1. Early interventions employment pilot tender
General Guidance Notes for Bidders
31/10/2017

2. Mark Ellis / Jill Smith - Sheffield City Council Commercial Services
Introductions
Andrea Fitzgerald – Senior Programme Manager Employment, Sheffield City Region
Mark Ellis / Jill Smith - Sheffield City Council Commercial Services
31/10/2017

3. Provide general points about bidding for public sector contracts
Aims of the session
Provide general points about bidding for public sector contracts
Highlight some specifics associated with this particular tender
Provide points to putting together a good bid
Make you feel more familiar and comfortable about the process
31/10/2017

4. “Your procedures seem long and complicated Does it need to be this way
We are bound by rules and regulations
We need to manage our risks.
We are spending public sector funds
We seek to be Open, Fair and Transparent
Rules and Regs: in terms of how we conduct procurement
Most significantly the EU Procurement Directives
UK Law (PCR 2015
Procurement Procedure Rules .
Risks: Many of the services which we procure are high risk and we therefore have high expectations of our suppliers.
Public Sector Funds: therefore have to ensure that we get the best possible value for money and maintain continuity of service delivery.
31/10/2017

5. Proposed tender Process
EU compliant Restricted Procedure to take place Autumn 2017
Will be an electronic only tender and conducted via the YORtender Procurement Portal
Restricted Process – used for around 60% of contract let in UK
31/10/2017

6. Restricted Procedure
Compliant with EU law & UK Public Contract Regulation 2015
This is a 2-stage process.
Stage One: bidders fill out a questionnaire and, based on this, a short-list of bidders is drawn up.
Stage Two: short-listed suppliers are invited to respond to an Invitation to Tender (ITT). These documents are evaluated and the contract awarded
At least 30 days to complete the Questionnaire
At least 30 days to complete the ITT (if selected)
31/10/2017

7. Restricted Procedure: Stage 1 – short-listing
Selection Questionnaire (SQ), with three parts:
Part 1: Potential Supplier Information
Part 2: Exclusion Grounds (mandatory and discretionary)
Part 3: Selection Questions
Determines if you are suitable to be considered for the contract, and;
Formal statement that you have not breached any of the exclusion grounds listed.
31/10/2017

8. Aims of the Stage 1 To find out if your company has:
Essential policy in place: e.g. H&S, Diversity etc.
Financial Robustness: 3-Years Accounts or letter from Bank or Accountants
Appropriate Insurance Cover
Employees Liability (£10 million)
Public Liability (£5 million)
Professional Indemnity (£2 million)
Suitable References
At least three recent ones
Relevant to the tenders you will be bidding for
31/10/2017

9. Restricted Procedure: Stage 2 – Invitation to tender
Formally assessment of Short-listed bidders potential to provide the stated requirements against a set of evaluation criteria
We aim to obtain Most Economically Advantageous Tender (not lowest price)
This is based on a mix of Price and Quality
All criteria used in the tender will be weighted
All tenders will be scored against a standard scoring matrix
31/10/2017

10. Standard scoring matrix
Unacceptable Response
Poor Response
Acceptable Response
Good Response
Excellent Response
We will disqualify a bid if:
Fails to achieve at least 50% for any one Quality criterion
Fails to achieve an overall score of 68% or above
31/10/2017

11. A few tips – is it worth doing?
Preparing a tender is time-consuming and costs money. If you don't get the contract, the money and time spent is usually lost - so consider the key points below before setting out to tender.
Analyse the bid documents and make sure you can match the technical, skill and experience requirements.
Do you meet the necessary requirements – e.g. environmental and diversity?
How much will it cost to prepare your bid?
Would the work fit in with your strategy and positioning of your business?
Estimate the costs of fulfilling the contract and whether or not you'd make enough money to justify it.
31/10/2017

12. A few tips – writing your bid
Make sure you match the bid specification and answer all the questions. For example:
State the purpose and origin of the bid
Summarise your work as a contractor, past experience and credentials for this job
Say how you'll carry out the work, and how and when you will meet the client's needs
Explain the benefits and value for money of your bid
Demonstrate your team's skills, experience of similar work and their responsibilities if you win the contract
Explain how you will manage the project
Be practical, but do not make promises that are clearly impossible for you to deliver
31/10/2017

13. A few tips - editing your tender
It is well worth spending some time looking at the presentation of your tender.
Keep sentences and paragraphs short, punchy and business-like.
Use bullet points and headings to break up text.
Are CVs all presented in the same way?
Make sure you have developed a logical argument.
Read everything again. Then get a colleague to read it - checking for meaning, typing mistakes and omissions.
Number paragraphs and provide a contents page so material can be easily found.
Above all, make sure the tender is delivered on time – we will not consider your tender if it arrives after the deadline
31/10/2017

14. YORtender procurement portal
A single procurement approach across Y&H
Used by 24 Local Authorities across the region
View current contract opportunities advertised across the Region
View the contract register which provides a future view of potential opportunities and timescales
Provides up to date tender information for 100’s of other public sectors organisation across England who use ProContract platform
User Guides for instructions on using the system and frequently asked questions
31/10/2017

15. YORtender procurement portal
Suppliers must register on the system
Easy and quick process - don’t leave it to the last minute as it takes a few days for information to be verified
You stipulate your preferred opportunity areas as well as geographical locations you can supply your goods & services
Your interests matched against opportunities and you are sent alerts
Alerts contain links to review, and express your interest in an opportunity
You download all tender document from the site
31/10/2017

16. YORtender procurement portal
All communications (both ways) and queries are conducted via messaging facility within Portended.
Provides a comprehensive audit trail
Your bid documents must be submitted via YORtender – we will not accept paper copies or s sent to individuals with a tender attached
Don’t leave it to the last minute, the portal can be very busy close to deadlines - it’s your responsibility to ensure your bid gets to us on time
All bids are date and time stamped and the tender window will close automatically at the stated deadline time
31/10/2017

17. Summary
Likely to be a restricted procedure conducted via YORtender procurement portal
Process will probably take place in early autumn 2017
If you are in doubt about anything then ask questions (via the portal)
Make sure your bid:
matches the specification, and;
answers all the questions
provide all the information requested
Allow plenty of time to:
Register on YORtender
Upload you bid documents before the deadline closes
31/10/2017

18. Any questions
31/10/2017

19. 31/10/2017