Tender Document

[paultgreen]

Has anybody got a sample tender document they'd be prepared to send me over? we're looking at tendering for government contracts this year and a heads up would be most appreciated. Normally our quote is a page or two tops, so knowing what to put on a tender isn't one of my strong points.

Cheers
PG

[bobpilk]

Hi Paul,
This local authority is just in the process of asking for tenders, part of which is for security stewards for crowd control. This might not be totally in your field but will give you some idea of what they are looking for.
Name: Ms Pat Geraghty
Company Name: Wandsworth Borough Council
Address:
E-mail: pgeraghty@wandsworth.gov.uk
Phone: 02088717671
Just give her a call and ask for tender documents for the Battersea Park firework display.

HTH
Cheers Bob

[paultgreen]

Hi Bob - thanks for the lead

It's the actual proposal side of things that I'm struggling with - putting together a tender is a big difference to putting together a basic quote for your average pub..

[ethical PR]

Dear Paul

We do a lot of work in the public sector and its taken us quite a lot of time and effort to get standard templates for environmental, health and safety, equalities policies and credentials documents which we now use to help us tender for work.

In London we also use supply2London an agency that helps private sector companies to prepare to tender for work in the public sector. I am not sure whether there might be a similar agency in your area? If not the Supply2London site might be a useful starting point.

Helen
Upward Curve PR

Upward Curve PR

[bobpilk]

Hi All,
Apparently a new service from Business Link has all the templates you need for HSE statements, disability policies, ethnic minority recruitment etc. These are all the sorts of things you will need to be able to tender for anything.
HTH Cheers Bob

[learntowriteproposals]

Hi Paul,

I know this thread is a few months old, but I just joined the site.

I run Welcome to Learn to Write Proposals. Tools to help you how to write a business proposal | Sales information - where there is a lot of content about how to create compelling proposals. As I always recommend each proposal is customised to each client and each specific opportunity I don't keep example proposals on the site, but if you are still interested, then get in touch and I'll send you one in a private message - just as an example of what needs to be included.

I also offer a variety of services to small businesses to get them submitting high quality proposals for private and public sector clients. This includes defining a process that complements your sales strategy, assembling high quality boilerplate content, templates and a structure around which customised proposals can be created quickly.

If any of this is of interest, I'd be happy to have a chat.

All the best,

James England

james@learntowriteproposals.com
UK: +44 (0) 208-1334-729
Cell: +44 (0) 7803- 900-729
Skype:learntowriteproposals

Member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals

[OldWelshGuy]

Hi Paul;,

get yourself over to sell2wales there are loads on there.

Then give this lady a call Helen Fair 07920 116436. She is the local supplier champion for Cardiff and the vale . Her job is (oddly enough) to assist people to obtain local authority and opther public sector work

[david64]

When it comes to tender document, I've always found its best to construct brutish ones - if you can speak in-depth, authoritatively without technobable you have a good chance of bowling them over. I have won every tender I have ever done with this approach.

[BillyPOP]

Hello,

I came across this forum through a post on the UKBF so this is my first post.

I have a contact in this field that may be able to help. We do office supplies and i met him at a buying group meeting last year where he did a talk on winning tenders - highlighting that most people fail because their documentation is not in order. anyway he has worked for governments and consulted for large organisations on the subject and i know he has offered valuable advice on the UKBF when i have posted his details.

Eddie Regan
bipsolutions . com

(I wont post his phone number for obvious reasons)

Good luck

[eiscltd]

Hi Paul

most of the times you will be following what the tender document asks you to tell. So the writing structure will be following the pattern or even sometimes the template that the procurer would have sent you.

Otherwise here is a typical basic way of organising your tender:
Section 1 Executive Summary
Section 2 Response to the specification
Section 3 Response to the terms & conditions
Section 4 Contract implementation plans
Section 5 Form of Offer
Section 6 Other services offered and alternative options


try to remember to keep things clear and simple. Don't go into jargon mode and put yourself in the shoes of who will be reading you. Will they actually understand what you are offering?

Tenders in the public sector will require you to have loads of policies and insurances in place. Business Link has indeed templates on their website for the basic: Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, Environmental policies etc. and their advisers which are paid by your taxes can come and meet you and help getting these into shape.

If it is the first time you deal with the public sector then you might find it easier to bid for the "smaller" contracts in value. the process there is very similar to just doing a quote as you are used to. For the tenders you might find useful to have references from past jobs you did, public sector ones look better and you might be able to get them from the smaller jobs you did.

If bid writing is too tedious then there are plenty of bid writers doing for some of them amazing jobs. I don't write for companies but I have had good feedback from some of my clients about Tim Colman email and details can be found on our website winningtenders.eu . Using a bid writer is not cheap but you really just need to use him once or twice and then you have the basics in place to do it yourself.

I have written quite a few bids for our organisation with a good win record and in the end writing tenders is not specially fun, not specially complicated, and maybe even quite boring but winning makes up for it and is rather exciting.

I hope it helps

[B_Cal]

I'd also add - think ahead on this one.

The tender documents often form the basis of the final contract - i.e if you say that you comply with something, or that you will undertake something make sure that when you are successful that you deliver, because these documents magically reappear at a later date.

Spend time and provide comprehensive answers along the line David64 suggested - when reviewing tender responses ( I frequently do this at the airport) I look for evidence that people have comprehended what is required of them, but have also offered an alternative or justified another approach with more than a plain yes or no but without the aforementioned technobable

Good luck

B_Cal