Business Focus

Bidding for busines

SMEs are tendering & winning more contracts in the public sector than ever before – here’s how to join them

Martin McBride, Consultant for InterTradeIreland’s Go-2-Tender programme

The opportunity for public procurement on the island of Ireland is currently valued in excess of 13bn per annum, with approximately €9bn in Ireland This scale of opportunity should encourage all companies to consider and apply for public sector tendering contracts. Public contracts can be used as a strategy to buffer against economic cycles, as not only do these provide greater continuity of procurement but also there’s minimal risk of non-payment. Success is already happening for many businesses and if you wish to be a part of it, the pandemic has created a number of major ‘catch-up opportunities’. Sub-sectors such as health and well-being, cyber security, education, government video communications and conferencing, have all established new models of operation in the postpandemic world. Other sectors like renewables, utilities and construction are all being primed for investment by major firms and government seeking to prioritise economic recovery. These present considerable opportunities for SMEs across the island. Can SMEs win these contracts? Of course. One issue SMEs face is that they’re not sure where to find contract opportunities, or they’re cautious about tendering. However, this should not prevent them from pursuing public sector opportunities for two reasons. The first being that opportunities are there and data confirms that SMEs are already winning contracts. Secondly, for those who need more guidance on navigating the tendering process, help is readily at hand. Success is already happening There are close to 200 frameworks in operation on the island of Ireland, with approximately 150 operated by Office of Government Procurement (OGP) across Ireland. Out of these 150, OGP data confirms that SMEs make up 70% of all framework members. Success for businesses has also been encouraged by public procurement rules in Ireland, making frameworks more accessible by ensuring that public sector contracts are broken into lots. These packages mean small firms can deliver and meet the qualification requirements needed. It also facilitates collaboration between companies enabling them to bid for, win and deliver larger, higher value contracts. Help is at hand Awarding a tender can come down to small scoring differences, it is a competitive market and any advice can make a difference. InterTradeIreland’s Go-2Tender programme helps SMEs to improve tendering capability through practical workshops and one-toone company specific mentoring packages. The Go-2-Tender workshops help businesses to analyse the public sector market and consider appropriate bids to pursue. More importantly – and with the addition of supporting mentoring packages – they support businesses to develop stronger bid content to improve the “win rate.” Go-2-Tender workshops can help SMEs to: 1. Develop the right bid strategy; companies should prioritise and focus on tenders that offer the best chance of success, whether in terms of sub-sector, size, geography or technical requirements. Go-2-Tender workshops can help firms to decide when not to pursue a bid too. 2. Gain a greater level of awareness of the public procurement market and where to find upcoming pipelines. This enables firms to identify contract opportunities and prepare in advance. 3. Develop a bid library and write bid content in an engaging and clear way - improving case studies, capability and method statements. Win a share of the market For businesses in Ireland, there has never been a better time to access the public procurement market. Opportunities for SMEs are at an all-time high and frameworks are more accessible than ever before. Previous participants of the Go-2-Tender programme have reported winning tenders valued at €100m so you do not want to miss out! To find out more visit here.