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Tag: professional tenders

TENDER VLE IS NOW LIVE! – ONLINE BID WRITING COURSE

Posted on by John Hudson

TENDER VLE IS NOW LIVE! – ONLINE BID WRITING COURSE

B2B tendering has just been made simple as Tender VLE goes LIVE! The Tender VLE team are very excited to announce that our brand-new platform is now up and running. As we embark on this new tendering venture we would like to remind you of a few reasons behind the creation of Tender VLE.

During the team’s 40-years combined experience we have recognised the ongoing support required for both SME’s and blue-chip companies in relation to the tender process across the UK. We have noticed that many companies do not understand how to tender correctly or lack knowledge in similar areas.

Our goal is to simplify the B2B tendering process by ensuring that buyers and suppliers are on the same level of understanding – thus the birth of Tender VLE!

Company Growth Director, Jill Hudson says ‘We want to make procurement and tendering accessible to all size businesses, so we’ve launched Tender VLE to offer FREE high-quality video master classes at a level that suits you. Don’t be afraid of tendering, embrace the endless growth potential it brings to your business’.

As it stands, Tender VLE has launched containing 16 detailed videos, led by Senior Tender Consultant, Daniel Hall.

Here are the topics that Daniel has covered so far;

Breaking Down the Question – Find out how to tackle a question head-on and break it down into manageable sections. Daniel advises that you start your b2b tendering journey here!

 

PQQ Basics – Covering what a PQQ is, used for, how to complete it and why knowledge of the process is important.

 

Case Studies – How to structure your case studies and why the buyer asks to see this evidence.

 

TUPE – What it is and how it can affect suppliers.

 

Proposals and Instructions – The different approaches to tender documentation and how to comply with the requirements.

 

Clarification Questions – What does a clarification deadline mean, how you should ask these questions and a few things to bear in mind before submitting your question.

 

Time Management – Tips from our experts as to how you can effectively manage your time whilst writing a proposal.

 

Insurance when Tendering – What suppliers should be aware of when it comes to their insurance and which types of insurance you may be required to have before being invited to tender.

 

Terminology – A breakdown of the most commonly used procurement terminology and their definitions.

 

Economic and Financial Standing – How your financial suitability is established and how your turnover should affect your b2b tendering decisions.

 

Common Mistakes Made – As it says on the tin, this video looks into the most common mistakes that we have seen potential suppliers make during the tendering process and how to avoid them.

 

Framework Agreements – What a framework agreement looks like, who should enter into a framework agreement and what you can expect.

 

ITT Basics – What an ITT stands for, what does the ITT stage consist of and what to expect from this document.

 

Self-Cleaning – Defining self-cleaning, potential grounds for exclusion and how to get back in the running following non-collusion.

 

ESPD – An overview of ESPD, how it affects you and the impact of BREXIT.

 

The Tender Journey – What to expect during the tender process, the various stages and how to tackle each of them.

 

If there are any specific topics that you would like to see our Tender Consultants cover, please let us know via our LinkedIn forum HERE

Visit our brand-new Tender VLE platform by CLICKING HERE

 Or contact our bid writing consultants at Hudson Succeed for any further assistance. 

 We are here to help you UNDERSTAND!

TUPE – WHAT IS IT & HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?

Posted on by John Hudson

TUPE – WHAT IS IT & HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?

I know what some of you are thinking – what on earth is TUPE?

One thing we are not here to do, is provide you a whole lot of legal jargon surrounding compliance and adherence to specific laws. This blog focuses on the basics of TUPE and how this applies to suppliers who are tendering!

TUPE is an abbreviation of Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment.

This is commonly used in a range of industries and rarely used in others, however we still think this is useful to comprehend, as this is widely considered across many UK tenders.

Let’s give you an example:

So, Bill, Bob and Ben are all IT Technicians for a local council on behalf of Company X.

Company Y has just won the tender to provide the IT Technical Solutions Contract over a 5-year period for this local council, meaning Company X will no longer provide the services.

To ensure Bill, Bob and Ben are not made redundant or out of work due to supplier changeover, the local council has stipulated that TUPE will apply as part of Company Y’s contract win.

Company Y must then liaise with Bill, Bob and Ben and ensure their transfer from Company X over to Company Y goes without a hitch. They undergo company consultations and inductions and ensure a fair and transparent process is followed, which complies with regulations.

Make sense? – it’s basically a procedure, governed by law, to move employees and any liabilities associated with them from an old employer to a new employer, and when it comes to procurement and supplier changeover, TUPE can be rife!

How does it affect you?

Again, this is used dominantly in some sectors, whilst rarely used in others. You may find you may never have to deal with TUPE. But it’s always good to be aware of what to expect.

The likes of Engineering, Technology, Construction, Utilities, Manufacturing and Logistics, where continuous delivery/support is required with certain buyers from grass-root operatives, means TUPE majorly applies to ensure employees of Company A can continue to work on contracts when Company B takes over.

If TUPE does apply and you have to inherit one or more employees as part of the contract-win, you’ll have to consider multiple things regarding the management of TUPE as per your tender response.

What you should do:

  • Assess the TUPE database! – this may be on a spreadsheet or a similar information sheet – make sure full assessment is made on this. This should detail employee liabilities, such as sick pay, holiday pay, etc. This is where the most basic details of the employee come to light, so you can ensure you can afford the staff you may potentially inherit.
  • Price Correctly! – use the details of all TUPE staff (acquired from the database/information sheet) to ensure you are taking into account clear variances in your pricing model. You, as Company 2 may pay your staff a specific amount, but Company 1 may pay them a lot differently. Take this into consideration.
  • Understand your responsibilities! – do you need to contact the new employees directly or will the buyer bridge this relationship initially? – Understand what you need to do when it comes to managing TUPE staff.
  • Get Help! – in your tender response, if there are any questions on TUPE management, state how you’ll use a reputable and fully qualified legal service for support, advice and guidance to ensure full complicity against the regulations.

If you’re struggling with the mind field that can be TUPE regulations and require some support with your tender management approach, GET IN TOUCH TODAY! Our Tender Consultants are always here to help you understand, prepare and succeed!

How about discovering those all-important opportunities where TUPE may or may not apply? Our Tender Connect service, offers 10-industry-specific platforms providing you will both Public AND Private opportunities across your sector.

Framework Agreement – Top 4 questions to ask yourself!

Posted on by John Hudson

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT – TOP 4 THINGS TO ASK YOURSELF

You’re most likely to see the term ‘Framework Agreement’ scattered across our tendering portals, asking for multiple suppliers to deliver/supply either one or more services/goods across various locations. Sounds pretty broad, right?

Well, through utilising a Framework Agreement, this is a much smarter way of working for a lot of buyers and procurement agencies. Although it may be a contractual headache at times, the long-term aspects to delivery remain progressive and are more and more often used across the UK procurement sector.

See our ‘TENDERING DOESN’T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED’ blog for other terms you may see!

Multi-provider Framework Agreements are quite simply, contracts or agreements between one or more organisations. There is such a thing as a Single Provider Framework, where one provider is utilised for ad-hoc call-off requests for particular services/goods, however, that is a story for another day.

Multi-provider frameworks can be exhibited via the following example:

London-based Council seeks up to 8 Creative Agencies / Freelancers (per LOT) to undergo multiple creative services. This includes:

  • LOT 1: – Digital Design & Branding
  • LOT 2: – Website Development & Build
  • LOT 3: – PR & Marketing
  • LOT 4: – Managed Print Services

As you can see here, the buyer is asking for 8 suppliers per LOT (service), meaning there will be a total of 24 suppliers as part of this contract. Although you may have to share the spotlight with your competitors, it’s a fantastic way of getting your company heard across the Creative Sector and to show your position in the market alongside your competitors. Plus, there’s work and money involved.

The majority of companies argue that if you don’t score the highest tender, then your impending work is decreased by a long shot. Sometimes, you may be right, but a lot of the time you may be wrong.

Here are the 4 crucial questions you must ask yourself when tendering for a framework agreement:

1. How many suppliers is the opportunity open to?

Remember, the more suppliers the opportunity is open to, the more chance of securing a place on the Framework.

2. Do you have a good chance of winning it?

Obvious question you might say, but you’d be surprised at how many organisations go for work that (at the time of tendering) they could potentially deliver but haven’t got the corporate literature or writing skills to make them stand out on paper. Look at our ‘To Bid or not to Bid’ blog to look at what you can do to ensure your success is maximised! 

3. Are you going for multiple LOTs?

Do you have to submit a response per service/LOT? Does this mean you have to submit 4 or more tender responses? – if so, always make sure you have the resource and time to do this. Never replicate your answers, always give as much time to each individual tender/LOT to ensure increased chances of success. It is better to focus more of your time with something that you can deliver better in, than going for all LOTs where other competitors may have the upper-hand. Go for the LOT where you know you can be number one! If you don’t think you’ve got the upper-hand, then should you be wasting time on it.

4. What is the process of contract award?

One of the most important aspects of a Framework Agreement is to understand the process that you undergo when you’re in the framework and how is work dished out? This could work in multiple ways, so remember to read the instructions carefully. Some examples include:

  • Mini-competition – this is where the buyer asks all suppliers on the framework to quote them a price for a specific job at hand. This may include a quality aspect also. The cheapest quote wins!
  • First Supplier wins all – this is where the supplier who scored the highest via the tender process, will be guaranteed all work. If they can’t deliver a specific element, then it will go down the chain to the supplier who scored second. If they can’t deliver, then the supplier who came third and so on – all the more reason to be completely focused on the service you work best in and become number one!
  • Drop down effect – some buyers take it in turns to disperse work. In this case, the highest-ranking supplier would receive the first job, the second highest ranking supplier the second job and so on.

All decisions to how the framework is managed are declared by the buyer in the ITT (invitation to tender) stage. It’s usually transparent from the get go!

Find out how you can receive various framework opportunities straight to your inbox, by BOOKING A FREE DEMO TODAY!

Frameworks can be extremely complex when tendering for works. Remember our Tender Consultants are here to help!