Jane Taylor Sefton MBC Provider Event MERSEYSIDE & PARTNERS RESIDENTIAL FRAMEWORK 2011

Agenda Due North The Chest – North West procurement portal Why register? How to register as a supplier How to search for opportunities Questions

Due North Limited SME Established 2002 Authors of full e-sourcing application Specialise in delivering collaborative procurement portals Over 200 UK Public & Private Sector organisations First system live Durham Council 2002 Winners of two National Framework Agreements

Why Register? Access to 43 authorities within the region Simple registration process Automatic notice of opportunities

How do I register? Access to the internet – Valid address Type in the following URL – Click through the following screens

Search for Opportunities & Register an Interest

Search for Opportunities (supplier tab) If you are a supplier who would like to search and register for tender opportunities you can do so in 3 easy steps: 1. Click on the Portal you are interested in. This will take you directly to the Portal homepage. 2. Once on the Portal homepage, look for the 'Suppliers Registration/Suppliers Area/Register Free' and click on that link. 3. Follow the wizard to register as a supplier.

My Opportunities

How to find the New Opportunity

Location of Tender Documents

Benefits of eTendering Can be accessed 24x7 Access to opportunities published by a number of councils – not just Sefton Saves you time Saves you money on paper and postage Highly secure environment and provides a full transparent audit trail

What the Portal Will do Provide – Contract alerts – Alerts when PQQ, RFQ or ITT issued – Fair, Transparent Tendering Process – Easier communication during process – Warnings when tenders are to close – Ease of administration and cost – Remove the need for post or courier

What the Portal Won’t do! Guarantee business Remove Pre Qualification process Make tender completion any easier! Submit information for you We still have to do the hard bits!!

Top Ten Tender Tips 1. Read the tender documents carefully 2. Study the entire tender document carefully 3. Understand the project/customer need 4. Study the client’s terms and conditions 5. Keep it short and simple 6. Return tender by the date and time given 7. Make sure you adhere to the submission requirements 8. Think “Added Value” throughout your tender 9. If you are unsuccessful don’t forget to ask for a debriefing 10. Keep a record of what you have already compiled

Questions?