.

Our sister company, Hudson Discover, has 11 sector-specific tendering portals.  One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

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.

 A subscription to one of our industry-specific portals will include:

• Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See the hundreds of opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised and easily accessible.
• A daily email bulletin. When you sign up to a portal, you’ll receive an email alert when new tenders are uploaded.
• A dedicated Account Manager. They’ll handle any questions or queries you may have about the portal.
• A free 20-minutes phone consultation with a Bid Writer. Our expert bid consultants will chat with you about anything tender related.

What opportunities can I expect from a tender search on a Hudson Discover portal?

We host all kinds of tenders in both the public and private sectors. These are inclusive of, but aren’t limited to:

• Open tenders
• Restricted procedure tenders
• Competitive dialogues
• Negotiated tendering procedures
• Innovation partnerships
• Single supplier contracts
• Framework agreements
• Dynamic Purchasing Systems.

Vocal

Our support doesn’t end there! Our creative content agency, Vocal, are on hand to help.

The Vocal Team are not afraid to stand up and be heard. And we make sure our clients aren’t either! From small, micro businesses to large organisations, we are vocal about the things that make your business unique.

Our creative service is dedicated to growing your business through striking and thought-provoking content. We’ll take your bid and give it a complete makeover. With professionally designed tender documents, you’re sure to make an impression on the buyer!

Our team specialise in six areas, including:

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

If you’d like to know more about what we can do for your business, introduce yourself to the team!

Contact us to find out more!

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 Get Ready to Tender: Is the Bid Right for You? appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Have you come across the term ‘selective tendering’ when bidding for contracts, but are unsure what it actually means? Luckily for you, our Bid Writing Consultants are on hand to help!

In this blog, we’ll help you get to the bottom of selective tendering. You’ll be ready to tender for contracts for your business in no time. Keep reading to find out more!

What is selective tendering?

So, let’s dive right in – what is selective tendering?

Selective tendering is sometimes referred to as restricted tendering.

With this tendering procedure, only suppliers that have been invited by the buyer can tender for the contract. Typically, buyers will select suppliers that are known for being suitable for a contract. For example, the buyer will ensure that the chosen suppliers have experience with contracts of the same size and complexity.

Once the buyer has determined a list of suppliers, the selective tendering process can begin. The buyer will start the process by asking the suppliers if they’d be interested in tendering for the work. Depending on the response they receive at this stage, the buyer will then invite a number of suppliers to tender. The exact number will differ from contract to contract, but this is generally no more than six.

The chosen suppliers are then asked to submit a tender response, outlining their suitability for the contract.

Why do buyers choose selective tendering?

There are several reasons why a buyer might use selective tendering to find a supplier for their contract.

Most buyers choose this method of procurement if the contract at hand requires specialist or complex services. Especially if there are limited suppliers that are able to deliver the work. Instead of searching through unsuitable suppliers, the buyer can quickly identify prospective companies that are capable of completing the project.

Are there any downsides?

Selective tendering can offer many advantages to buyers and suppliers alike, but are there any downsides to this procurement method?

In some cases, selective tendering can exclude or discourage smaller suppliers from tendering for work. This is because buyers are likely to choose suppliers that have a track record of success or relevant case studies.

It could also reduce the potential for innovation, as suppliers are unable to present new ideas to the buyer.

What are the other types of tendering?

Now you know about selective tendering. Are there other types of tendering procedures out there?

• Open tendering

Open tendering is arguably one of the most common types of tendering procedures. Unlike selective tendering, all suppliers are invited to submit a tender to try and secure the contract.

This method usually begins with an invitation to tender (ITT) notice being published on a tendering portal. In some cases, the buyer might ask for suppliers to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire (PPQ) or selection questionnaire (SQ) first.

• Negotiated tendering

With negotiated tendering, the buyer might approach a single supplier about a tender. This is usually based on a previous relationship or the supplier’s track record.

Like with selective tendering, buyers might choose this method of procurement if their contract involved specialist works or services.

• Framework agreements

When a buyer establishes a framework agreement, they usually invite suppliers to join the framework over a period of time. This can range from months to several years, and can be extended to meet the demands of the project.

This method of procurement is generally used when the suppliers are required on a continuous basis.

In summary

So, now you know all about selective tendering and what it can mean for your business. Remember, with selective tendering, the buyer chooses and invites a number of suppliers to tender for the contract.

This method can be used for many reasons. However, it is generally used when there are limited suppliers available or when the project involves specialist works or services.

While there are many benefits on offer, selective tendering might appear exclusive to certain suppliers, especially SMEs. This is because they might not have the same track record as larger suppliers or relevant case studies to offer.

Finally, it’s important to know and understand the different procurement methods out there. After all, when you’re tendering for work, you’re likely to encounter more than just selective tendering!

When trying to secure contracts for your business, you could come across open tendering, negotiated tendering, framework agreements and more. Each method comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. Buyers will use different methods to suit their needs, the needs of the project, and the suppliers available to them.

How Hudson Succeed can help

Still have questions about selective tendering? Why not consider our bid management consultancy services? We’re always happy to help!

We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – we can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

• Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. We’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

• Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. Our Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.

• Tender Ready

During the Tender Ready service, our team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, we will review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. This service also helps businesses who are new to tendering with terminology and industry knowledge.

• Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Need help searching for tenders?

Now you know about the different tendering procedures, it’s time to find a contract opportunity for your company.

You may be wondering where you can find a tender 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.

Our sister company, Hudson Discover, has 11 sector-specific tendering portals.  One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

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.

A subscription to one of our industry-specific portals will include:

• Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See the hundreds of opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised and easily accessible.
• A daily email bulletin. When you sign up to a portal, you’ll receive an email alert when new tenders are uploaded.
• A dedicated Account Manager. They’ll handle any questions or queries you may have about the portal.
• A free 20-minutes phone consultation with a Bid Writer. Our expert bid consultants will chat with you about anything tender related.

What opportunities can I expect from a tender search on a Hudson Discover portal?

We host all kinds of tenders in both the public and private sectors. These are inclusive of, but aren’t limited to:

• Open tenders
• Restricted procedure tenders
• Competitive dialogues
• Negotiated tendering procedures
• Innovation partnerships
• Single supplier contracts
• Framework agreements
• Dynamic Purchasing Systems.

Vocal

Our support doesn’t end there! Our creative content agency, Vocal, are on hand to help.

The Vocal Team are not afraid to stand up and be heard. And we make sure our clients aren’t either! From small, micro businesses to large organisations, we are vocal about the things that make your business unique.

Our creative service is dedicated to growing your business through striking and thought-provoking content. We’ll take your bid and give it a complete makeover. With professionally designed tender documents, you’re sure to make an impression on the buyer!

Our team specialise in six areas, including:

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

If you’d like to know more about what we can do for your business, introduce yourself to the team!

Contact us to find out more!

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 What is Selective Tendering? appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Dec 17, 2021 @ 9:44 am

You may be wondering how to respond to government contracts for bid, and you wouldn’t be the only one. The public sector spends roughly £290 billion annually through public procurement. From schools to hospitals, and from universities to the police force there are plenty of opportunities to tender. It’s not surprising that as an SME you’re wanting to get in on the action.

However, if you’re new to the game, government contracts up for bid can be a confusing field to navigate. Luckily for you, we’ve contained some helpful tips on how to succeed. We’ll also detail where you can find government contracts for bid.

Advantages of tendering for government contracts

There are many advantages when responding to government contracts for bid. If you’re unsure about whether it’s worth investing the time and effort, here are some points to consider:

• Guaranteed pay

One of the most significant advantages of securing a government contract for bid is you are guaranteed payment. This is because the public sector is bound by rules and regulations to ensure a fair and transparent procurement process.

Upon winning a contract, you are guaranteed payment within 60 days of invoicing. This is because the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has to comply with the Prompt Payment Code. This can give suppliers piece of mind when tendering for work in the public sector. The same can’t be said for tendering for the private sector. This is because they aren’t bound by the same rule and regulations.

• Secure a pipeline of work for your business

Responding to government contracts for bid can help you secure a pipeline of work for your business. Particularly if you secure a place on a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) or framework agreement. A benefit of this is that they can run for years at a time with the possibility of extensions. It’s not unheard of some DPS’ running for 10+ years. These are two types of tender processes that are frequently used by public sector organisation. They are especially used within construction and healthcare.

• Gain experience

Having a bank of experience is essential in order to secure government contracts for bid. This is because the buyer will usually ask you to prove 2 – 3 case studies of previous contracts you’ve fulfilled. They should be similar in scope and complexity to the contract you’re going for. The more case studies and experience you have, the bigger contracts you can go for. The bigger contracts you can go for, the more your business will grow. Securing a place on a DPS or framework for a government contract is a great place to start.

• A third of all contracts must be awarded to SMEs

The government has a target to spend £1 in £3 with smaller businesses. This means they’re actively looking to award 23% of all government contracts for bid with SMEs. You may have thought that only bigger businesses could secure government contracts, but you’d be wrong. The government wants to invest in SMEs and secure a more local supply chain that can be relied upon.

Where to find government contracts up for bid

So, now you know some of the advantages of tendering for contracts. You now may be wondering where you can find them. There’s no shortage of websites offering multi-sector opportunities and lead. Ideally, you should be searching for a sector-specific portal.

If you’re just relying on CPV codes, you could be missing out on up to the third of relevant opportunities. This is because CPV codes are often mislabelled. Our sister company, Hudson Discover, hosts 11 sector-specific tendering portals. You are able to filter the search results by keyword, budget, location and more. This streamlines the process, making it easier to find government contracts for bid.

These sectors consist of;

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

3 Tips for winning government contracts for bid 

So, now you know where to find government contracts for bid and the advantages of securing one. Now, you might be wondering how to win a tender:

1. Make it easy to read

Put yourself in the buyer shoes, if you have 50 tender responses to read through which would you favour: the one that’s clearly laid out and broken into subheadings with bullet points? Or a 30-page document of block text?

I think we can agree that you’d pick the nicely formatted, clearly laid out response. When writing bids clearly formatting your response will earn you bonus points with the reviewer. Break the question down into subheadings. This can allow you to ensure that you’ve answered every aspect of the question. Including bullet points can allow you to include more points without going over the word count.

An example question may state: “Please provide your strategy for sourcing and recruiting subcontractors and for ensuring that you can effectively monitor, measure, and exercise executive control.”

For this, you would break the question down and respond by providing your strategy for:

• Sourcing subcontractors
• Recruiting subcontractors
• Ensuring effective monitoring
• Ensuring effective measuring
• Exercising executive control

2. Stick to the word count

Word, page, or character counts are there for a reason. It levels out the playing field to all competitors. It also demonstrates the level of detail the buyer wants you to go into. If they are expecting a 1,000-word response, simply putting a couple of bullet points won’t suffice. They are there for a reason and it’s best to try and get as close to them as possible. Going over will not reflect well on you as you will be ignoring instructions.

3. Avoid rambling and overly technical jargon

A strong response to government contracts for bid will avoid rambling and overly technical jargon. You shouldn’t assume that the buyer knows anything. Leaving room for assumptions and lead to the wrong assumptions being made. This could jeopardise your response as a buyer may not understand what you’re talking about leading to a misunderstanding. However, you should be persuasive in your bid response, demonstrating your business’ capabilities.

Need assistance with writing your next government contract bid response?

It can be daunting applying for government contracts; however, we can help. We understand that writing isn’t everyone’s strong suit. But this doesn’t mean you should miss out on work because of it.

Here at Hudson Succeed, we pride ourselves on being bid writing experts. We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and proudly hold an 87% success rate for our clients. We have four bid writing support packages to suit your needs. Whether you’re completely new to tendering, or simply need a response proofread – we can help. 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 own 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.

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 a contract.

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 Healthcare and Technology, 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 Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager with a minimum of 5 years of experience. It will also be managed by our Global Bid Director.

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 How to Respond to Government Contracts for Bid appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Jul 11, 2022 @ 2:39 pm

Bid services offered by Hudson Succeed maintain many positive outputs for small businesses who are finding their feet when tendering. Tendering for small businesses can often be difficult and time-consuming, especially when you are first establishing yourself as a business. Responding to tenders can be an extremely beneficial avenue for growth for small businesses, and, if tackled strategically, can help you secure much-needed contracts to propel your business further. The government is currently seeking to provide 25% of public sector procurement spends to SMEs. As such, SMEs are given a real chance at winning business. Whether your tendering strategy involves outsourcing to external tender consultants (who offer a range of bid services) or working on your strategy internally, here at Hudson, we are on hand to provide you with that much-needed advice to hit the ground running in tendering. Below are some tips and advice on how your business can get started in the world of tendering and how our bid services can benefit you.

Define your specialities

Before branching out and exploring new areas of work, it is vital as a small business to establish what areas you specialise in.

What experience you have and evidence you can provide to back up what you are saying is also essential to achieving high marks when tendering. Buyers ultimately look for experience, and if you cannot provide this, you may well be wasting your time.

For example

Let’s say you are a company who specialises in tree surgery. You have experience providing tree surgery and can speak about your experience in detail and evidence where you have provided benefits for previous customers.

Now there may be a tender that comes up for landscaping to public gardens. Although the two services largely fall under the category of grounds maintenance, if you have only delivered one in the past, tendering for a contract to solely provide landscaping without the necessary previous experience is not a great idea.

Pretty much every tender you go for (especially in the public sector) will request that you display evidence of previous experience, of which 90% of the time will be in the form of three previous case studies. Spending time and effort developing responses to a tender without providing three relevant case studies can mean your tendering efforts go to waste.

Using bid services like ours will provide your company with bespoke opportunity tracking that helps you refine and streamline your tender approach. We take the headache out of sourcing opportunities for you through our dedicated tracking service and can provide you with daily opportunities that are suitable for you.

Spending precious business time sourcing opportunities and even developing responses to those that are not right for you is the time that can be spent focusing on other much-needed aspects of your company. Our bespoke bid services allow you to focus your precious time on your business’ fundamentals.

Company literature

Company literature can be key when tendering. Many buyers will request that you submit specific policies with your responses and if you fail to do so, this can mean you fall at the first hurdle when tendering.

Company literature consists of things like policies, case studies, CVs and organograms, and can be key in evidencing to buyers that you have in place what they are looking for.

Having as many of these in place before tackling tenders can mean that you do not waste time developing content only for it to be ignored as you do not have the necessary policy in place.

For example, whilst all companies should have a Health and Safety policy that is compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, in some sectors, this will be a mandatory requirement to include in your tender responses. For example, if you operate in sectors like construction where you and your staff frequently operate large machinery, a detailed Health and Safety policy should be something which is highly developed and a failure to display this will be extremely off-putting to buyers and will result in your tender response being excluded from further evaluation.

Here at Hudson Succeed, we provide bid services that help you organise your company literature and get you in the best possible position to begin tendering. Our Tender Ready service is used by many SMEs nationally as an affordable, convenient method of ensuring policies, case studies and company statements are in place. If you would like to know more about this beneficial bid service, Tender Ready, then click here.

Research

Conducting thorough research before responding to tendering can be crucial in seeing success and outshining competitors.

One way of evidencing that you have conducted thorough research is through mirroring the goals and aims of the buyer you are submitting a response to. For example, is this buyer a council? If so, have a look at their aims and strategies for the following year. Look at their environmental and social aims. Look at what it is that they are looking for in a buyer, even if this is not specifically stated.

Take this information and think to yourself, ‘How can I evidence my capability of delivering to this, or better, going above and beyond their expectations?’. Through evidencing this kind of willingness in your responses, you can make a positive impact to the buyer and will display that you are the kind of organisation that they would want to work with.

For example

Let’s say you are given a question regarding what social benefits you will bring to the agreement. It will be worthwhile carrying out research regarding Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) that are local to the area with which you are tendering for work in, ensuring your response mirrors the aims and strategies which are laid out.

Now we understand that this may be something which your company may not have time to do. With this in mind, we offer a wide array of bid services which help you in conducting the necessary research so that your responses are as detailed and informative as possible.

As we know, signing up to retained, ongoing agreements can be difficult for smaller businesses looking to tender, that’s why we provide ad-hoc Tender Writing services, of which gives you the possibility to tender without breaking the bank. Our bid services can be entirely bespoke to you and your needs, and our expert Tender Writers will work alongside your organisation to ensure that your responses go above and beyond the buyer’s expectations.

Further support

We at Hudson feel passionate about driving growth for SMEs through making public sector tendering more accessible. That is why we offer a wide range of bid services at varying costs, ranging from ad-hoc bid services, right the way up to monthly retained bid services.

Our Bid Writers can help you when tendering for contracts. They can advise you on writing winning bids and give you more information about the tendering process in general.

Not only this, but we have provided the world’s first free online virtual learning environment for all things tendering, Tender VLE. This provides free and accessible tips for business of all sizes on how to tackle the world of tendering, anytime, anywhere. Finally, should you require any further information regarding all things tendering, then our Tender Consultants are on hand to provide you with expert advice regarding all things tender related. Click here to get in touch.

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 Tendering Advice for Small Businesses appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Feb 20, 2023 @ 11:56 am

Preparation of tender documents can often be difficult and time-consuming, even for those with years of experience in tender preparation and Bid Management. Commonly, people believe that bid writing is a skill that can be picked up by anyone who can write and string words together nicely. Although this is a key element, tender preparation takes an element of planning and diligence that flair with words must be partnered with. Below are steps you can take to ensure expert preparation of your tender documents to produce a winning bid.

Step 1: Development of Content

• Anyone who has worked on large tenders knows the feeling of staring down a tender which has 20 questions with a 1,000-word limit each. Wondering where to begin is something we have all experienced and managing this alongside busy schedules and workloads can be difficult for any business looking to grow.
• Not only this, but writing may not be your speciality. Let’s say you are a cleaning company, your approach to working may often be hands-on. Perhaps this means that words may not just naturally flow when it comes to writing your approaches.
• The best piece of advice when it comes to the preparation of tender documents is to plan. Breaking down large tenders and tackling them bits at a time can be the best way to effectively prepare your tender documents.
• The art of delegation can be key when tackling large pieces of work.
• For example, your business may be tendering for the development of a website. The tender may be broken into sections whereby it asks for your approach to back-end development followed by front-end. Now for those who don’t understand what this means, front-end development consists of the user-facing side of a website, so comprises of things like user interface and customer interaction. Back-end refers to the stuff that users don’t see when they visit a website. Think of it more like the engine of a car, it is what powers the website but is not directly visible to the public. Here, it will be key to get your experts in front-end development to work on this content and your experts in back-end development to handle the back-end development stuff. Sounds easy enough, but having this planned out and in place before you begin, can make the whole tender preparation process much easier.

Step 2: Formatting 

• Although this sounds fairly obvious, many people overlook this when preparing tenders and lose marks and generally put off buyers.
• What must be considered when preparing tenders is time to go over your documentation and ensure consistency and alignment throughout. More information can be found in our interview with our Head of Creative, Kathryn Johansen.
• For example, let’s say you are a construction company that specialises in project management and surveying. The tenders you create are likely to be long, and complex and include many different elements. Many tenders we have developed in the past have been in excess of 30,000 words. This is something that cannot simply be skimmed over in half an hour!
• Take your time, triple-check everything and most importantly, have someone else check your work. Even the most experienced and skilled bid writers have their off days and when developing large pieces of work, it is easy to become attached and fail to view it from an objective standpoint.
• Remember, consistency is key.

Step 3: Case studies

• Evidence is always vital in tendering, especially when you are submitting responses for technical work.
• For example, if you are an engineering company that specialises in the structural engineering of bridges, then it will be key that you have at least three well-developed and detailed case studies when tendering for contracts of this nature.
• Developing detailed case studies involves teamwork, especially when it comes down to technical work that involved multiple elements of your organisation working together.
• The successful preparation of tender documents will involve working together to ensure that case studies are well-developed and in place.
• You are submitting a response to a buyer looking for a specific requirement fulfilling; hence, you must display your previous ability.
• Having detailed and developed case studies in place will help ensure future tender preparations run smoothly and is a worthwhile task for any business moving forward. 

Step 4: Boilerplate responses

• What a lot of businesses overlook when tendering is forward planning. Preparing for tenders doesn’t always have to be in the moment.
• It may have been a few months and the right tender just may not have appeared. A lot of things play a factor in whether you can go for a tender: costing, location, turnover, and accreditations. These factors can dictate whether or not the tender is for you.
• However, that is not to say the right one won’t come up in the future. Let’s say you specialise in events management for the creative industry, but the right one doesn’t quite seem to be appearing.
• If you know which area it is you specialise in, then researching previous tender advertisements and looking at what general responses could be developed will help you prepare for that all-important tender.
• Look for trends in previous tenders, look for what is commonly asked for and develop content around this. For example, we know from our experience that questions on social value, quality management, environmental management and added value are common topics.
• Developing boilerplate responses which can be adapted and modified to buyers’ specific requirements can help take the stress away from preparing tenders — making the process much smoother.
• Everyone experiences peaks and troughs in workloads. Much like London buses, many may come when you least expect it and this may be when your business is experiencing a peak in workloads. If this is the case, you will be thankful that you prepared accordingly!

Step 5: Design  

• What often gets overlooked when preparing tender documents is design work.
• Competitors will often be designing their work and the key to standing out is having well-designed responses.
• For example, if you are a creative company who are responding to a tender for content development for a website, the buyer will be looking for a creative and attractive response. Essentially, they want a taste of your company’s ability to meet their demands.
• Your response will get overlooked if you submit a blank, non-designed response.
• Factoring in design work when responding to tenders can be essential to seeing success, particularly if the buyer is looking for a creative solution to their requirement.
• However, what is key here is working out whether or not design work is acceptable. Many buyers will stipulate a format that you must adhere to — failing to follow this can harm your tender response!

In Conclusion

Ultimately, preparing tender documents can be time-consuming and difficult. However, fortune always favours the prepared. So, ensuring you have as much in place as possible is key to seeing success when tendering!

Further Support

Here at Hudson, we have 50 years’ collective experience in tender preparation and our bid consultants team has created responses across multiple different sectors.

We offer a service called Tender Ready. The Tender Ready programme will ensure that you are thoroughly prepared to tender and go into the tendering process in an advantageous position. Over four weeks, we work with your team to develop and brand your policies, procedures and case studies into a ready-to-go bank of content. However, the support doesn’t stop there! We can also write your first bid, utilising your new content, once the programme is complete.

For any advice, assistance or tips regarding all things tendering, click here to get in touch with our Tender Consultants team today. Not only this, but we have developed the UK’s first free virtual learning environment for all things tendering, Tender VLE, provides companies with hints and tips for achieving success in tendering.

Look out for new masterclasses from Kathryn Johansen, detailing everything you need to know about ensuring your response stands out.

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 5 Steps to Expert Tender Preparation – Preparation of Tender Documents appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Dec 17, 2021 @ 11:58 am

Tendering is a proactive way to grow your business, but how should you source tender opportunities that are right for your business?

There are hundreds of buildings owned by the public sector nationally. The public sector relies on private sector companies like yours to provide facilities management services to maintain these properties.

Public sector organisations are turning to the use of Frameworks to secure contractors to provide these services. Often this is through preferred supplier lists.

Focus on Facilities Management 

Taking Facilities Management as an example, recent research across the UK shows that since 2015:

• Over 400 Facilities Management frameworks were created
• More than 250 buyers were involved
• Not one company is named on more than 30 of these frameworks

What this means is that there are multiple opportunities being missed by every facilities management company.

So how do you stop missing these tender opportunities?

With such a wide range of public sector opportunities available across the UK, companies need a better way of targeting these opportunities.

That’s where Hudson comes in. We have a range of 10 sector-specific portals which tailor contract opportunities to your business and bring you relevant tenders on a daily basis. Our Hudson Discover strand helps businesses access the right tendering opportunities for them and their specific offering.

Case in point, let’s stick with the Facilities Management company. If that was your company, and you were to use Hudson Discover’s Facilities Tender portal; you would have access to over 400 tenders right now.

That’s over 400 opportunities to engage with and deliver new clients and drive your business growth.

How does Hudson’s service mean an end to missed tender opportunities?

The team here at Hudson scrape hundreds of websites, portals and social media daily to source opportunities for our clients. Each opportunity found it checked and collated into the appropriate portals. We then match our clients with the found opportunities, sense checking against their criteria such as:

• Financial thresholds
• Regions of interest
• Technical capabilities
• Scope of works
• Framework or Spot bid
• Buyer profiles

Clock’s ticking…

2018 saw over 120 Facilities Management framework opportunities created by clients hungry to get the best service possible. So ask yourself:

• How many of these were you successful in winning?
• How many of these opportunities did you submit a tender for?
• How many of these opportunities did you even know about?

And one final question to consider… Did you know that there has been over 20 Framework opportunities published in 2019 so far?

Hudson knew; that meant our customers knew.

Geography 

We appreciate that if you’re an SME based in the North East, for example, you might not be in a position to tender for all the opportunities available nationally. We agree that tendering for a facilities management Framework in London is always going to be a long-shot, and at Hudson, we have those sensible discussions with our clients.

However, do not be put off by your size, business reach and tendering opportunities. If we stick with the Framework example, research conducted by independent procurement companies in 2019 shows that nationally, 250 buyers have tendered for Frameworks since 2015. This breaks down into the following geographies:

• London – 39 buyers
• South East – 13 buyers
• South West – 16 buyers
• West Midlands – 20 buyers
• East of England – 13 buyers
• East Midlands – 14 buyers
• Wales – 13 buyers
• Yorkshire and the Humber – 22 buyers
• North West – 41 buyers
• North East – 16 buyers
• Northern Ireland – 11 buyers

And

• Scotland – 32 buyers

So what this means for you, wherever you are reading this blog, is that there are opportunities out there, on your doorstep, for you to win!

Greed is NOT a sin in procurement

You might be thinking that if your Facilities Management company hasn’t secured a place on a Framework yet then you’ll never muscle in on them when the opportunities are released. You may worry that your competitors have more experience and will snap up Framework contracts above you.

Worry not.

It is a fact that only 1%  of the 2626 Facilities Management companies in the UK (in 2019) have secured multiple contracts of over 10 framework places. In fact, the vast majority of FM companies (nearly 70%) have secured only 1 contract.

This links me back to my earlier point. There is so much public sector money being missed by companies like yours.

There is nothing stopping companies tendering for and winning multiple framework contract opportunities nationally. In fact, it is a great way of building steady company growth.

The team at Hudson Succeed have nearly 40 years tendering experience, and in that time, we’ve seen several iterations of the same Frameworks open, close and be awarded. We’ve worked with the same companies over this time and have seen them grow. From having no tendering experience we’ve helped them win multiple contracts across several regions, growing to accommodate their ever-increasing reputation.

The cherry on top of the Fat Facilities Management Framework pie

If you’re still reading this, you’re interested in knowing more. Well, there’s one more piece of information you need to know about Facilities Management Frameworks…

In 2020, there are at least 70 facility management framework opportunities available. Either currently open or with contracts expiring this year, buyers are busy this year procuring companies just like yours to provide FM services.

Can you afford to miss a piece of that pie?

Still not convinced?

Maybe you’re not sure about how to go about tendering for upcoming opportunities, or maybe you just don’t have the time.

Get in touch with the team at Hudson Succeed bid management today and we will have a sensible, open discussion on how we can best help your company. We have a range of services tailored to suit you, whatever stage you’re at with tendering.

Whether you’re an experienced company that just don’t have the time to tender for that perfect opportunity; our Tender Writing Service can help

Or if you’ve never heard of Frameworks and tendering before, but it all sounds like a great business opportunity (it is!) – our Tender Ready service would be perfect for you.

Maybe you’ve tried tendering before, won a few bids, lost a few bids and are fed up of repeating the tender process with marginal results. Our Bid Writers can help.

Our Tender Mentor and Tender Improvement services offer you a way to get the best results from the opportunities you know are out there…being missed.

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 Are You Missing New Business Opportunities? appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Business in the UK currently has an uncertain future.

With the demise of construction giants like Carillion and Interserve teetering on the point of administration, it seems no-one can guarantee their future.

So why would a company invite more risk than is necessary by tendering for work?

The simple answer is that it is good business.

This blog explains how UK tender opportunities are designed to minimise risk and are therefore a great way to start tendering for business.

Money

UK Governments spend billions of pounds per year buying goods and services from large and small private sector businesses. Whatever goods you sell, or service you provide, there are tendering opportunities available to you.

Even better – buyers are actively searching for you to give you work. (Through a competitive tendering process, of course!)

So when it comes down to it, with all that opportunity out there…can you afford not to tender for work?

Still not convinced? 

Well, maybe this will help; the Government is committed to delivering a third of all public procurement spending to small and medium companies by 2022.

That’s £1 in every £3 going to small companies through direct and indirect procurement.

To put it another way…your competitors are bidding for work, and they’re winning it!

Working for the Government

Tendering for business is honestly not as scary as you might think.

The Government is a great client to work for. They are constantly providing tendering opportunities for businesses like yours no matter what business you do.

As an added bonus their payment terms are often more flexible and accommodating for small businesses. As of 2015, the Government mandates that companies within its supply chain must pay contractors and sub-contractors within 30 days.

Governments also regulate themselves to ensure this, making public their payment rates four times per year.

This ethical business practice means less risk to you throughout the contract.

 So how can SMEs bid for, and win tendering opportunities?

Tendering for business is a lot more simple than it used to be thanks to the Public Contracts Regulations which came into effect in February 2015.

This means two things:

• The changes enable buyers to run tender opportunities faster, with less red tape, and with a greater focus on getting the right company and best tender in accordance with sound commercial practice.
• The buyer must follow the procedures laid down in the Public Contracts Regulations before awarding a contract to suppliers when they are tendering for a contract to provide supplies, services or works for government departments or bodies.

Both of these are great for you because:

• It means there are more tender opportunities available more of the time.
• Every tender has to be unbiased, which means a fair fight across quality and price tender assessments.
• The tender process is similar no matter which governmental client you bid for. This means that once you know how it works, you can tender for business across every government department, body and business area.

Finding tenders

Having plenty of tender opportunities out there is a great thing.

You can search for public tenders using the Contract Finder service on the central Government’s website. However, Hudson appreciates that sometimes finding the right tender for your business can feel like a waste of time.

We offer ways to avoid that hassle.

Hudson has a range of tender databases designed to support small and medium businesses to start the tendering process. We help you achieve business growth and begin to tender.

We have ten sector-specific tender databases which our expert team manually update daily with new opportunities to ensure you can find the right tender to drive your business growth. These are:

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

Applying for government tenders

Making the decision to tender can lead to securing business growth, and this is good news for your company. But it does mean you’re going up against other companies.

To give your business the best chance of winning every time you tender, here are a few tips:

Sign up to receive regular tender opportunities.

It can be hugely disappointing to hear your competitors have secured a contract you could have tendered for; if you were aware it was available.

Understand the tender terminology

Knowing the tendering language can help you develop your skills, and Hudson’s expertise is available to help you understand what the different tender documents are for, and what buyers are expecting.

Get Tender Ready

Creating your own collection of tender documents will help your business get ready for tendering in the future.

Hudson Succeed’s Tender Ready service is designed to help businesses understand how to tender for public and private tender opportunities.

We can create a suite of documents for your business to build your tendering ability and increase your success rate.

Develop your writing ability

Writing bids can be a daunting experience. There are word limits, page limits, attachments and declarations to consider as part of each tender.

But don’t worry, there are ways to practice, learn and develop your tendering skills.

Hudson are the first company to offer a completely free to use resource dedicated to developing your skills. We launched Tender VLE to offer FREE high-quality video resources at a range of levels to support your ability.

Don’t be afraid of tendering, embrace the potential for growth it offers.

Invest in long term growth

One mistake that SMEs make is thinking short term. Making the decision to tender is not a short term commitment.

It can take weeks to write a tender, months to get the contract, and years to deliver the works and see benefits.

If you decide to tender for opportunities you need to make it a core part of your business plan in the long term and commit resources to make the most out of it.

Don’t give up

In truth, you will more than likely not succeed at your first tendering attempt. Do not give up!

Ask for feedback from every tender you submit. Clients will be happy to provide this to help you improve.

Hudson can also help you tender successfully. Our range of support will help you build on unsuccessful bids:

So there you have it, a whole host of reasons why your business should tender.

Support

If you are considering tendering for opportunities, or feel you need some support or more information about the tender processes and how to write winning bids, contact our Tender Writing Consultants for specialist advice and remember to visit our free virtual learning environment, Tender VLE.

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 Should Your Business Tender for Work? appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Dec 17, 2021 @ 12:21 pm

Tendering often comes with many different acronyms and terminologies that can often be difficult to understand when new to tendering. Click here for our Tender VLE video on terminology. Buyers can often request that suppliers provide their tender submission in many different formats. RF stands for ‘request for’, and forms part of many different types of proposals. Now, this may seem confusing but understanding the basics before you tackle buyer’s requests will allow you to become a successful RFI, RFQ or RFP writer.

Below is a guide to requests and how your business can tackle them effectively.

Requests for information (RFI):

A request for information, or commonly shortened to RFI, usually consists of a document which is sent out by buyers to gather information from potential suppliers. This also shares the name of ‘Soft Market Testing’. This is usually sent out in the early stages and allows buyers to gather a pool of information regarding supplier capability to better refine the buying/procurement process. Think of it like the buyer having a need, and you, as the supplier, are helping define that need further.

Some examples of requests for information and how they may apply to your industry are as follows:

Technology

• A buyer will often have a need, and usually, given that they are tendering for external help, they may not fully know the approach they are wanting to take. For example, we often come across a buyer wanting software solutions to deal with internal problems.
• A buyer may be looking for software to help them keep track of their customers and supply chains. In becoming a successful RFI writer you must showcase that you have a definitive solution to a problem or need that the buyer has.
• A way of approaching this will be to showcase past experience. For example, how you have previously provided solutions to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the transferable skills that can be brought over to this project.

FIND TECHNOLOGY TENDERS

Construction

• Large scale construction projects are often costly, complex and time-consuming. For this reason, RFIs are not uncommon.
• Buyers will often have an idea in their head but will require further technical clarification.
• For example, let’s say you are submitting an RFI for project management on a construction site. Due to the multiple different teams needed in large-scale construction projects, buyers may be looking for information on your proposed team and how you will bring the team together and successfully manage it.
• This may involve the buyer streamlining the team they need for the project, allowing them to build a more definitive specification.

FIND CONSTRUCTION TENDERS

Facilities  

• This could be an RFI for a cleaning contract. Often times buyers may have a particular issue to their property but without a specific approach of what it is they are needing.
• For example, a buyer may require external cleaning with elements of grounds maintenance, but they are not quite sure what type of contractor they would require for this.
• Responding to an RFI like this will form part of the buyer understanding further what types of suppliers they will need, allowing them to develop a more detailed specification.

FIND FACILITIES TENDERS

 Responding to RFIs can be an important part of getting your foot in the ladder and shaping the tender process. This is not to be overlooked and becoming a successful RFI writer is about showing you have definitive approaches to buyer’s solutions.

Requests for quotations (RFQs):

Request for quotations (RFQs) are a way for businesses and organisations to ask suppliers to provide them with a quote. This quote may consist of how much a particular item will cost, which may be a particular service, project or product. Buyers will usually provide a list of products or services they require costing for, and suppliers must respond accordingly. Examples of RFQs and how they may relate to your specific industries are listed below:

 Logistics

• You may be a haulage company who collect and deliver timber. Buyers may be looking for how much you would charge per weight of product and distance of delivery.
• Or, you might be a removals company and you may be asked to cost for a total number of moves over a certain period. For example, you might be asked to cost for 300 furniture removals from offices over 3 years, and the price you provide must be an offer reflecting the buyer’s requests. 

FIND LOGISTICS TENDERS

Hospitality 

• Catering can be big here. As well as showcasing your ability to provide good quality products, you may be specifically asked about costs.
• For example, let’s say you are a catering company and a School is looking for a new company to provide their services, costing of bulk products will play a large factor here.
• Buyers may ask you for your costing of breakfast and lunch items over a certain period and will play an important part in you being considered as a supplier.

FIND HOSPITALITY TENDERS

Requests for proposals (RFPs):

Request for proposals (RFPs) can often be much larger and complex than RFIs and RFQs. RFPs usually encompass the entirety of the project and companies will be required to complete often long and complex answers, so becoming a successful RFP writer can often be challenging.

Requests will often include a statement of work including the tasks to be performed, along with a specified timescale for completion. This may include a specific format that the buyer is looking for and you must ensure you understand the buying organisation and reflect this in your proposal.

Examples of RFPs and how they may relate to your industry are located below:

Creative

• The buyer may be looking for website design, providing you with a particular theme and areas that they are looking to enhance and focus on.
• You may be provided timescales and formatting that they are looking for your proposal to take.
• For example, you may be required to complete quality questions which outline your approach to things like quality management, your team’s expertise and reducing your carbon footprint.
  As well as this, you may be required to submit a ten-page document which is designed and showcases your proposal for the contract, outlining how each element will be designed and created.
• It is key in becoming a successful RFP writer that you ensure all elements of what the buyer is looking for are covered and that you provide a well-designed and clear proposal, especially in the creative sector.

FIND CREATIVE TENDERS

Construction

• You might be an Architectural firm submitting a response to the design of a hospital.
• In this, the buyer will likely have a firm idea of the remits of the design and will be looking for a proposal that combines both creative elements with technical expertise and regulatory adherence.
• It will be likely that the buyer will ask for a designed proposal of your ideas for the design of the building, backed up by quality responses explaining your approach.
• Having success as an RFP writer involves striking the balance between both creative and design elements of your project and your ability to explain these in clear language.
• Remember, although you are experts in your field and it is often difficult to not use industry-specific and expert language, the person evaluating your response might not have the knowledge to understand what you are saying.

To conclude, becoming a successful RFI, RFQ or RFP writer can be a difficult process when you are new to tendering for contracts. Understanding the basics as outlined above will allow you to understand what type of approach you should take when submitting responses to buyers. This can help you write a winning bid.

For further information, head on over to our Tender VLE platform, the first of its kind to provide expert hints and tips regarding all things tendering. We also have an internal team of Bid Writers who can provide expert assistance and help with any tender related queries. Click here for further information.

Searching for new tendering opportunities? Discover our ten sector-specific portals HERE.

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 RFP Writer – RFPs, RFQs and RFIs – A guide to requests appeared first on Tender Consultants.