1. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

2. Overview of the Tender process Are you Fit to Tender? Opportunities - where are they? A few Tips No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

3. EU Directives UK Public Contract & Utilities Regulations 2008/Public Procurement Regs 2011 EU Procurement Thresholds (January 2014) - £100k/£172k services - £4.3m works - £66k framework contracts Requirement for transparency Public money being spent Risk Averse Under scrutiny!

4. Types of Buying Process Restricted tender Process  (including framework agreements) Open tender Mini tender Purchase order - quotes Spend increases No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

5. The Tender Procedure (Restricted) Prior Indicative Notice Contract Notice Pre-Qualifying Stage Invitations to Tender issued Contract Awarded Contract Award Notice Tenders submitted Tenders evaluated 37 (min) days to respond or 30 days if e-notice used 40 days (min) to respond or 35 days with e tender documents Within 48 days No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

6. Framework Agreements A type of preferred supplier list Ideal for small businesses Mini-tenders and call–offs No guarantee of work No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

7. Standing Orders Are laid out in the Financial Regulations for any public body States rules for purchasing dependant on the value of the spend E.G Croydon Council  - £5k -£20k – Obtain 3 written quotes  - >£20k – competitive tendering exercise on London Portal  - >£100k – formal tendering  No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

8. Standing orders vs your business capability/strengths Increase in contract value Over OJEU threshold e.g. up to £50K e.g. up to £25K e.g. less than £5K Up to OJEU limit (£172K approx) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your formal policies Your proposal writing skills Added Value Your marketing capability Your presentation skills Your pricing No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

9. Working StyleWritten Policy Documents Relevant Skills & Experience Business Probity What is Fit to Tender?

10. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Working Style Written Policy Documents Relevant Skills & Experience Business Probity High Value/Long Lifespan/ High Risk Contracts

11. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Working StyleWritten Policies Relevant Skills & ExperienceBusiness Probity Low Value/”One off” Supplies/ Low Risk Contracts

12. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Business Probity Certificate of Incorporation (if applicable) Organisational Structure Chart VAT Registration (if applicable) Accounts Bank details Insurances Ofsted Registration Policies & Accreditations Health & Safety & Environment – including risk assessments Quality – complaints procedure Equality & Diversity Safeguarding Business continuity & disaster recovery plan

13. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Skills & Experience Case Studies References Testimonials Client Lists Business & Professional Members - e.g. NEYTCO Staff CVs Qualifications - NVQ DBS checks

14. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Working Style Operations Manuals Process Maps Training Software Systems e.g. data bases Innovative Products and Services

15. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law For opportunities over the EU threshold http://ted.europa.eu For opportunities with the Government and its agencies > £10K https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder Local Authorities websites and https://uk.eu-supply.com https://www.londontenders.org www.businessportal.southeasteiep.gov.uk Trade Magazines - Nursery World http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/tenders http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/tenders http://readyforbusiness.org/2015/05/tender-opportunities-for- social-enterprise-smes-15/ NEYTCO http://neytco.co.uk/newshttp://neytco.co.uk/news

16. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law All questions are answered, all information requested is submitted, all boxes are ticked and completed Legal/Business Probity Financial/Insurance Policies & Certifications – H&S/CHAS/I8001; Equality & Diversity; Env/ISO 14001; Quality/ISO 9001 Commercial capability – contract/project management; resource management; resource management; H&S, Quality & Env management/HR – recruitment & training Technical capability – technical skills & competencies; relevant experience; references; accreditations & sector specific memberships

17. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law All the instructions have been followed Documents & information requested has been supplied and presented in the order requested All service requirements have been addressed The proposal is focused on the contracting authority and not on the bidder All the contract risks and risks to the buyer have been addressed Social Values have been addressed Criteria evaluation has been addressed Added value

18. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Bidding for opportunities that are not appropriate Late submission Non compliant – policies/finances/insurances etc Not following the instructions of the PQQ/ITT/RFI/Grant application Not focussing on the client Not being mindful of the clients requirements – evaluation criteria/weighting Not completely answering the question Not supplying any or enough relevant evidence or using the same examples In adequate experience Not enough detail – leaving the reader asking questions Not taking into account the competition Not allowing enough time to prepare a great submission Complacency – current incumbent don't provide more of the same!

19. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Keep ahead of the competition - Industry expert - Offer value How ? - Blogs, industry and trade magazines - Research the current incumbents - Identify what your point of difference is - Identify potential clients/funders and form relationships - Nurture current client relationships

20. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law No 2 – Preparation is King! Why? - Will always be ready to respond to an opportunity - Will not miss an opportunity - Minimise stress, time and money How? - Conduct an analysis to identify gaps in current knowledge/documentation and information - Compile an accessible library of information and keep it up to date - Sign up to portals that your potential clients use to advertise opportunities

21. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Risk rejection of submission - Waste of time & money - De-motivating How? - Read the documents – once, twice, three times! - Make use of clarification questions - List documents and information required - Understand the Instructions to Tenderers - Set up a project plan with timelines

22. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law No 4 - Focus on the Clients needs Why? - Risk - Reputation - Reward How? - Research the client - Understand their requirements - Align your services with their strategy and/or need - Identify the benefits – Financial & Social Impact - Articulate the benefits throughout your submission

23. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Readability - All aspects will be covered - Easily evaluated How? - Analyse each question - Relate each question to clients requirements/specification/strategy/objectives/evaluation criteria - Break each question down into sub questions - Highlight the key words - Draft responses in bullet points - Use key words in responses - Identify evidence needed – quantative and narrative

24. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Readability - Easy to Evaluate How? - Use sections - Paragraphs - Sentences - Words - Number & Refer to Attachments/Appendices - Photographs - Graphics Add personality !!

25. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Readability - Client centric – it is all about them How? - Refer to them in your response by name - Refer to their stakeholders by name - Make your response personal by using you, yours etc - Don’t tell them what they should be doing For each item discussed tell them - How the activity/service relates to their needs - How the activity/service will benefit the customer/service user - What outcomes, outputs and impacts will come from the activity/service - How capable or qualified you are in that area - How your solution relates to their evaluation criteria - Back up all your points with evidence from previous projects DON’T LET THEM SAY – SO WHAT?

26. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Will make your Bid stand out - Will mean more points How? Identify what you can offer at no extra cost e.g. - Workshops and seminars for client personnel - Access to real time information via a portal - Employee secondment to community projects - Excellent performance monitoring - Sustainability beyond the lifetime of the project

27. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Readability How? - Plan sufficient time for checking - Read through and check for grammar and spelling - Get someone else to sense check it - Does your bid match the clients specification? - Does the text flow smoothly? - Check that all appendices are numbered and correct in body of submission - Check that all forms requiring signatures are complete

28. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Less stress How? - Don’t try to do everything yourself - Delegate jobs to others - Keep on top of the to do list - Make sure you are familiar with the portal - Aim to submit with at least 24 hours before deadline to allow for technical problems

29. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law Why? - Learn and improve How? - Respond to emails from the buyers - Always take the opportunity to receive more detailed feedback - Always conduct a review with those involved in the process

30. No copying without Blackbird Consultancy permission except as permitted by copyright law

31. Thank you!! info@theblackbirdconsultancy.co.uk www.theblackbirdconsultancy.co.uk