With the likes of the NHS, HMRC or local government constantly looking for new suppliers it’s worth investigating opportunities for your business.
All of the general rules around tendering for contracts still apply when dealing with the public sector but there are a few extra things to be aware of and to increase your chances of success.
TimingPart of dealing with the public sector is that you will be given very specific deadlines for different parts of the tendering process. Make sure you meet all of those deadlines and provide any requested information and documents on time.
PatienceBe patient, public sector procurement can be a lengthy process and months can pass between an opportunity being advertised and the contract actually being awarded.
Be in the knowEnsure you have all the information you need as early in the process as possible. This includes the format in which you will be expected to supply your information as well as all the timescales attached to a contract opportunity. This will save you any re-formatting at a later stage or needing to rush for a deadline.
Quality assuranceQuality assurance standards are often very important to public sector organisations and you may be asked for evidence to prove that your business meets the standards required. Our guide to quality management standards explains how they can benefit your business as well as how to implement them. It is always worth asking the buyer about any policies they have on quality assurance when awarding contracts.
PoliciesMany public sector organisations will also require you to operate policies around equality and diversity amongst others. Our guide to employment policies will give you an overview of policies you should have in place and those you are required to implement by law. Make sure you have required policies in place as this can make or break your bid for a contract. Remember that you only have to go through this once and that it will increase your chances of success.
Further guidanceDownload our detailed guide to tendering for public sector contracts (pdf 262KB) for more information about finding opportunities, an outline of the typical bidding process and further details about public sector requirements around quality assurance and company policies.
Finding contract opportunitiesSo how do you actually find about local, national and international contract opportunities? Our procurement opportunities factsheet gives you access to a number of procurement portals in the North West, across the UK and abroad, take a look!
Access to help and supportIf you would like to talk about tendering for contracts and how we could support your business, call the business adviser team on 0845 00 66 888 or use our contact us form.