subject: How To Win Contracts With The Public Sector [print this page] With the UK Government aiming to ensure that 25 per cent of all public sector business is won by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this is an excellent time for start-up and small businesses to start doing business with councils and other public sector bodies.
Many businesses bid for council or other public sector tenders and face disappointment when their bid is unsuccessful. To make sure that the work that you put into your tenders does not go to waste, there are various guidelines that you could follow when preparing and submitting tenders. By following certain basics often forgotten by companies, you can ensure that the people reviewing your tender application are more likely to consider your tender and even award your organisation the contract.
1.Read all documents very carefully: This is essential. When you read through the documentation, you will understand in detail the requirements of the contracting authority and whether your organisation can meet or even exceed them. Once you have read the documents, you have to work on developing your tender application to be the most impressive. The process of creating your tender submission requires time and care. This is because any hastily put together bid is more likely to be incomplete or fail one of the authoritys criteria. Remember that every tender application you make is a clear reflection of your company.
2.Complete the application carefully: When completing the application, ensure you answer all the authoritys questions and provide all the supplementary documentation and information that is requested. Your responses should be clear and concise. If there is any confusion about the requirements, please read through the document again. Your completed bid should also be well presented with consistent layout, typography and referencing so that it looks smart and professional.
3.Take a neutral stance: When filling in the details about what your organisation does and what your team has achieved, do not go overboard. Do not oversell your company's services. Make sure that the examples you use of past achievement are relevant to the particular tender or refer to other work done for the council or public sector body.
4.Be on time: There is a very clearly stated deadline for submitting your application/tender. Stick to it! Remember to ensure that your application is duly filled, signed and submitted within the deadline. Tenders submitted late are automatically rejected. If the contracting authority makes particular stipulations about how the document should be submitted (eg no company name on the envelope), make sure you follow these. Being rejected for a careless error wastes all your good work.
5.Pricing structure: When quoting your service cost, always present a clear pricing structure. This helps the public body to easily understand the cost of your bid and compare it with others. Another important thing to remember while quoting your price is to ensure that you give your best price. Keep in mind the importance of price and saving money to the public sector but make sure that the price you quote is realistic and affordable for both you and the contracting authority. The council/public sector tenders on the Supply website are all about public bodies seeking value for money.
Ensure your bid is a winner by following the simple steps above.
