Top Tips for Tendering

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Top Tips for Tendering

• Karen Towers Procurement Officer
• Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

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Why is public sector procurement different?

• Councils and other public sector bodies spend
  billions of public funds. 125billion was spent
  in 2006 by the whole of the public sector -OGC
• Subject to EU legislation aimed to remove
  barriers in the EU single market
• Subject to UK legislation competition law, Best
  Value etc
• Subject to audit
• Accountable to government and the electorate
• Many services are sensitive or high profile

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Procurement at Wakefield Council

• Strategic team established in 2004
• Support guide procurement activities
• Integrating strategy, policy and legislation
• Provide training engagement events
• Council Officers
• Members
• Local Organisations (SME, VCS, BME etc)
• Meet the Buyer event (www.wakefield.gov.uk/mtb)

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Procurement at Wakefield Council

• What the Council buys
• Office supplies
• Schools
• Materials
• Plant
• Vehicles
• Training / educational services
• Advice and consultancy
• Research

• Professional services
• Social care
• Construction
• Decorating
• Renovation
• Maintenance
• Footpaths and highways
• Landscaping
• Etc etc etc

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How We Buy

• Rules and Regulations
• Contract Procedure rules
• Tender Thresholds
• EU Procurement Regulations
• European Thresholds
• Tender Process (Open or Restricted)
• 2 stages
• Pre-qualification Restricted Only
• Invitation to Tender -ITT
• Evaluations based on Best Value (MEAT)
• Contract Award

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Questions we ask

• Financial (over 75,000)
• Insurance
• References
• Equal Opportunities
• Freedom of Information Disclosure

• Environmental
• Health Safety
• Non-Collusive Tendering
• Tender-Specific Questionnaire

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Tender Evaluation Award Criteria

• Price Quality Split
• Award Criteria established prior to invitation
• Weightings (most important to least important)
• Possible interview / site visits
• The Council obtains the optimum combination of
  whole life costs and quality

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Ten TipsforSuccessful Tendering
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Read the documents
1

• Read everything carefully.
• Make sure you understand what is required.
• If there isnt a checklist for returns, make your
  own.
• Treat it like an exam answer the question, not
  what you would like it to be.

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Provide all information requested
2

• Provide all of the information requested.
• If you cannot provide some of the information,
  for whatever reason, ask for advice.
• Dont add unnecessary information.
• Be clear and concise use plain English.
• Avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Identify what differentiates your company,
  products or services from the competition and
  emphasise it.

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Dont include publicity material
3

• Dont include publicity material in your
  submission unless you have specifically been
  asked to.
• Dont answer questions by referring to publicity
  material or brochures.
• Make your submission specific to the procurement
  don't rely on standard documents.

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Dont be put off by the documents
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• Take your time and make notes.
• If not sure how to complete the tender, ask for
  help from business support organisations.
• If you are not sure what is being asked, or the
  documents are confusing, dont be afraid to ask
  for clarification.

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Complete and return the documents on time
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• You must complete and return the documents by the
  given time and date or face being disqualified.
• Make sure to sign anything that should be signed
  if tendering on paper.
• Dont leave it to the last minute!

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Make it easy to evaluate
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• Where relevant, cross-reference the answers or
  responses in your tender to the questions in the
  invitation to tender. This will make it easier to
  evaluate.
• Always explain and cross reference any
  appendices.
• Print rather than complete by hand.

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Be specific
7

• Be clear on your pricing model.
• State any assumptions you have made when pricing
  (for example, resources required by you and / or
  the Council, timetables, etc.).
• Be consistent throughout your tender.
• Be realistic. If you don't have the necessary
  qualifications, capacity, experience, get out or
  seek a partner organisation.

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Understand your client
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• Research their website.
• Read their procurement strategy.
• Check for any Council / Cabinet reports relating
  to the tender.
• Don't assume knowledge of your company, products
  or services by the buyer you will only be
  scored on the contents of your submission.

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Ask for a debrief
9

• If you are unsuccessful, make sure you ask for a
  debrief you are entitled to one and it will help
  you to understand where you went wrong.
• If you are successful, still ask for a debrief to
  find out why you were successful.

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Register with Supplier and Tender Systems
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• For example The Yorkshire and Humber region
  operates a Supplier Contract Management System
  (SCMS).
• It provides any organisation with the opportunity
  to register an interest in supplying goods,
  services or works to Wakefield and the other
  twenty-one authorities in the region.
• The SCMS also enables organisations to tender
  electronically with Councils across the region
  and seek out new business opportunities.

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Sounds like common sense?Lets look at some
answers we have received and how to make them
better.
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Exercise Question 1

• Good answer?
• Question
• Please outline how your company proposes to
  manage quality during this contract.
• Answer
• Dedicated Account Manager whose sole purpose is
  to ensure that 100 satisfaction is achieved

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Suggested Answer Question 1

• Product Quality
• ISO 9000 accredited
• Quality management systems in place to record,
  analyse and resolve problems
• Service Quality
• Monitoring of KPI and reporting with MI
• Undertake user surveys and then use this to
  ensure continuous improvement

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Exercise Question 2

• Good answer?
• Question
• Please detail safety arrangements for the
  delivery of goods/works/services, specifically
  including
• risk assessment procedures
• First aid provision
• Emergency procedures
• Answer
• All of the above are incorporated within our
  Health Safety Policy

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Suggested Answer - Question 2

• Answer the questions, when it asks for detail,
  you need to respond with detail. Your submission
  can only be evaluated on your response.
• Risk Assessment Procedure
• Employees are required to..
• First Aid Provision
• At least one member.

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Exercise Question 3

• Good answer?
• Question
• Please give examples of how your environmental
  policy is applied in practice.
• Answer
• We have worked for 6 years delivering this
  service for Wakefield Council and have always
  considered environmental concerns

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Suggested Answer Question 3

• Where a question asks for examples give
  examples. Also do not assume prior knowledge.
  The only information which can be considered is
  what is written down. What any of the evaluation
  panel know about your organisation from previous
  working arrangements cannot be considered.
• E.g. Our policy states our commitment to
  reduction in emissions due to travelling so we
  have installed secure bicycle racks and shower
  facilities, we also actively encourage use of
  public transport and car sharing for business
  purposes.

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Future Tender Opportunities

• Supplier Contract Management System
  http//scms.alito.co.uk/
• Appropriate Trade Journals
• Local press
• European Journal http//ted.publications.eu.int/
  official/

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Enjoy the Rest of Your Day!