Public Sector Tenders - a guide

Part 3 – Public sector tendering

Innovation

• Demonstrate competitive advantage and added value by developing innovative processes, products or methods of working. Identify and share with the customer practices and market advances which clients could use to increase performance and value but be careful that they do not run away with your IPR.
  
• Areas of innovation could include:
• Shared contracts/alternative delivery solutions (especially where there are cost savings to be had)
• Proactive in identification and promotion of improved ways of working – share experience gained elsewhere
• Creating markets for recycled materials (always a good one nowadays!)
• Well designed training materials – use of CBT
• E-commerce, utilising new opportunities, quicker and easier business methods
• Any exercise that has achieved measurable change and improvement in the cost/quality of a service
• Good approaches to showing them how to innovate
• Examples of policy or approaches that they can use to improve
• Examples of good change management practice and so on…

Can you do the Job?

Show you have the quality resources to do the work and a feasible cost effective way to meet the client’s needs, hit deadlines and respond flexibly when things change

• Give examples of similar experience in their specific area (scale and scope) or show how previous experience is an analogue of this opportunity
• Give examples of successful and recent competitive tendering
• Express knowledge of your market, new developments, concerns, etc – show authority and expertise in a clear way
• Emphasise business benefits, service improvements, risk reduction, low maintenance, quality, reliability, previous sat

isfied customers, and lifetime costs of your solution

Can you deliver This Job?

Potential suppliers must demonstrate their financial, commercial and technical capability to fully meet the contractual requirements under the tender.

• Detail when and how goods and services are to be delivered and provide a timetable
• Ensure reasonable timeframes for delivery – provide a schedule in details with milestones
• Offer goods or services of the right quality standards and at a reasonable price
• Provide evidence of past supply record with reference to contracts of a similar nature
• Provide assurances on how you ensure your suppliers deliver effectively to yourself
• Define the precise geographical and operational area you are capable of supplying, locally nationwide or beyond
• Minimise exposure to risk, be practical and identify potential problems without promising what’s impossible for you to deliver

Next time the management of the Project