Are you wondering what PQQ tenders are? Perhaps you want to know how to complete them, or who can support you through the process. Luckily, Hudson Succeed are here to help you.

We have over 60 years of experience in tendering and procurement and an 87% success rate. So, we are confident in our ability to help those with questions about bidding. We cover everything from writing tenders, the stages of tendering, and more in-depth information such as the advantages of tendering.

What are PQQ tenders?

For those who are unsure, let’s cover what a PQQ tender is. A PQQ tender is a bid that includes a PQQ as the first stage of the tendering process. A PQQ stands for Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. Before a buyer invites businesses to tender, they will send out a PQQ. This is a way of getting general information from potential suppliers and seeing which ones are suitable.

You may be surprised at how many businesses tender for a contract they cannot actually deliver. This is usually because they do not read the buyer’s documents thoroughly. The PQQ stage essentially filters through suppliers to get rid of the ones that are not suitable.

Not all tenders will have this stage, it all comes down to the buyer’s preference. However, it is common as it is such a good way of narrowing down suppliers. It makes the job easier for the buyer too as they won’t have to review proposals from those suppliers.

How can Bid Writers help with PQQ tenders?

Many business owners may not feel confident in their abilities, or, understandably, they simply don’t have the time. If you need someone else to complete your PQQ tender, you can turn to a technical Bid Writer.

Professional Bid Writers are experts at what they do, so they know what it takes to succeed. There are certain skills that are essential for writing winning bids. Those tendering for work with little to no experience are unlikely to succeed without training.

Some businesses may choose to hire an in-house Bid Writer if they plan to tender for work frequently. One issue with hiring an in-house Bid Writer is that it can cost more money and resources. If you aren’t planning on using this Writer frequently, you’ll likely be losing out.

Outsourcing Bid Management Consultancy can take the stress out of the entire process. All they will need from you will be some basic information about your business and they can handle the rest.

What skills do Bid Writers have?

So, as we established in the section above, Bid Writers can be a benefit to your business. They can take the stress out of the entire process so you can continue with your usual responsibilities. However, you may be wondering what skills they have that makes them so well suited to handle your PQQ tender.

1.     Bid management skills

As experts in their chosen field, they know how to conduct efficient bid management. This involves breaking down the tender documents and managing the workload. It is essential for success as it keeps everything organised. Bid Writers make notes of all the important information, particularly dates, to ensure work is done with time to spare.

2.     Expert writing and communication skills

As you may have guessed, Bid Writers have excellent writing and communication skills. They execute these skills when producing PQQ tenders. They know exactly how to appeal to the reader and persuade them that your company should be awarded the contract.

They also make sure the PQQ tender proposal has been proofread for mistakes. The buyer will not be impressed if they spot errors in your proposal. It gives the impression you are not thorough with your work. So, this can make them question whether they should trust you with their project.

Summary

So, by now you should know all about PQQ tenders. Let’s recap everything we covered so nothing is forgotten.

What are PQQ tenders?

A PQQ (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) is often the first stage of tendering. Buyers frequently choose to hold PQQs as a way of narrowing down suppliers. It helps them shive out the suppliers that are not suitable for the contract.

How can Bid Writers help with PQQ tenders?

Bid Writers can help you with your PQQ tender writing as they are experts. They know what is expected and can take the stress out of your hands. You can continue with your usual responsibilities whilst they handle the tender.

What skills do Bid Writers have?

1. Bid management skills
2. Expert writing and communication skills.

They can use these skills, amongst many more, to produce winning tender responses for your business. Trusting the experts who have years of experience is often the best option.

If you still have questions about PQQ tenders, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to help!

Need help searching for tenders?

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.

Now you know how to accurately perform a tender search, you may be wondering how to write a bid. Our Bid Writers 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. 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.

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. 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 today 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 PQQ Tenders: What Are They and How Can Bid Writers Help? appeared first on Tender Consultants.

If you’re tendering for contracts, you most likely have come across PQQs. You may be wondering what they are and what’s required. You can find them in both private and public sector procurement.

What are PQQs?

PQQs are pre-qualification questionnaires. They are most commonly used as an initial stage of qualification assessment for tendering. It is mostly a box-ticking exercise to ensure you meet the minimum eligibility criteria for a contract.

PQQs are now also known as SQs (selection questionnaires). This is a more updated system introduced by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS).

They cover the status of your business, including relevant policies and procedures, finances and quality control measures. Essentially, PQQs are used to ensure that you’re capable of delivering and compliance with specific regulations.

What is the difference between PQQs and SQs?

There are only a few differences between PQQs and SQs. Mainly that the exclusion grounds in the modernised selection questionnaire relates to the latest version of Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

When are PQQs likely to be used?

PQQs are often used when a buyer is procuring more complex goods. This is because buyers need to be sure prospective suppliers are qualified to deliver the contract. In order to do this, they set initial qualification questions to establish they meet the minimum eligibility criteria. PQQs are used for two-stage restricted tendering procedures.

Restricted procurement procedure

A restricted procedure, sometimes called selective tendering, may be used if a buyer is procuring more complex commodities. They want to create a shortlist of potential suppliers to ensure they can deliver the contract. Their capabilities will be assessed. The process typically looks like this:

The PQQ process

PQQs are released and interested, and prospective suppliers can complete them. At this stage, anyone can fill out the questionnaire.

Once the buyer has assessed the questionnaire responses, they’ll shortlist eligible businesses for the contract. These companies would then receive their invitation to tender (ITT) documents.

Next, the suppliers would complete their tender responses on how they plan to deliver the contract. They would complete the quality sections and price their services or goods.

The buyer will then evaluate the ITT responses and award the contract to the most suitable buyer. If you’re bidding for public sector contracts, the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) would win. The same can’t be said for private contracts as they can be awarded however the buyer likes, be it on price or quality.

What can I expect from a PQQ?

You can expect to detail the following information when completing a PQQ:

• Company information

This includes your registration and VAT number, company address and contact information.

• Economic and financial standing

In the economic and financial standing section, you will be assessed on three things. They are annual turnover, financial ratios and insurance.

• Legal compliance

• Modern slavery

• Equality and diversity

• Health and safety regulations

A buyer will want to be assured that you operate to the highest health and safety authority. This could include Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

• Environmental standards 

• Project-specific questions
• Quality management systems

These could be quality management systems such as ISO 9001, for example.

• Relevant policies and procedures

• Staff and subcontract information (if applicable)
• Any grounds for mandatory exemption

A simple yes/no response to various statements.

• Case studies/testimonials

It’s likely that you will need to submit two or three case studies when compiling your response for PQQs. These need to be relevant and similar in scope and complexity to the contracts you’re applying for. Buyers often ask for case studies that have been completed within the last three to five years.

Sometimes you can be asked to include testimonials from previous clients. Bear in mind that you’ll likely need to include their contact information. This is because buyers want to ensure that you’re telling the truth and not fabricating any information.

What sectors use PQQs?

Most sectors use either PQQs or SQs, this includes facilities, logistics and technology. Below are a couple of examples that use a similar PQQ-style system:

PAS91

The construction sector also uses PQQs, however, they are known as PAS91s. It was developed by the British Standard Institute to save construction companies from filling out multiple PQQs. Although it’s slightly longer than a PQQ or SQ, it has the same mentality. Once you’ve completed it, you no longer have to complete core sections if you have certain accreditations. You are also able to develop a standardised response to the standardised questions which saves you time.

PCS-Tenders

Another system that uses a type of PQQ is PCS-Tenders. PCS-Tenders is a type of eTendering system used by the Scottish Government. PCS stands for Public Contracts Scotland. One of the main advantages of this is that there are standardised SPD (Single Procurement Document) templates. Buyers can use standardised ITT templates allowing buyers to create consistent tender documentation.

Suppliers can then complete their profile on the system allowing them to answer these questions ahead of time. They then don’t need to complete it every time when bidding for a new contract. They simply need to update it as time goes on. This, again, saves them time when it comes to the procurement process.

Where can I find contracts for my business?

Our sister company, Hudson Discover, hosts 11 sector-specific tendering portals. You’re able to filter the search results by location, keyword, budget and more. This helps you find the perfect bid for your business – streamlining the process and saving you time.

Our portals cover the following industries:

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

What makes Hudson Discover different?

We don’t use unreliable CPV codes to track opportunities. Our Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload unique, public and private sector opportunities. You can find them on one centralised and easy-to-navigate portal. This can save you a lot of time when search for new business contract opportunities, streamlining the process.

Need assistance with your next PQQ?

Although you’re a bit more familiar with what’s required, you might still be looking for some support with PQQs. Writing isn’t everyone’s strong suit and that’s ok. Outsourcing to bid writing specialists can help you secure that next contract and grow your business.

Here at Hudson Succeed, we pride ourselves on being bid writing experts. We 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. You may not need the whole bid written for you; you may simply need it proofread before you submit. We can help with that.

Our services

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. They can also help you better understand the tendering process. 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.

Additional support

If you only need the assistance with PQQs or SQs we can help. Send the information over to us and we can provide you with a quote for the work involved.

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 What are PQQs? appeared first on Tender Consultants.

[Last modified; July 2021]

Pre-qualification questionnaires for subcontractors will be issued if the contract allows for subcontracting. Especially with larger projects, buyers will permit the main supplier to recruit smaller businesses for support. This is different from a framework as the main contractor themselves are in charge of enlisting the subcontractors.

In this blog, we highlight how pre-qualification questionnaires for subcontractors work, depending on which side of the table you’re sitting.

Subcontracting work on your contract 

Let’s start by looking at the PQQ process for the supplier who will be the main contractor. A business will be eligible to respond to this size of tender if meet certain criteria. These conditions could include:

• Meeting a financial threshold

With larger contracts, buyers will often require that participating suppliers meet their financial threshold. This could be referred to as your economic and financial standing. You can predict whether or not you meet the threshold. As a general rule, you probably won’t be eligible for contracts with a value of more than half your turnover.

• Demonstrating relevant experience

You wouldn’t apply for a job that you don’t have any experience in. Tendering for contracts is the same. Buyers want to see how you have delivered similar contracts and overcame challenges. Typically, most buyers will ask to see at least three recent, relevant contract examples when writing bids. Therefore, preparing case studies in advance is recommended.

Case studies should:

• Be relevant
• Demonstrate how you mobilised and delivered the contract
• Detail your experience of a project of a similar scale and scope
• Note whether you completed the contract on time and within budget
• Include challenges you encountered and overcame, demonstrating flexibility and problem-solving skills.

Depending on the word count, you could include positive testimonials from previous satisfied clients. Some buyers may require concrete evidence of past works. These could include before, during and after photos of work that you have carried out on past contracts. It’s best to keep documentation while carrying out work for clients. These can help you save time when it comes to your tender response. They can help you stand out from your competitors, giving the contractor confidence in your experience.

• Providing evidence of accreditations and qualifications

In order to win a large contract with subcontracting opportunities, it’s likely that buyers will require relevant qualifications and accreditations. When it comes to tendering for work, you’re essentially selling your services. Treat this like any other sales pitch and fill it with facts and evidence that distinguishes you from the rest.

Qualifications and accreditations that may be relevant include:

• ISO 9001; 14001
• OHSAS 18001
• SMAS
• CIS
• Managing Contractors.

Keeping up to date with Health and Safety

Health and safety are important aspects of any contracting work. Contractors want to be reassured that your business upholds best practice when it comes to health and safety. They want to ensure that both employees and members of the public will be safe while fulfilling contracts.

You will likely be asked to supply a copy of your health and safety policy. It should comply with the current legislations and be up to date. Benefits of this include:

• Increasing staff morale and leadership within the workplace
• Lower insurance costs
• Overall reduction of health and safety risks and incidents on a daily basis 
• Improved staff confidence and retention in the organisation
• Developing an organisation’s culture centred around health and safety.

Relevant health and safety management systems, policies and regulations could include:

• ISO 45001
• RIDDOR
• SafeContractor
• CHAS
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1975
• Constructionline
• CDM Regulations 2015.

There could be additional criteria that you need to meet but the above represents the most common requirements.

When completing pre-qualification questionnaires for subcontractors, the buyer will be looking for information such as:

• How you recruit and select your subcontractors.
• What you look for and require from them.
• How you ensure that they adhere to your company’s policies and procedures.
• How you check that their declarations are accurate.
• The KPIs you set to ensure high-quality performance from your subcontractors and how you collect this information.
• What is the penalty if your standards are not met?

Having control over your subcontracting procedures is already part of some ISO standards such as Investors in People. If you are already ISO accredited in this way, make sure you quote this information in the PQQ.

Failure to complete the pre-qualification questionnaires for subcontractors, if you plan to use them, could result in penalties later on. You could also risk failing the PQQ stage. The buyer could assume that you intend to deliver the contract alone. If they can’t see supporting evidence indicating that you are capable of this, you could be disqualified.

Traditionally, there are three main types of subcontractor:

1. Domestic subcontractor – appointed and selected by the main contractor.
2. Named subcontractor – selected from a list of acceptable subcontractors provided by the client.
3. Nominated subcontractor – selected by the client to carry out an element of the works.

Subcontracting for the main contractor

Subcontracting on the main contract is an effective way for smaller businesses to grow and gain experience. If your business is too small or new to deliver a contract alone, subcontracting can open doors to tendering.

If you have already agreed to subcontract for the main contractor, you should be prepared to answer some questions. The main contractor will need to provide the required information to ensure they meet the criteria.

Although you are not completing the PQQ yourself, you should respond with the information they require as quickly as possible. By providing the details, you can help them win the contract. If they win, by default, they share their success with you and carry you into new marketplaces.

A few more ways to build your experience as a small business include:

• Applying for places on a framework agreement.
• In the healthcare industry, spot provider frameworks are a good way for new businesses to leverage themselves into tendering.
• Applying to provide goods or services through a dynamic purchasing system (DPS). 

Passing the PQQ stage

In the public sector, most buyers will use a prequalifying stage in order to shortlist suppliers. In construction, this could be referred to as a PAS91.

Most PQQs will be tick-box exercises but don’t get complacent. You are selling your services at every stage of the tendering process and the PQQ is just as important. Failing to pass this stage will end your tendering journey. The only way to gain access to the invitation to tender (ITT) is by impressing the buyer with your PQQ.

In order to be successful, you should ensure that:

• You have fully read all the text. Sometimes questions can be embedded into the text and you don’t want to submit an incomplete response.
• You are adding value. Where more text is allowed, give your answer the edge by adding value to your response. Try and offer that little bit more to really impress the buyer.
• Your organisation is represented in the best light. Remember, this is likely to be your first impression on the buyer. Ensure that the required information is provided and that your answers are coherent and professional.

If you have everything in order internally, the PQQ should be a straightforward process. But sometimes, the issue isn’t the questions, it’s the time it takes to respond.  

Need help with a PQQ?  

If your business is struggling to respond to PQQs due to time constraints or internal resources, Hudson Succeed can help. Our team of expert Bid Writers have over 40 years’ experience with completing pre-qualification questionnaires for subcontractors and assisting with the tendering process. 

Simply upload your PQQ documents for a free quote.

What happens after the PQQ?

After successfully completing the pre-qualification questionnaires for subcontractors and being accepted, you will be issued with an ITT. This is called a ‘closed tender’ as the buyer has shortlisted the suppliers of interest. If successful at this stage, you will win the contract and the subcontracting process can begin. (It’s important to note that not every tender will require a PQQ. Some buyers will jump straight to the ITT stage. This is called an ‘open tender’.)

The ITT contains the questions you must respond to. The number of types of questions will vary from tender to tender as each contract will have different requirements.

Sometimes, draft ITTs are provided alongside pre-qualification questionnaires to give you an indication of the specified requirements.

Usually, in the public sector, the ITT documents will provide you with:

• A cover letter (or ITT letter).
• A scope of procurement detailing the exact requirements and the important contract dates.

Now, it’s time to respond. When writing a bid, your goal is to persuade the buyer that you are the best choice. Our top three tips for successful bid writing are:

1. Break down the questions

Don’t just rush in and start responding to the questions. It’s likely that your answers will be unstructured and unclear. Make lists as you review the ITT documents and detail which sections need completing. You should also note if you will require any information from other departments or members of your team.

Then, break down the quality questions. Plan how you’re going to respond and structure your answers. The most important thing is to answer the question in detail. If the word count is 500 words, use them all, as long as the content is directly answering the specification.

2. Demonstrate your capabilities

Use hard evidence to demonstrate to the buyer why you are the most suitable supplier. This can be done through relevant case studies, accreditations, qualifications and awards. You are trying to make a compelling argument, therefore, the more facts and evidence, the better.

3. Be prepared for social value questions

Starting this year (2021), government bodies will be placing at least a 10% weighting on your social value responses. In most public sector tenders, social value has always been a factor. The authorities want to see how your organisation positively impacts the wider community, not just their contract.

Now, they have gone a step further. In order to ensure the taxpayer’s money goes further, they are specifically assessing these sections. The buyer wants to see how your company will/is contributing to the Covid-19 recovery. For example, are you hiring local employees to contribute to the economic recovery of your community? Are you creating jobs in your local area?

Other factors such as environmental considerations will also be assessed. Consider how you can shine here. Has your company recently gone paperless? Do you place specific emphasis on using green energy? Do you reward employees through a cycle or walk to work scheme?

Can anyone help with your ITT? ­

Many companies do not have internal bid writing teams. This means that time and resources can prevent them from reactively tendering as they would like to.

Our team at Hudson Succeed offer four levels of bid writing services:

1. An ad-hoc Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect tender for your business, why not send it our way? Our Bid Writers can take care of it all for you. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf.

2. A Tender Readyprogramme

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

• A 12-month subscription to one of our Hudson Discover portals.
• Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
• An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CV’s and 8 policies.
• Additional flexible benefit options.

3. The Tender Improvementpackage

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing the results you want, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to a Discover portal of your choice and additional tendering development services.

4. A Tender Mentor service

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

The team proudly holds an 87% success rate, so you can be sure that your bid is in safe hands. Get in touch for a free quote.

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 A Guide to Pre-Qualification Questionnaires for Subcontractors appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Dec 17, 2021 @ 11:16 am

Understanding the differences between stage 1 and stage 2 tender evaluation criteria is a key part of being successful in tendering for contracts.

Fortunately, the PQQ and tender documents should include information on how the buyer will assess your submissions. (If this information is not released by the buyer – ask for it through a clarification, it is a key piece of information you need to tender well).

To understand how the tender evaluation criteria changes between PQQ and subsequent stages, let’s break each stage down…

The PQQ

The PQQ is an initial evaluation by the client to make sure you can deliver the works, before inviting you to tender at stage two.

To complete this evaluation, the client will assess a range of information you must provide and/or confirm, including:

• Administrative Information (e.g. Insurance levels)
• Economic and Financial Standing (e.g. your company turnover levels)
• Equal Opportunities
• Environmental commitments
• Health and Safety procedures
• Quality Assurance processes
• Technical Capabilities
• Customer Care standards
• Service Levels
• References

Each of these criteria will be evaluated according to how important they are to the buyer:

Pass / Fail

This is used by the client to check you meet a minimum standard. Examples include having relevant accreditations e.g. ISO 9001 Quality standards.

It is normal for Pass/Fail evaluations to also be assessed through self-certification by companies completing the PQQ.

Self-Certification

PQQs contain something called Mandatory and Discretionary Exclusions. This is where you will self-certify that your company meets certain requirements ensuring you can deliver the contract.

This usually includes evaluation of your company and personal track record across a number of factors:

• Participation in a criminal organisation
• Corruption
• Fraud
• Terrorist Offences
• Breach of environmental obligations
• Money Laundering
• Child Labour or any other form of trafficking
• Breach of tax obligations
• Bankruptcy or insolvency
• Breach of labour law obligations
• Misconduct
• Entering into agreements to distort competition
• Breach of social obligations
• Conflicts of Interest/Participation in the procurement process
• Misrepresentation and/or influencing procurement decisions

Weighted Scoring

Sometimes the client will score your response to specific questions at the PQQ stage. This will be bespoke to the client and their needs and will change from one PQQ to the next.

This can be influenced by past experiences of the buyer and/or give an indication of their priorities for the contract.

For example, Council X has recently implemented a new green procurement policy. They are likely to place extra importance on your environmental policy and waste and recycling procedures. Council Y might be all about social inclusion, so they’re more concerned about how you will employ local people. Council Z might have had their fingers burnt by a company going bust on them mid-contract, so will attach more importance – and weighting – to your evidence of financial stability and sustainability.

Evaluation Criteria

PQQs will provide a guide or an explanation of how they are marked. For example:

“Section 2 – Grounds for mandatory exclusion

You will be excluded from the procurement process if there is evidence of convictions relating to specific criminal offences including, but not limited to, bribery, corruption, conspiracy, terrorism, fraud and money laundering, or if you have been the subject of a binding legal decision which found a breach of legal obligations to pay tax or social security obligations (except where this is disproportionate e.g. only minor amounts involved).

If you have answered “yes” to question 2.2 on the non-payment of taxes or social security contributions, and have not paid or entered into a binding arrangement to pay the full amount, you may still avoid exclusion if only minor tax or social security contributions are unpaid or if you have not yet had time to fulfil your obligations since learning of the exact amount due.  If your organisation is in that position please provide details using a separate Appendix. You may contact the authority for advice before completing this form.”

The ITT

It is important to remember that if your PQQ submission passes the evaluation criteria and you get shortlisted to ITT; the client believes you are capable of delivering the works.

The ITT stage is your chance to demonstrate how you will deliver them.

Every buyer organisation is different and their requirements will change from tender to tender. To fully prepare yourself you need to understand the tender evaluation methods and criteria the buyer will use to evaluate your bid.

Tenders tend to be evaluated upon a mix of price and quality. This is known as the Most Economically Advantageous Tender – MEAT. For more information, check out our Tender VLE video here:  Sourcing the MEAT.

When considering the Price and Quality submissions:

1. Price is your charge for providing the works/service/goods
2. Quality relates to your written response to information questions.

Depending on the client’s priorities, they will give evaluation weightings to both the price submission and the quality response. This too will vary from tender to tender.

Below is an example of tender evaluation criteria:

Top Tip: If you don’t get this breakdown as part of the tender documents, ALWAYS ask for it. It is not an unreasonable request to make and it’s really helpful to guide your response.

An ITT may give you the option to carry out site visits if tendering for large-scale public-sector contracts. They are often used within the Construction, Logistics and Facilities Industries. Site visits can have numerous benefits for your tender response.

It’s an obvious analogy: The bigger tenders are – the more effort that is required from both the supplier and buyer. We’ve been to hundreds of site visits and buyer presentations to know that this is a crucial part of tenders and how they are developed.

Buyer presentations are delivered usually halfway through the Tender exercise. They provide all tenderers and suppliers with the opportunity to get to know the buyer’s environment and culture. They can also provide a more detailed outlook on the requirements at hand.

The buyer invites all suppliers to a site visit, which may include a group tour or a group presentation. This is to provide suppliers with a better opportunity to comprehend what’s expected of them during delivery and with developing their tender response.

3 ways site visits can benefit you

We’ve provided our top 3 benefits in attending a buyer presentation or site visit:

1. Gain new information –sometimes it takes more than a specification document to truly understand what’s expected – especially in a large, multi-million-pound contract that spans multiple regions. As you can expect, with undergoing these types of visits, online clarification questions are often decreased as all aspects will be clarified on the day. Yes – the buyer should make this public to all tenderers, but we’ve found that you’ll tend to grasp more out of the day rather than on a paper-reflected document. Whole conversations aren’t recorded and provided, so there will always be something (possibly crucial) that may be missed on paper, but clear on the day.
2. Introduce yourself –  getting your face in front of the buyer(s) allows you to introduce yourself to them. It also allows you to display strong professionalism, knowledge and decorum. This will stick in their minds. If you send your administrator on the day who’s clueless about your operations – and this is clearly projected – the buyer will consider your organisation less committed to the project. You don’t want to be remembered for that. Choose your most knowledgeable staff to attend who you know will act professionally. They can then come back with a steered view of how better to develop your tender response. Hopefully, they’ll also leave a lasting impression on the buyer.

3. To stay ahead of your competitors – now we aren’t one for shaming our competitors – no matter how subtle. If you attend grouped discussions you’ll see exactly who your competition is. This provides in many ways a more competitive tender process as you should be trying to enhance your response based on advantages over your counterparts. For example: If Company X is present and they deliver a certain way – you can always state how your delivery model provides much more added value to the buyer. Don’t go naming and shaming in your response – keep it classy and always have the buyer’s needs in mind!

These are just some of the things that make attendance at a site visit crucial when developing your tender response.

Price / Quality split.

The price/quality split is the first thing to look at when you’re considering responding to a tender. How it is evaluated gives you an immediate guide to how the procurement process is being viewed by the customer. This can inform your decision to bid or not to bid.

The example above shows an evaluation ratio of Price: 30% / Quality: 70%. This means the quality of the service or product being delivered is more important than price.

If the weightings were swapped over, a price ratio of 70% means your quote should be as lean as possible.  If it is not, you don’t stand a chance of being successfully evaluated.

Price

Pricing your tender normally involves completing an Excel spreadsheet and breaking your pricing into:

• Monthly / Annual costs
• Itemised Costs per unit
• Costs Excluding VAT
• Annual Inflationary increases
• Total Cost excluding VAT

The buyer will breakdown the criteria for how your price will be evaluated. Typically the price is evaluated on the total cost. Taking the example above this means:

• Lowest price gets the maximum score i.e. the full 30% weighting.
• Highest price gets the lowest score
• Prices within these two will score relatively according to how far they are to the lowest price

To give an example using the evaluation criteria example above:

• The lowest price submitted is £100,000. This is awarded 30%
• The next price submitted is £150,000. This is awarded 20%.
• The highest price submitted is £200,000. This is awarded 15%.

Quality

Tender evaluation criteria for quality will often be split into categories (see example above). These can each have a weighting applied according to how important they are for the buyer. Sometimes each Quality evaluation category is broken down into individual weightings for each question.

In the above example, ‘Technical’ has the highest potential score. ‘Capability’ and ‘Resources’ are two questions within that section, each worth 10%. With the highest evaluation weighting, these are therefore the most important to the buyer.

Within the ITT documents, the buyer will explain how each quality response will be evaluated. It will look something like this:

Achieving top Marks

Sometimes the scores vary between 0-10 or 0-5 but there will usually be at least 5 separate marks available for each response.

The differences between the top score and the lower criteria shows you what to write to achieve each mark. In this evaluation example you need to:

• Exceed their requirements,
• Add value and
• Provide improvements through Innovation

Similarly, you can look at what to avoid doing which would result in a poor evaluation.

Many evaluation methodologies ask you to evidence your statements, backing up how you say you will deliver the contract. To be meet the high scoring criteria, having good evidence is key.

Conclusion

Using the Tender Evaluation Criteria provided by the buyer, you will have a good understanding of the tender evaluation process.  Use it to help create your tender responses for every question and you will maximise your chances of getting a high-quality score.

If you feel you need some support or more information about your PQQ or ITT response processes or how to write winning bids, contact our Bid Writers for specialist advice. Or 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 The Differences Between a PQQ and Stage 2 – Tender Evaluation Criteria appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Jan 10, 2022 @ 7:33 am

PQQ tender writing doesn’t have to be difficult. You just have to know your PQQ from your ITT, and your SQ from your GIQ. Lost yet? Don’t worry! These acronyms aren’t meaningless, we promise.

So, what are all of these?

This is the original form of the questionnaire. In 2016 an updated version of the questionnaire was created (the Selection Questionnaire/SQ) in order to accommodate the requirements of the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD).

Theoretically, when the selection questionnaire was introduced it was meant to completely replace the old PQQ. However, you can still find plenty of tenders that are using the old PQQ, so it is worth ensuring you understand the requirements.

It’s important to see this as some buyers will choose the questionnaire that is simplest or easiest for their company to use, which is why most rely on the PQQ.

ITT – Invitation to Tender

An ITT is a formal document issued by a buyer which outlines the scope of the project. This invites organisations or individuals to submit a formal tender for the work.

Usually, an ITT is preceded by a PPQ, which is a great filter to determine whether the supplier is suitable for the project.

Answering the ITT differs from PQQ tender writing as it outlines how you will commit to the project delivery. It often includes quality questions. These quality questions will ask how you carry out certain processes, all relating to the project in mind.

SQ – Selection Questionnaire  

The SQ covers the same areas as the PQQ, however, in PQQ tender writing you would have been required to submit evidence (in the form of certificates or similar) for aspects such as insurance.

In an SQ, you will be given the chance to identify that you meet the requirements. You will be asked to provide the evidence at either the ITT stage or when the contract is awarded. This is called self-certification.

In some SQs, there may be a small number of quality questions at the end of the questionnaire. Although large quality questions are usually left for the ITT, depending on the tender, there may be a few shorter questions to answer here.

GIQ – General Information Questionnaire 

Regarding the difference between the GIQ and ITT, there isn’t a lot of difference! But you may on occasion see this term used.

It is simply another version of a selection questionnaire or PQQ and will be asking for the same basic company information, self-certification and possibly some quality questions.

What’s in a PQQ?

PQQ tender writing can be broken down, as they’ll often ask for set requirements.

The procurement sector can often be a tricky environment to navigate, and processes can vary from tender to tender.

PQQs cover the status of your organisation, your finances, how you manage quality, your environmental, social and health and safety policies and case studies and testimonials. This is what you can expect to find in a PQQ.

It’s quite a varied list of things you’ll need to dig out or brush up on. Buyers will expect you to be able to provide a policy if requested.

Regarding case studies and testimonials, these are the areas where you can really show off your PQQ tender writing.

The other requirements are usually set as standard, but case studies are where you can really show your experience. This is your chance to display who you’ve worked with previously and how it was a good experience.

In a nutshell, a PQQ is a document you complete to show you are both capable of delivery and compliance with specific regulations. Once you’ve passed this point, you’ll then move onto the core part of a tender process – the Invitation to Tender (ITT).

Filling out the PQQ

PQQ tender writing can actually be quite straightforward, once you’re up to date with all the terms and the process in which you must do things! You’ll find in business, that people love to follow processes and filling out a PQQ is no different.

Writing bids should be an innovative process. Make sure you’ve read the requirements over a few times to ensure you’ve really understood what’s being asked of you.

Once you’ve done this, it’s important to plan out your delivery. If you need policies creating, make sure you’ve researched which ones would be most beneficial to your business, and ensure they are dated with the relevant year!

How to be appealing

Always remember, you’re selling your business! The answers to the questions you’ll provide to shine and stand out in the crowd.

Ensure you’ve found all the questions required in the PQQ (sometimes these are embedded into text) so make sure you read it ALL.

This will also help give you a well-rounded response, as you’ll have read all the requirements set out in the document. These documents can be quite long; however, it is in your best interest to read all the information given to you.

From here, answer the questions to the best of your ability. Perhaps there could be some added value you could add that would really give your answer the edge. You should always answer the question but always intend on giving just that little bit more to impress.

You need to answer the question, with support of how you’ve displayed work similar to this. Explain how you did 1, 2 and 3 and then also delve into how you delivered X, and additionally, Y and this meant Z.

When you’ve successfully answered the question, always remember that you must proofread your answers! Always have a good thorough check through, ensuring your grammar is in check.

A handy tip is to always give your colleague a copy to read through too, as a second pair of eyes can often spot mistakes you just haven’t seen.

PQQ basics – What you need to know

PQQ is something you’ll hear most often in the tendering and procurement world.

The term can take many forms including SQ (Selection Questionnaire), Stage 1 Tender and the recently established ESPD (European Single Procurement Document).

PQQ stands for Pre-qualification questionnaire and it does exactly what it says on the tin!

This is typically the first stage of a tender process and helps the buyer filter through organisations that are more suited to deliver upon their requirements and needs, allowing a select few to be invited to tender (ITT) and making it easier to narrow down competent suppliers. It also ensures any previous convictions or misconduct is declared as per procurement regulations.

A lot of people assume that this is the easy part of the tender process. If you have all of your business affairs in order, then you’d be right! Think of it as an application form. It doesn’t necessarily win you the contract, but it’ll get you to the next stage!

The image below represents what’s featured in a typical PQQ – where you, as the supplier, would complete all relevant fields, including basic company information and registrations etc.

The PQQ is predominantly a ‘tick-box’ exercise, where you and your organisation state compliance with key legislative requirements in order to do business.

This includes compliance with the likes of:

• Legal Compliance
• Financial Standing
• Insurance Cover
• Modern Slavery
• Equality & Diversity
• Health & Safety Regulations
• and Environmental Standards etc.

One of the most important aspects of a PQQ is your response regarding technical and professional capabilities. This is where you must list [usually 3] references/contract examples to show the buyer of your capabilities to undergo the required works based on your past experience (see extract below).

Most questions throughout a PQQ are quite clearly ‘pass and fail’. If you don’t commit to providing the correct insurance cover (for example) – you fail and that’s that!

However, the technical and professional capability is one of the few questions that is scored based on the quality of what is provided.

See our ‘Importance of Relevant Case Studies’ blog to make sure you are ahead of yourself when it comes to contract examples and case studies.

You’ll find PQQ information is quite repetitive and as long as you aren’t breaking the law in any way or have been found guilty of any misconduct, you’ll find you are answering the same information over and over. The more PQQs you complete, the easier they are to submit.

In 2017, the Crown Commercial Service wanted all procurement bodies/suppliers to stop using the typical PQQ and now use an SQ (Selection Questionnaire). This is nothing to worry be concerned about. The bulk of the PQQ questions still remain, with just a few tiny amendments, such as the inclusion of Modern Slavery compliance.

Also, due to the European Public Procurement Reform which kicked off in April 2016, one of the key elements to this was the introduction of the ESPD (European Single Procurement Document).  This is an online electronic form that any supplier can complete, download and submit as part of their bid for a growing number of public procurement agencies, both nationally and internationally.

In a nutshell, a PQQ is a document you complete to show you are both capable of delivery and compliance with specific regulations. Once you’ve passed this point. You’ll then move onto the core part of a tender process – the Invitation To Tender (ITT).

You could be asked about your GDPR policies

As I’m sure you’re well aware by now, May 25^th sees the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR for short) which will be the new term used for the storing, processing and management of personal data. Basically, DPA and confidentiality processes have a new broader term to ensure all data is withheld in the most secure ways possible. GDPR is a vital update on what you currently do – (we are assuming that what you currently do is best practice and of course abides by current DPA law).

I know what you’re thinking ‘we always operate confidentially – what’s new?’.

What’s new are the heightened processes every organisation must undergo when handling data. With GDPR, there are more serious consequences if you are found to be using data incorrectly and with the majority of our subscribed clients on our various platforms all handling customer and/or public data in some form or another- it’s vital to understand the key points to this national legislation change and ensure this is adhered to fully.

Some of the key aspects your company must focus on is ensuring that all data is identified and assessed in line with new and specific protocols, processes are structured, data is mapped and constantly improved upon, as well as being stored electronically and in traditional filing systems.

With implementing data governance best practices, you’ll not only comply with the GDPR but you’ll now be able to create more business value with confidence and ensure success when contracting with future parties.

We have now found many public sector tenders and private tenders are increasingly asking suppliers if they are GDPR compliant via the multiple processes above. Such questions have become apparent in a recent public tender within the creative sector (for e.g.):

• Please confirm that you are GDPR compliant (detail relevant technical & organisational security measures)?
• Are you maintaining Data Processing Records?
• Do your standard contract terms include the new GDPR mandatory provisions?
• Do you have a documented Breach Notification Process? Etc.

To maximise your scores, you would need to answer more than a simple YES!

Please see ICO’s brochure which provides further helpful information on preparing for and applying GDPR principles in your organisation[s].

We encourage all clients to take this information provided and use it to ensure any future tendering efforts aren’t spread thin merely by the lack of compliance against GDPR. Going forward, it is becoming quite clear that GDPR may soon become part of the normal questions asked in PQQs and ITTs.

Hudson Succeed is dedicated to you!

Need further support with your PQQs? Get in touch now with our Hudson Succeed team here!

We can help you through the process of PPQ tender writing with ease.

We have a fully dedicated team of bid professionals waiting to engage with new clients and get started writing new bids.

If you’re too busy to think about the PPQ tender writing process but want to ensure tendering is a route your business ventures down, then we can remove the worry and stress.

Tender Writing

PPQ tender writing can be tough, which is one of the reasons our Tender Writing service can be of help to your business.

Our Tender Writing service is for businesses who either:

• Don’t know how to tender
• Don’t have any writing capabilities in house
• Need support to cover sick leave or maternity cover.

This service is priced per bid, meaning we can provide a full breakdown.  You’ll know exactly how long it will take and what information you’ll need to provide us with.

With us, you’ll always see an initial and final draft. We maintain an 87% success rate with winning bids for clients, so we’re a perfect choice for your PPQ tender writing services.

What else can we offer you?

We have many services dedicated to providing exactly what you need for your business. Our services are tailored to business development, ensuring your tender needs are assessed and met no matter where you are. and

For further support, take a look at our services to learn more about how our Bid Writers can support your tendering for contracts.

Alternatively, visit Tender VLE and learn more and the tendering process.

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 PQQ Tender Writing – How to complete a PQQ – Pre-Qualification Questionnaire appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Last updated: Jun 7, 2022 @ 12:20 pm

The procurement sector is often an obscure place to navigate, with conflicting processes that can vary from tender to tender.

They are much more common in public sector procurement, but they can be used to check supplier suitability within private sector tendering too.

The pre-qualification (or selection) stage serves to determine who meets the suitability criteria and can be considered for the tender stage.

This will always, regardless of the type of questionnaire, include basic information about your company and, if applicable, parent companies and/or subcontractors you would be planning to use.

If you pass the pre-qualification/selection stage, then you will be ‘Invited to Tender’ (ITT).

There are three types of ‘pre-qualification’ or ‘selection’ that you can confidently expect to encounter during the bid process.

SQ (Selection Questionnaire)

As mentioned above, this was introduced by the CCS (Crown Commercial Service) in 2016 with the intention of completely replacing the PQQ.

There are only a few differences between the updated SQ and the older PQQ, namely that the exclusion grounds in the modernised selection questionnaire correlate to those in the latest version of Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and in the ESPD.

This also correlates with exclusion concerning the Modern Slavery Act 2015, where appropriate.

The SQ covers the same areas as the PQQ, but whereas in a PQQ you would have been required to submit evidence (in the form of certificates or similar) for aspects such as insurance, in an SQ you will be given the chance to ‘self-certify’ that you meet the requirements.

You will be asked to provide the evidence at either the ITT stage or in lieu of the contract award.

Commonly in SQs, there will be a small number of quality questions at the end of the questionnaire.

It is uncommon for SQs to have a substantial quality response element, but it is dependent on the individual contracting authority and the size of the tender.

Large tenders with multiple Lots may have a large SQ with multiple quality questions before the ITT.

PQQ (Pre-Qualification Questionnaire)

This is the old form of the questionnaire. In 2016 an updated version of the questionnaire was created (the Selection Questionnaire/SQ) in order to accommodate the requirements of the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD), which is detailed below.

Theoretically, when the selection questionnaire was introduced it was meant to completely replace the old PQQ.

However, you can still find plenty of tenders that are using the old PQQ, so it is worth ensuring you understand the requirements.

The PQQ covers the following aspects:

• Status – the full details on your organisation, including everything from your companies registration and VAT number to any lists of sub-contractors and supply agreements in the business. This is where the PQQ explores your structure and competency.
• Finances – you will be asked to provide evidence of your cash flow and consequently, accounts (audited, abridged or other) are often used as proof. You may also need to provide your insurance certificates.
• Quality – you must be able to demonstrate that you have adequate quality management systems in place that will ensure you fulfil the contract. The best response is to show you have a quality management system in place, such as ISO 9001.
• Environmental policy – many tenderers have a commitment to reducing their environmental impact and will be looking to work with suppliers that are able to share this responsibility. Again, having an environmental management policy in place such as ISO 14001 will strengthen your response considerably.
• Social policy – public sector organisations especially will want to work with companies that have a comprehensive social policy in place. This includes your corporate social responsibilities (CSR).
• Health and safety – for certain contracts risk assessments and the correct health and safety protocols are essential. Any company with more than five employees should have such a policy in place. Any industry specific certification or accreditation should be mentioned/provided here to strengthen your response.
• Case studies and testimonials – as a standard on the old PQQs you will be asked to provide 3 previous contract examples/case studies which must be from within the last 3 years to be valid. Very occasionally it will state that you can use contract examples from within the last 5 years, but if it is not stated, then assume 3.

For more information regarding PQQs, please see Tender VLE.

GIQ (General Information Questionnaire)

There is no official legislation detailing what a GIQ is and how it differs, but you may on occasion see this term used.

It is simply another version of a selection questionnaire or PQQ and will be asking for the same basic company information, self-certification and possibly some quality questions.

Irrespective of what the questionnaire is called, it is important to remember that this is not simply a ‘copy and paste’ or ‘tick the box’ exercise.

A lot of the information you will be inputting is basic, and of course, there is an element of the YES/NO box selection, but do not fall into the trap of assuming all questionnaires are the same.

Variations may be slight, but if you do not read each of the questions carefully you could find yourself failing the qualification stage over something small and entirely avoidable.

Read through any evaluation criteria carefully before writing responses to quality questions as there can often be information regarding what will constitute a high-scoring answer.

Conclusion

So whether you are faced with a PQQ, SQ, GIQ or some other obscure acronym, remember that you will always need to provide extensive information about your company structure, financial standing, compliance with health and safety, environmental and social policies and evidence of your previous experience in the form of contract examples.

If you take the time to read carefully through the questionnaire before attempting to complete it, you will find they are more intuitive than the conflicting terminology would indicate.

For more information around bid management and the tendering process in general contact our Tender Consultants team. Our Bid Writers can help you when tendering for contracts and advise you on writing winning bids.

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 Selection Questionnaire, PQQs and GIQs – Explained by Experts appeared first on Tender Consultants.

PQQ is something you’ll hear most often in the tendering and procurement world.

The term can take many forms including SQ (Selection Questionnaire), Stage 1 Tender and the recently established ESPD (European Single Procurement Document).

PQQ stands for Pre-qualification questionnaire and it does exactly what it says on the tin!

This is typically the first stage of a tender process and helps the buyer filter through organisations that are more suited to deliver upon their requirements and needs, allowing a select few to be invited to tender (ITT) and making it easier to narrow down competent suppliers. It also ensures any previous convictions or misconduct is declared as per procurement regulations.

A lot of people assume that this is the easy part of the tender process. If you have all of your business affairs in order, then you’d be right! Think of it as an application form. It doesn’t necessarily win you the contract, but it’ll get you to the next stage!

The image below represents what’s featured in a typical PQQ – where you, as the supplier, would complete all relevant fields, including basic company information and registrations etc.

The PQQ is predominantly a ‘tick-box’ exercise, where you and your organisation state compliance with key legislative requirements in order to do business.

This includes compliance with the likes of:

• Legal Compliance
• Financial Standing
• Insurance Cover
• Modern Slavery
• Equality & Diversity
• Health & Safety Regulations
• and Environmental Standards etc.

One of the most important aspects of a PQQ is your response regarding technical and professional capabilities. This is where you must list [usually 3] references/contract examples to show the buyer of your capabilities to undergo the required works based on your past experience (see extract below).

Most questions throughout a PQQ are quite clearly ‘pass and fail’. If you don’t commit to providing the correct insurance cover (for example) – you fail and that’s that!

However, the technical and professional capability is one of the few questions that is scored based on the quality of what is provided.

See our ‘Importance of Relevant Case Studies’ blog to make sure you are ahead of yourself when it comes to contract examples and case studies.

You’ll find PQQ information is quite repetitive and as long as you aren’t breaking the law in any way or have been found guilty of any misconduct, you’ll find you are answering the same information over and over. The more PQQs you complete, the easier they are to submit.

In 2017, the Crown Commercial Service wanted all procurement bodies/suppliers to stop using the typical PQQ and now use an SQ (Selection Questionnaire). This is nothing to worry be concerned about. The bulk of the PQQ questions still remain, with just a few tiny amendments, such as the inclusion of Modern Slavery compliance.

Also, due to the European Public Procurement Reform which kicked off in April 2016, one of the key elements to this was the introduction of the ESPD (European Single Procurement Document).  This is an online electronic form that any supplier can complete, download and submit as part of their bid for a growing number of public procurement agencies, both nationally and internationally.

In a nutshell, a PQQ is a document you complete to show you are both capable of delivery and compliance with specific regulations. Once you’ve passed this point. You’ll then move onto the core part of a tender process – the Invitation To Tender (ITT).

Need further support with your PQQs? Get in touch now with our Tender Consultants!

Start by receiving those all-important opportunities today by receiving a free demo from one of our 10-industry-specific portals that are dedicated to helping you DISCOVER the right tender opportunities to bid for!

CLICK HERE to arrange a free demo!

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 PQQ BASICS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW appeared first on Tender Consultants.