Tendering Guide - The Tender Process

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Successul Tendering Guide

The Tender Process

June 2012


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ContentsBid or No Bid 1

First steps 2

Bid or No Bid decision 3

Bid/No Bid Questions 3

Tools 5

Preparing a bid plan 11

The Bid Team 11

Bid Kick-O Meeting/Brainstorming Session 12

The Bid Plan 13

Tools 14

Writing a successultender response 20

Keep it simple, yet proessional 20

Address exactly what the Buyer asks

or, and ONLY what the Buyer asks or! 20

Writing Style 20

Format and Presentation 20

Proposal Sections 21

The Approach/Solution 21

Pricing 21

Other Inormation 22

Review Cycle and Sign O 23

Submission 24

Submitting Hard Copy TenderDocumentation 24

Submitting Electronically 25

Post submission 27

Tender Evaluation 27

Internal Debrie Meeting 27

Presentations/Interviews/Site Visits 28

Evaluation Feedback 29

Complaints Process 30

Updating the Bid Repositoryand Documentation 30

Tools 30

June 2012


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The Tender Process

Bid or No BidBe patient and wait or the tender opportunitythat is right or your business it is a waste o

time tendering or contracts that you are notgoing to win.

The most common reason or lack o successis poor choice o tender opportunity.

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When you receive notifcation o a tenderwhich is o interest:

Download all documentation and storeit in a separate older on your computersystem. I only a hard copy o the tenderdocument is available make copies andkeep the original sae. Do not mark theoriginal in any way as it will be neededor fnal submission.

Inorm the core bid team and circulatethe key documents to them.

Read the documents thoroughly.Assessing whether a tender is right or

your business is not always possible romthe short tender notifcation descriptionor summary, so you may require adetailed look at the tender documentsand specifcations.

In particular read the contract sometimes there are terms within thecontract which companies are notprepared, or unable, to ulfl, or example,areas around intellectual property.

First steps

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The Tender Process

Bid/No Bid QuestionsWhat are the mandatory requirements(or example fnancial stability, qualityaccreditations) and can we meet them?

Buyers generally ask or (audited)

accounts rom the last three years.Has your business seen year-on-yeargrowth and i not is there a validexplanation or why not?

I requirements are not mandatory thencan you demonstrate that your businessis operating to a set o standards that areequivalent? For example, your businessmay not be ISO accredited, but may usean internal quality system.

Can we show relevant experience? Havewe done this type o work beore? Do weneed to partner?

Buyers like suppliers who can prove theycan do the job, thereore reerences romsimilar organisations or similar work are

ideal. I you havent got these, you willneed to show you have transerable skillsrom customers with similar needs.

I the experience is not a corecompetence (in other words it representsonly a small element your businesss work)think careully.

I there are some areas that your businesscannot manage, the chances o qualiyingor winning the tender are seriously

reduced. You may need to considerpartnering.

Bid or No BiddecisionThe decision to bid or not to bid or a contractshould be a careully considered processbalancing the opportunity, against a realisticevaluation o the likelihood o success. Theapproach should be systematic, incorporatinga scoring matrix or key bid/no bid questions

which will help evaluate the decision and removeany emotion that may be associated with theopportunity.

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Who is the competition?

Do you know how many others you will becompeting with and who they are? How doyour strengths and weaknesses comparewith theirs? Does a competitor have anexisting contract with the Buyer?Who is currently servicing the contract?

Is the contract the right size or mybusiness? Will this clash with any existingor upcoming work?

It is risky to bid i a tender value is morethan 25% o turnover. Buyers will checkthat the tender contract value will not betoo much or the company to handle. Donot overstretch the business to the pointwhere service or quality issues will arise.

What is the proft potential? What impactwill there be on the business cashow?

Winning a contract can put a strain on abusinesss fnancial resources. It is importantto ully understand and assess the risk othe working capital requirements o thecontract and whether your business cansupport any peaks that may occur. Acareul assessment should be made at thispoint o the potential proft to be made. Isit likely that you will be orced to bid low?I so, is it still worthwhile to take on thework, even at a marginal price to perhaps

reinorce your position in the sector?

Do we have sufcient resource to respondproessionally within the deadline?

Tender writing is time consuming you willneed to invest a signifcant amount o timeand resource to creating a winning bid.There is no minimum limit on the deadlineor tenders, but typically the timeramealls between two and our weeks.

Depending on the type o contract andBuyer, the bid/no bid decision can bequite straightorward or may take someconsideration, balancing a set o pointsor and against. To help with the processit is useul to have a consistent procedurein place to ensure that time and moneyare not spent wasteully on contractopportunities which are to no economicor strategic beneft. A standard bid/no bidorm can be a useul tool to assist with the

decision.

I you decide not to bid, and you wereinvited to do so directly by the Buyer,tell the Buyer as soon as possible oyour intention. Explain careully, in aconscientious way, the reasons or yourdecision, being careul not to prejudiceyour chances o being invited to bid orother work in the uture.

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The Tender Process

Tools

Bid/No Bid Form

TENDER INFORMATION

Tenderer: Tender Title:

Contact Name and Details: Description:

ERICE/PRODCT CHECIT

Bid Type

PQQ

ITT

Framework

Source

Newspaper

Alert system

New Client

Existing Client

Repeat Business

Type of Business

(add companyservice list)

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BID COT (EPARATE HEET)

Total Resource Cost Expected ContractValue/Budget

Total Materials Expected Margin

Other Costs Business Target

Margin

Total % Contract Valuesvs Turnover

TIMECAE

Bid Due Date: Estimate Contract Award:

What is driving the due date? Estimate Contract Start:

Contract Duration:

BID RECOMMENDATION Bid No Bid

Reasons

Approved By:

ACTION

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The Tender Process

Cost Breakdown

REORCE

Grade Daily Rate Days Cost

Total Resource Costs

MATERIA

Material Notes Cost

Total Material Costs

OTHER COTNotes Cost

Total Other Costs

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BID AEMENT

Criteria Scoring

5 = Strong competitive advantage

3 = Neither strong nor weak

1 = Serious competitive disadvantage

NotesScoring

0 - 5

BidStopper

Y/N

Do we meet the basic tender requirements?

Requirement 1

Requirement 2

Requirement 3 etc.

Can we show relevant enough experience?

Are the requirements clearly defned andeasible?

Is the proposal and delivery time ramerealistic?

Is the work a core competence o ourbusiness?

Does contract value exceed 20%-30%turnover?

Have we sufcient trading history?

Is cost a major actor in selecting thewinning bid?

Are there penalties or not delivering ontime/budget?

Are the contract terms and conditionsacceptable?

Internal Considerations

Is this opportunity aligned with our businessstrategy?

Do we have the resources, skills and will towin?

Do we have the resources and ability to

deliver?Can we realistically manage the risks, i wewin?

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The Tender Process

BID AEMENT

Criteria Scoring

5 = Strong competitive advantage

3 = Neither strong nor weak

1 = Serious competitive disadvantage

NotesScoring

0 - 5

BidStopper

Y/N

I additional resources are needed, can we

get what we need?How well are we known within this businesssector?

Do we have a relationship with this prospectand is it avourable?

Are partners needed, and i so, will they beeasy to work with? Can we demonstrate aprevious working relationship?

Do we have dierentiators that will improveour chances o winning?

Can we aord the investment needed topursue this opportunity?

Will winning put any o our existing businessat risk?

Can we contractually protect our intellectualproperty?

Market / Competitive Inormation

Do we know who the other bidders are,i any?

Is a competitor an incumbent, and does that

pose a threat?Is a competitor avoured by prospectdecision makers or inuencers?

Does the solution involve new or unproventechnologies?

Will winning enhance our reputation in themarket?

Will winning open up new marketopportunities?

Will winning give us an advantage over ourcompetitors?

Total core

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TECHNICA AEMENT

RI

POTENTIA FOOW-ON OPPORTNITIE

WHO I THE COMPETITION?

BID REORCE

Can we put a credible bid together in the timescale?

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The Tender Process

Preparing a bid planManaging the submission o a bid can belikened to managing a typical small project:

There is a deadline. There needs to be a clear understanding o

the scope.

It involves managing resources.

There is a process to be ollowed.

Thereore, like any good project a clearshort planning document should becreated and issued to all those involved.

The Bid TeamA successul bid team should includea mixture o individuals who can bringdierent perspectives and expertise tothe ormulation o the best solution andproposal documentation.

There are a number o key roles within asuccessul bid team which create the blendand expertise required or a successulproposal. An individual may ulfl one ormultiple roles.

Bid team roles:

Bid Manager someone who is going tomanage the tender. The individual shouldhave the expertise to manage the entireprocess and have authority to make keydecisions.

Technical Experts the best technicalpeople should be involved in the designand presentation o the solution,particularly those who can bring

expertise as well as new ideas.

The Writers those who are skilled atpresenting clear technical and salesdocumentation. A number o writers maybe involved, each o which should knowwhich pieces they are responsible or andwhen they need to have completed thework. When each has completed theirarea o responsibility, their drat documentshould be sent to a central administratorto be added to the main proposal orreview. Some larger comanies may employproessional bid writers.

Contributors these may be internal orexternal specialist contributors who cansupply additional specialist inormationand knowledge to the proposal, in areassuch as quality, fnancials etc.

Administrators responsible orormatting and collating o the proposaldocumentation.

Prooreader usually best i a singleperson takes this role to ensure continuity.The prooreader should be responsible orchecking the tone, ow and ormatting o

the overall proposal and or ensuring thatkey themes and business strengths areincluded throughout the documentation.The prooreader ideally should nothave a detailed technical knowledge othe solution, so that they can read thedocument as i an outsider was readingit, ensuring that technical content is easilyunderstood.

Fault Finder someone who canpessimistically judge the bid and fnd

areas o improvement.

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Bid ick-O Meeting/Brainstorming essionHolding a bid kick-o meeting isan important initial step in the bidplanning process to ensure the best bidis presented, and that the proposal isconsistent and most importantly prepared

on time.Beore the meeting, all relevant tenderdocuments should be distributed to theteam by the Bid Manager who shouldindicate which key documents eachmember should specifcally read. The BidManager and at least one other nominatedmember o the bid team should read all theITT documentation, including the contract.

The purpose o the bid team meeting is to:

brainstorm the solution and approach,the delivery team and evidence that canbe provided o previous experience andexpertise;

identiy all the documents andinormation likely to be needed whenwriting the proposal;

allocate dierent roles andresponsibilities to each member o theproposal team and identiy who will beresponsible or contributing to each part

o the document;

create a proposal schedule includingdeliverables and milestones; and

review, expand on, and brainstorm thekey questions and assessment criteriaused during the bid/no bid stage toormulate a number o winning bidstrategies.

The team should imagine themselves asthe Buyer during this process and identiyall the issues and requirements in order o

importance, brainstorm all the ways thatthe business can oer a solution and thencompare these to what your competitorscan provide. Can you oer greater quality,reliability, efciency, cost-eectivenessetc? Make sure you:

document all the strategy points orinclusion in the Bid Plan document;

fnd out i there are questions aboutthe proposal that can only be answered

by the Buyer, agree who will be the keycontact and how they will manage thisand communicate the answers to theteam; and

review the businesss Why Us?statements and update with relevanttender detail.

This process helps to bind the teamtogether and motivates them to generatethe best solutions and commit tosubmitting the work on time.

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The Tender Process

The Bid PlanFollowing the bid team meeting, a Bid Plancan be created. This should contain:

A summary o the submissionterms

Most tenders have clear and absolute

terms or submitting a document varyingrom colour o ink, ont size and structure,to delivery times. These terms should beclearly listed to ensure compliance. Buyerscan reject tenders on the basis o notcomplying with these terms without evenlooking at the evaluation criteria.

Bid team

Names, roles and responsibilities,timescales and contact details.

Bid timetable

Include a timetable o all tasks to becompleted including key review points andthe resources allocated to each. I thereis a requirement to inorm the tenderingbody that you intend to submit a tenderdocument, make sure you do so. This willensure that you are kept up to date withany tender changes and any clarifcationquestions which may be asked.

Mandatory requirements list

Create a list o all mandatory and responserequirements specifed by the Buyer withinthe tender documentation. Include in thislist all the returnable orms and scheduleswhich need to be signed.

Tick o each requirement as it is included

within the tender response.

The evaluation criteria

Include details o the criteria to be usedduring the evaluation. It is important thateveryone bears these criteria in mind incompleting their input.

The winning strategies

List the winning bid strategies, which havebeen identifed as the key reasons thatthe Buyer should select your companyor the contract. Not only should thesestrategies be documented as Why Us?statements, but examples and evidenceshould also be brought into relevant areaso the main tender response. Equally anyweak areas should be noted and ways omitigating these identifed, so they can beincorporated into the bid plan as well.

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Tools

TENDER INFORMATION

Tenderer: Tender Title:

Contact Name and Details: Description:

BMIION INTRCTION

Format instructions

Document structure, ont size, number ocopies

Delivery instructions

Submission instructions, delivery date andtime

BID TEAM

Name and Contact details Responsible for

Bid Manager

Technical Team

Writers (optional)

Contributors

Administrators

Prooreader / Fault Finder

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The Tender Process

BID IC-OFF MEETIN

When Status

Submission

E DOCMENT CHECIT

Included Included Included

Document 1 etc...

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Win trategies

How can you best demonstrate that you meet the tender requirements?

What makes you dierent rom your competitors that will beneft the client?

What is important to the client and how can you demonstrate that you will considerthese values and needs in servicing the contract?

PROPOITION() TO INCDEWHO Previous Experience List the case studies to be included. These should

demonstrate your capability in delivering/servicingprojects which are as similar as possible to thework being tendered or - in terms o technicalrequirement, type o organisation/sector, scale,scope o work.

Dont orget to mention how you successullydelivered/serviced the contracts, not just what youdid.

Where possible include client reerences who can becontacted by the buyer, should they wish to.

WHO Team & kills Consider including:

Proposed team profles (pen pics) andqualifcations.

Backup resources should there be a need to coverholidays etc or i additional resource is required.

Recruitment and induction procedures (i youthink it important).

On-going training provided in regulations/codes o

practice.

Sample training plans/sta training records.

Security checking procedures (i relevant).

Job descriptions or the relevant resourcing roles.

Sta record keeping procedures.

Procedures/standards which your competitors maynot be using.

I diversity, equal opportunity particularlyimportant to the buyer demonstrate that your own

procedures are open to all.

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The Tender Process

PROPOITION() TO INCDE

WHO Technical Ability &Operational Procedures

Include a detailed description o your technicalability to deliver - assuming that the buyer knowsnothing about your organisation. Presume nothing.

Think o all the technical aspects which make youdierent rom your competitors and highlight thesedierences, i relevant. Are there aspects o your

solution which particularly ft in with the Buyerscorporate values - i so, make sure you highlight them.

Detail your key operational procedures step-by-step.This will provide the Buyer with the confdence thatthey need, that you know exactly how you proposeto deliver and have thought the process throughcareully.

Highlight any methods which are dierent rom yourcompetitors, are particularly innovative ordemonstrate efciency.

COT Cost/alue or Money Highlight any areas where you believe that yoursolution can oer cost savings to the Buyer. I youbelieve you have a better longterm value solutionwhich may be more expensive up-ront - provide thebuyer with the necessary inormation to backup yourrationale.

HOW Contract Management Identiy all contract management roles andresponsibilities.

Describe your proposed contract managementprocess including project initiation, day-to-dayoperations, review points, quality checking dealing

with issues/complaints, reporting, lines ocommunication, personnel, project close.

Describe your customer review process and provideexamples.

HOW Quality Describe your company quality systems andprocedures, including copy of relevant accreditations.Provide copies o relevant quality procedures in thetender (possibly in the Appendices).

Describe your quality review procedures.

WHAT

IF

Risk Indicate that you have identifed the risks and

thought about how to reduce them by including arisk register with contingencies or all key activities.

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PROPOITION() TO INCDE

Added alue Include any aspects o your solution which willbring something to the buyer which is beyondtheir existing capability - e.g.

Can you bring additional business beneft to theBuyers business?

Can you bring new skills or methods in the

delivering o the overall solution? Can you add anything extra to your solution at

no extra cost?

Can you make the overall process moreefcient? Save money?

REAON FOR PROCREMENT

BID REQIREMENT AND EAATION CRITERIA

WHAT I IMPORTANT TO THE CIENT?

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The Tender Process

TITE?

Proposition(s)

Previous Experience

Team & Skills

Technical Ability

Operational Procedures

Cost / RoI

Contract Management

Quality

Risk

Added Value

WH ? TATEMENT

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Writing a successultender responseeep it simple,yet proessional1. Address exactly what the Buyer asks or,

and ONLY what the Buyer asks or!

2. Use a consistent writing style.

3. Be proessional in the ormat andpresentation o the response.

Address exactly what theBuyer asks or, and ONwhat the Buyer asks or!When compiling your tender response, themost important thing is to do exactly asthe Buyer asks, and i you are unsure oanything ask them. Always think aboutwhat the Buyer is looking or when writinga tender, and write your response withinthat context.

I there is additional inormation thatyou think is relevant and you would liketo include this detail place it in an AddedValue or Additional Products/Servicessection.

Documents should be presented in a waythat makes it as simple as possible orthe Buyer to evaluate i you get toosophisticated or try to be dierent thisoten will not impress the evaluation team.Dont orget the evaluation team arespecifcally asking or all proposals to bepresented in a consistent way to make theevaluation process easier and quicker orthem to complete.

Writing tyleThe writing style should be a combinationo a ormal tone used in providing theinormation required, and a subtle sellingtone, inuencing the Buyer as to why theyshould purchase rom you. This can be adifcult mix to get right.

A style which is too salesy will overloadthe Buyer with inormation that is otenoutside the scope o what they require.

Ensure that there is consistency o tenseand voice (or example use o the thirdparty). Avoid jargon and excessive use oacronyms.

Format and PresentationThe overall design o the proposaldocument makes a statement to theBuyer about the proessional abilityo your organisation. A simple design

with a header and ooter which makesthe document look proessional, andperhaps might include your companyname or brand in the header, will makeyour proposal more memorable duringevaluation. The ooter should contain thepage number and proposal title.

The document should be divided into clearsections, either as specifed by the Buyeror created to provide a clear and logicalpresentation o the proposal content.

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The Tender Process

Throughout the document there should bea consistent ont, text size, alignment andnumbering sequencing used. Paragraphsshould be short and punchy with bulletpoints and images such as simpleowcharts used to break up the text.

Appendices should be used or detailedinormation, removing this rom the maindocument.

The ront cover o the proposal may bethe frst thing the Buyer sees, and shouldcreate an impression o the quality o theremainder o the document.

The cover should clearly identiy theowner by including the company corporatecolours, an existing corporate look andeel and logo. It should also include thebidders organisation name, title o the

contract or tender and any reerencecodes.

Proposal ectionsThere are a number o common sections inevery tender document. These include:

Executive/Management ummary summarising the main points o the tender.

Contents Table must be included to helpthe bidder to easily navigate through the

proposal.Introduction to explain the ormatand purpose o the tendering proposal.This should also include supplier contactdetails.

nderstanding the Requirements todemonstrate that you ully understandthe Buyers business environment, theprinciples and values which are importantto them e.g. social responsibility andsustainability, together with the specifc

tender requirements.

The Approach/olutionThis section may include the ollowing:

Step-by-step o how you propose todeliver the service/product to the Buyer.

Who will be involved in the contract providing a summary o their role andresponsibilities. This may include a penpic demonstrating their expertise andprevious experience.

Who will be involved in the managemento the contract this will usually includethe contract manager, the projectmanager, and quality manager. Other keycontacts such as support and fnance willbe reerenced.

How the communication will be managedbetween the supplier and Buyer,

including contract initiation, reviewcheck points, regular reporting andclosure/handover.

How you will ensure continuity oservice.

PricingBuyers will usually speciy the exactpricing inormation to be included in theproposal and how it should be presented.Normally this will take the orm o a

table or spreadsheet, requiring a detailedbreakdown o the cost elements to beprovided and an indication o how they arecalculated.

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As well as the total price, suppliers may beasked to provide costs on:

specifc stages or parts o the work asthis level o breakdown may be requiredduring evaluation;

specifc hourly or daily rates orindividuals working on the project; and

estimated costs o subsistence andexpenses.

When presenting the price make it clearwhether it includes VAT or not and, iexchange rates are involved, which ratehas been used in the calculation.

The calculation o the project pricingshould be thought out very careullyand should be set or reviewed by arepresentative within the business withfnancial responsibilities. Once submittedthe business is contractually bound bythese prices.

When preparing the fnancial costingsor the proposal, there may be details onwhich you have to make assumptions. Youshould list these assumptions within thepricing section so the Buyer is aware othem, reducing misunderstandings.

Other Inormation

Company introduction explaining whatyour company does and the services andproducts it provides, how long it has beenin operation, company organisation chart,ethos o the company. Spend time on this this is your chance to sell the strengths oyour company.

Case studies/Customer reerences canbe used to demonstrate that your businesshas provided similar services/products toother organisations, which, i required,may be approached to vouch or thequality o service. The case study projectsshould be in a consistent ormat. You candevelop a template or these.

ta Cs Buyers need to know that yourbusiness has the right skills and experiencewithin the team to deliver the contract.This can be demonstrated by providing ashort pen pic o each member o the teamwithin the body o the proposal with ullCVs attached in an appendix.

Added value Buyers will oten ask howyour business can add to the contract.This might include any additional services/products which will enhance the overall

solution or provide better value or money.

Alternative oers i you believe thatthere is better solution than the oneproposed in the tender documents, includethis as a separate section rom yourmain oer which must respond to thespecifcations in the documentation.

Why Us? summary points o why theBuyer should choose your companyover the competition. Sum up your bid,

explaining succinctly why it meets all theclients needs and why your company isbest placed to undertake the work, orprovide the service.

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The Tender Process

These points should be a series o shortstatements consisting o one or twosentences, outlining:

- an endorsement which makes youstand out;

- an advantage over your competitors;

- a compelling argument; and

- a conclusive reason why the Buyershould select you.

Examples

We are the only UK contractors thathave done this type o work beore.

Our saety record within this industryhas been recognised by fve gold awards.

Our manuacturing acilities andprocedures demonstrate perormance in

excess o the ITT requirements. Our approach has been developed

through many years experience oworking within the industry and includesa number o tried and tested alternativemethods, should problems arise.

tandards and policies most tendersrequire the supplier to adhere to industrystandards, business laws and regulations.In order to demonstrate compliance, yourbusiness has to have certain standards,

policy statements and certifcations inplace.

The ollowing policies are commonlyrequested:

Environmental Policy

Sustainability Policy

Fair Employment Policy

Health & Saety Policy

Certifcates supporting technicalcapability

Quality

I your business does not have therequired standards and policies in place,you may have to think outside the box.The reality is that many businesses areactually adhering to these standards andpolicies, and they are hidden within theirnormal operational procedures.

Commercial sensitivity under the

Freedom o Inormation Act 2000, anytenders or documents submitted andassociated letters and emails are subjectto the FOIA. A separate Freedom oInormation orm is oten enclosed as parto the tender document pack. Mark clearlythe sections which contain inormation youconsider confdential and include a line to

justiy your selection and also state orhow long the selected inormation is likelyto remain confdential.

Review Cycle and ign OIt is vitally important to review yourproposal at regular intervals during itspreparation or content, sense, readabilityand ow. The nominated prooreadershould ideally be someone who has notbeen directly involved in the tenderpreparation and can review it as i theywere the Buyer.

Allow enough time in the tender timetableor review points and ollow-on actions tobe incorporated.

An appointed person within your businessshould sign o the tender. This personshould be regularly inormed o progress,the costs estimates and any identifedrisks.

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ubmissionWhen tendering you are always given aclear deadline by the Buyer or providingthe required inormation and documents.This deadline is extremely important andmissing it will simply mean that you will bedisqualifed.

In order to prevent such a disaster, do notleave things to the last minute. Plan theprocess well and make sure that you allowor all potential problems, such as ensuringall fles are saely stored and backedup and printers are working and have asufcient stock o ink or toner.

ubmitting Hard CopyTender DocumentationI a hard copy proposal is required, itis vital to precisely ollow the deliveryinstructions where the tender should besent, the number o copies required andany packaging instructions.

Oten, Buyers will speciy that theproposal documents be presented inan unmarked envelope containing nocompany identifcation such as companystamps or logo. Be careul i using acompany ranking machine that theranking machine does not contain thecompany name. Failure to comply with thecorrect packaging instructions will lead todisqualifcation o your company, withoutyour tender response ever having beenread.

Delivering the tender package may be assimple as driving to the Buyers addressto hand in the tender, or it could involveying it to a dierent country. I local,the most dependable method o deliveryis by using a member o the bid teamto take the package personally to the

delivery address. When let at the Buyersofce, always obtain an ofcial signedreceipt with the date and time o deliveryrecorded.

I the delivery address is outside your localarea, use a reliable special delivery serviceor courier service which requires a signedreceipt. Make sure you are aware o thedelivery times required and always add acontingency margin. I delivering overseas,actor in plenty o time or the delivery,

just in case.

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The Tender Process

ubmitting ElectronicallyIncreasingly, more Buyers, particularlyin the public sector, are requiringthat suppliers submit their proposalselectronically either by email or via atendering portal.

Tendering portals enorce a rigid delivery

structure on the submission, with mucho the inormation being provided via yes/no responses to specifc questions, or reeorm inormation boxes, oten restrictedby a limit on the number o words allowed.Additional documents can be uploadedbut are kept to a minimum. Buyers like thee-tendering method as it tends to keepresponses consistent and to the point andas such easier to evaluate.

I you are submitting using a tender portal:

Make sure you know how to use thesystem well ahead o the submissiondate.

Check any word limitations.

As larger documents take longer toupload, start with them frst.

Save, save and save again.

Tender portals or security reasonsusually time out ater 15 minutes o

being dormant. Make sure to hit save assoon as you have uploaded your latestdocuments.

Keep checking that everything has beenuploaded successully.

Dont orget to print/save a copy o yourelectronic submission or your records.Once the tender has been submitted tothe Buyer, the supplier is oten unableto access it again.

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TENDER REITER

Company: Register Period:

Managed By:

Tender sources: (list)

Total No Bid: Total Bid: Success Rate:

Date Source TendererContract

Title

Bid/

No Bid

Bid

OutcomeValue

Contract

Period

Awarded

toActions

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The Tender Process

Tender EvaluationThe tender documentation usuallyindicates the timescale involved in theawarding o the contract and contract startdate.

Dont be surprised, however, i a deadlineslips, it can happen.

Be patient, and avoid pestering the Buyerater the expected award date. This willnot help you. Remember the Buyer willbe adhering to their internal procurementprocesses which require them to notiy theparticipants in writing immediately aterthe decision has been made, so do notworry that you will not be inormed.

Depending on the complexity o thetender and number o applicants, theevaluation process can take time. But beassured that it will be undertaken in a verysystematic and thorough way, ensuringthat the best supplier is selected andthat the unsuccessul applicants have aclear understanding o why they wereunsuccessul.

Internal Debrie MeetingIt is easy the ignore this step, as you areso oten relieved just to have fnishedthe proposal, but, it is important to becontinuously improving the quality o yourbids and processes to make the tenderingprocess easier in the uture. It is best tohave this review beore the contract isawarded as it will be uninuenced by theoutcome.

This is also an opportunity to thank theteam win or lose, they will have put a loto hard work into the tender oten understressul time constrictions.

A tender closure orm can be helpul.This details a number o key parametersand can be used to provide a thoroughand consistent assessment. Actions canbe documented on this orm and signedo when completed. See tender register

detailed earlier.

Post submissionAlthough youve now submitted your tenderthe works not over yet!

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Presentations/Interviews/ite isitsDuring the evaluation period, Buyersmay ask to visit the suppliers premises,or or suppliers to attend an interviewor to present their ideas. This is usuallybecause they would like to meet the

team, or inspect a product or operatingenvironment.

The Buyer will usually provide a detailedagenda in advance stating what they wouldlike to see and who they would like to meetand particular areas they would like thesupplier to present or discuss.

Preparation is key. You should make surethat you have the right team available, thatyou are clear as to who is best positionedto talk about the various topic areas, and

that there is a common consensus on theproposed solution and methodology withinthe team. Avoid any potential personalityor technical clashes within the team you need to be portraying the image o aunited, proessional organisation. Answersto potential questions should be rehearsed,to ensure that they can be ully and clearlyexplained.

I a ormal presentation has beenrequested, nominate a presentation

leader to develop the overall structureo the presentation, co-ordinate thecontent and contributions o the individualparticipants, organise the rehearsals andpre-presentation briefngs, and on the dayto manage the logistics o the presentationand introduce the members o the supplierteam to the Buyer.

During presentation rehearsals, ask atleast one member o the team to play therole o the Buyer, ensuring all areas are

covered in a clear and consistent way andthat the presentation team are workingwell together.

ey Considerations

Keep the presentation precise using thebid executive summary as a guide.

The sub-headings outlined in thesummary should be presented as themain presentation topics and presentedin a logical order.

Do not cut and paste text directly romthe tender documentation provide themain points as bullets and talk aroundthem.

Remember you cannot introduce newideas into the presentation, however,you may expand on areas that wereincluded within the tender.

Allow time or questions ater eachpresentation topic. The Buyer may

preer to wait to the end or they maypreer to pause ater each topic.

Presentations should not be deliverednecessarily by a sales person, but by thedelivery team. The evaluation team willunderstand that making presentationsmay not be something the team doregularly.

Prepare a good fnal statement, whichshould ocus on the messages that areat the centre o your proposal leave

the Buyer with a lasting impression.

Print a copy o the presentation asan aid to the Buyer and as somethingwhich can be taken away. This also canbe used as a back-up should there beany technical hitches!

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The Tender Process

I the Buyer has requested a site visit,ensure that all areas o your site are wellpresented clean, tidy and well-organised.I the Buyer is there to inspect certainequipment or acilities, test everythingbeorehand to ensure that everythingis unctioning correctly. Think about alllegislative standards and requirements, or

example, health and saety certifcates andprocedures, certifcations etc. and makesure that the right systems and paperworkare in place and up to date and can beshown to the Buyer.

The Buyer, as well as being able to meetkey sta through a site visit, will be lookingor evidence that what you have describedin your tender document is actuallyhappening on a day-to-day basis, and thatthe environment portrays the image o a

proessional organisation which they arehappy to do business with.

Procurement is about a long-termrelationship between the Buyer andsupplier and ace-to-ace meetings viaan interview or presentation is a way oevaluating i you can work together andor the Buyer to be able to judge theproessionalism and quality o the peoplewho will be involved on the project.

Evaluation FeedbackSuppliers will receive notifcation o thecontract award by letter.

Following notifcation, it is possible toobtain evaluation eedback rom the Buyer.You can request this in written orm, or viaa ace-to-ace meeting or telephone call.

Whether you have been successul orunsuccessul, obtaining constructiveeedback rom the Buyer is an importantopportunity to get inormation about howyou can improve your perormance in theuture. I practical, and agreed to by theBuyer, it is best to meet the Buyer ace-to-ace as this gives more o an opportunityor you to ask questions and to potentiallybuild a relationship or the uture.

The eedback process can also help

the Buyer, as it allows you to bring totheir attention any problems or unclearareas that may have arisen during theprocurement process which they can eedback into their processes.

The post-evaluation inormation providedby the Buyer usually takes the orm o atable detailing under each criterion yourscore and the maximum score awarded.Comments are also provided against eachcriterion providing you with useul areas

or improvement.

Finally, your overall score will be provided,the score o the supplier that has beenawarded the contract and the position youwere placed in the fnal scoring.

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Complaints ProcessAnyone who has been unsuccessuland eels aggrieved or any reason canchallenge the Buyers decision on thecontract award within the standstill period.

The complaint should be presented inwriting to the main Buyer contact, clearly

stating the nature o the complaint . TheBuyer will have a process in place to dealwith any complaints it receives and thebusiness should receive a response romthe Buyer quickly. However, i no responseis received the complaint should then beescalated quickly to the tendering bodyHead o Procurement.

pdating the Bid Repositoryand DocumentationYour ability to complete tenders quicklyand efciently will improve signifcantlyi you maintain well organised and up-to-date generic inormation or example,CVs, company background, case studies. At

the end o the tender process, you shouldupdate your bid repository with the latestversion o this inormation which may bereused in uture bids. Try to work on theprinciple: create once and use many times.

ToolsDe-brie/eedback orm should be held onfle or uture reerence.

Date post:	03-Apr-2018
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