Write Winning & Successful Tender Bids

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Introduction The aim of this guide is to help you get to grips with the tendering and procurement processes; including what you need to consider and how to complete tender documents. From our knowledge we share what to include, what to avoid, how to prepare professional tenders and increase your chances of success. Bidding can be a lengthy process and each tender submission different, meaning there are no templates where 'one fits all' and as anything in business, it is going to take commitment and time. That being said the rewards of winning these contracts will greatly improve the growth and success of your business.

Government Reforms As part of the governments 'Business is Great' and the mission to make it easier for small, ambitious businesses to expand and grow, central government has opened up public procurement.

For years, small firms have found it difficult to do business with the public sector because they have been pushed out by larger companies or deterred by the excessive burdens imposed throughout the procurement process. Central government have made improvements to be rolled out across the public sector, particularly in areas such as procurement by hospitals and local government services where small businesses have a lot to offer. 1


The Government has accepted Lord Young's proposed procurement reforms, which will provide simpler and more direct access for small businesses to the £230bn of annual public sector spending in England. The legislation will be used in 201 4 to: · Cut down on process by abolishing Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQ) for low- value contracts. · Mandate the use of a standard core PQQ for high value contracts and ensure small business needs are taken into account in the design of procurement processes. · Make contract opportunities easier to find by making them all accessible on a single online portal. · Make sure small firms get treated fairly by mandating prompt payment terms all the way down a public procurement supply chain. To ensure that small businesses see the benefit of these reforms, the Government : · Will require all public bodies to report their procurement spend and prompt payment performance with small businesses. · Will prototype a new rating service for small firms to judge public bodies on their procurement credentials and for public bodies to rate their suppliers so that small businesses who win contracts can start to build up their reputations - with a view to rolling the system out more widely during 201 4. · Launched a new trial service - Solutions Exchange- to help public sector organisations to go to the market to ask for ideas and solutions to problems before a formal procurement. The service also provides opportunities for SMEs to pitch innovative proposals to government. Visit http://solutions-exchange.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ and scroll down to 'Supplier' to find out more and register. This is a trial service, sign up and provide the government with the feedback needed to give you with the right service for your needs. · Extend the reach of the Mystery Shopper, so that it not only investigates reports of unfair treatment, but also spot checks public bodies to make sure that their procurement is small business friendly. The results of Mystery Shopper investigations 2


will be made more visible so that poor practice by public bodies and their contractors can be challenged. Go to: https://www.gov.uk/doing-business-with-government-a-guide-forsmes#mystery-shopper-scheme for more information on the mystery shopper scheme. The government has produced some great guides on tendering for public sector contracts including https://www.gov.uk/doing-businesswith-government-a-guide-for-smes with links to quick guides and video clips from SMEs, their tips and how they have benefitted. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.

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our tender or bid is a written presentation detailing how you can meet a purchasing company's needs within a budget. It has often been referred to as “your company c.v.� or the 'silent sales person'. In the 'usual' way of gaining contracts, we will often visit the premises, listen to our potential clients needs and tell them how we can meet them, how we differ from our competitors and provide them with a quote, obviously there is more to it than this but that is a whole new guide. Tendering is pretty much the same, only written and in a format similar to your business plan or c.v. The advantage of tendering, aside from the value of contracts, is that rather than having to answer all the clients questions on the spot, you now have time to think about your answers, no more 'I should have said.....' post walk through.

The Tender Process Once you have found a contract you would like to tender for you would generally be sent a Pre-qualification Questionaire, however with the new initiative being brought in to abolish PQQs for smaller contracts and if you are new to tendering it is recommended that you start your tender bidding with these smaller contracts to gain experience and help build up your reputation. Just to note, 'smaller contracts' are those worth under ÂŁ1 00,000 However it is worth being aware of and what a pre-qualification questionnaire or PQQ is as there will still be some organisations who will require you to complete one and at some point you will be in a position to tender for the larger contracts. The purpose of a PQQ is simple, it's a process to filter out those organisations considered a lower level of risk than others due to financial position or from processes that match the organisation requirements. The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire is sent to you when you express 5


an interest in a contract and will ask for information regarding your previous experience, financial position and references. You will have to provide all the information requested to move forward to the next stage. When providing details of your previous experiences, be sure they are relevant to the contract. The financial information requested will be to ensure that if you were awarded the contract, you have the resources to carry it out. If you can provide references from a company in a similar industry that would be a bonus, but don't worry if not, as long as they are professional, good and fit any criteria all will be well. A sample copy of a PQQ can be found under the Resources chapter of this guide. Once you have completed your PQQ and if it is successful, you will then receive an 'invitation to tender'. Within the invitation to tender you are likely to find further instructions, a deadline date and a letter requesting you to confirm whether or not you will be bidding for the contract . If you are provided with a self-addressed envelope or address label, envelope. You must use this when sending in your bid. You will also be provided with details of what the organisation wants, which sets out what you need to provide and a draft copy of the contract terms and conditions. Finally, a list of criteria explaining how your bid will be assessed, this is usually called the 'evaluation criteria' and is an important piece of information to help you understand how you can meet the organisations needs, what is of highest importance to them and their ideals upon quality and cost.

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Preparation In order to save time before finding a contract prepare and keep

updated a file containing the following general documentation asked for, this includes: Company information, such as Contact details, certificate of incorporation, registered address, VAT number etc Financial information, such as last three years auditable accounts if applicable, profit and loss, management accounts Technical information, such as insurance certificates, accreditations and references. Policies including health and safety, Environmental management, training and recruitment, business continuity and equal opportunity. This list isn't exhaustive and once you get started you will get an idea of the documentation regularly asked for in your field, but preparing in this way can save some considerable time and stress from chasing these documents when you have a deadline to meet. Always check the information requested and only send what is asked for.

Planning Before writing out your tender, it is always a good idea to familiarise

yourself with all the documentation and information you have been given. You will need to make sure you can deliver the level of service the organisation is asking for , within the set timeframes, for the length of the contract and that you have all the resources you require. The factors you need to take into account will largely depend upon your own organisation, as well as the information you have been provided with. 8


Look at the timescales given and draw up your plan around this. Your plan should contain: What information is being asked for? When can you obtain all the information? What needs to go into your bid? Highlight or make notes on the needs set out by the organisation, how can you resolve them (spider charts are a great tool for this). What relevant details can make your organisation stand out from the rest? What is your unique selling point? How long will you need to write up, check and edit your bid? Is there anyone else who could help you ? Is the organisation holding any meetings or information days you should attend. These are great opportunities to receive clarification on what is required and to check out the competition. When planning and preparing your bid there are minimum standards an organisation will expect you to meet, if you fail to meet these standards then the likelyhood is that your bid will not even be read, let alone considered. As harsh as this may sound, these purchasing organisations may have hundreds of tenders to read throughout the year. The minimum standards tend to be: You understand and have responded to all the organisation's requirements. Your tender is tailored to the exact requirements of the organisation, explaining how the work will be carried out and how you will assist them to meet their objectives. You have followed all the instructions given. Your bid is written well, free of significant errors and easy to read You can offer good value for money, not just the cheapest price. Your bid is competitive Your approach is professional and positive. As stated earlier the the purchasing organisation may read through hundreds of bids a year and so their evaluation team are adept at spotting a poorly produced tender.

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side from meeting the minimum standards, to ensure your bid stands a greater chance of becoming a winning bid, it must: 路 Provide supporting evidence of any claims made and any additional documentation provided to be clearly referenced. 路 Demonstrate commitment to contiuous improvement, best practice and the organisation. 路 Show experiences of how your organisation has put theory into practice. 路 Provide clear detail of possible variations.

Tender Presentation Quality of writing

Good writing skills are critical when writing your tender. Whilst you may well be the best man for the job, if you fail to get the key messages across or produce a tender that is unclear with no structure, the organisation is unlikely to consider you further.

Style of writing

The writing style of your tender must be: 1 . Interesting Your bid must grab the evaluators attention and give them something to remember. Provide good opening statements that get to the point, add 11


a piece of 'lesser known' information relevant to them. What innovative and interesting solutions could you propose? 2. Clear and concise Write in a way that is easy to read and straight to the point. Don't waffle on, just include what is necessary. Use plain English and be consistent in your terminology and language use. Avoid the use of weak qualifiers, keeping sentances short should help eliminate unecessary qualifiers that exaggerate your statements but too easily become over used, such as very and really. Also watch out for those qualifying words that can weaken your statements, such as fairly, rather, mostly, generally, somewhat etc, be confident and assertive in your proposals. We do is a stronger statement than we mostly do or generally do. 3. Good punctuation and spelling It would be a very sad reason to lose a contract because of significant bad grammar and poor spelling, with tools like spelling and grammar check, it is inexcusable. As well as making your bid appear hurried and the potential for statements being misunderstood, poor presentation in this way could be deemed as a lack of a commitment to the contract and organisation. 4. Professional, with a personable touch First and foremost, your tender is a formal and legal offer and should be written in a professional way. The tone of the tender should, however give the evaluator a sense of the people behind the proposals. Don't be over familiar and it isn't the place for comedy. Be positive, confident, excited and believe in what you are offering and it will come through in your tender writing.

The Structure

Organisations will either tell you directly the order your tender should be written in or will expect you to follow the same order they have set out in the evaluation criteria or invitation to tender documents. Set out your proposals clearly ensuring the information you provide flows. Don't jump from one point to another and back again. The structure of your tender needs to make it easy for the evaluator to understand your proposals, going off course makes their job harder, important information can be missed and runs the risk of losing points. Following the order set out in the invitation to tender documents is not only of 12


benefit for the evaluator but will make it easier to create a smooth flowing tender. An effective way to break up sections is to use diagrams, charts or pictures to help clarify the points made. Be careful not to use too many, as this can make a bid look cluttered and messy, think of them as a welcome break from the black and white rather than a bombardment of colour distracting them from the written text. It is a good idea when you have completed your tender to write and include a summary of the offer you have made, the main points you want the evaluator to take note of . This is called an 'Executive summary' and should be no longer than one page. It is the 'go-to' page to enable evaluators to re-call who you are and what you are proposing.

Responding to Requirements

It is imperative to your success that your tender proposal answers all the questions and requirements of the purchasing organisation. You must present a solution to every need stated. Ask yourself How can I satisfy this need or How can I answer this question? Can I or Can't I isn't an option. If you are unclear about any of the requirements or questions asked, don't be afraid to ask for clarification. Each response must: Be clear, comprehensive and to the point Demonstrate your knowledge of the area to be worked in, including your experience and the skills you would bring. What will you do to meet their needs? Don't just repeat their requirements, explain how you will fufil them and what you will do. What benefits will you bring to the work? Think about your unique selling point and how you can add to the benefits your competitors may be proposing. What is your added value, making you stand out from the rest? How you will offer value for money? This will usually be covered when answering the above questions. Remember, value for money isn't just about the price. Can you do what you have proposed? If accepted and your proposals were put into a legal and binding contract could you fufil them. Be truthful about what you can do. Attach evidence and information to support your proposals as an appendix. This will ensure an easier read for the evaluator. It allows 13


them to go through your proposals first and know where to go to examine your evidence or for further information later. When an evaluator first looks at your tender they want to know that you have answered all their requirements and develop an interest in you before delving further into the evidence and information. It would be a great waste of their time if they read through each proposal and it's supporting evidence etc to get to find that a later proposal won't meet their needs.

Evidence

When compiling your evidence, make sure it is clear both to read and how it supports you proposal. It is vital that once you have impressed the evaluator with your proposals, you have the supporting evidence and examples to back it up. Don't leave anything to the evaluators imagination. Consider what questions they will likely ask when reading your proposal, look at your invitation to tender documents for clues to the types of questions they are likely to seek answers to. You should be able to back up every statement you make and provide relevant examples to illustrate your points. Costings and Financial information When providing costs of the proposals you have made, you will usually be required to complete a 'pricing schedule'. The pricing schedule will specify what financial information is to be included. Depending on what is required this could be an hourly rate, a rate per product or rate per end user. When providing costs you must ensure; you have provided complete costs, taking into account any on-going costs and overheads. You offer value for money and the evaluator has all the supporting information to conclude this. All the information is given in the requested format and your overall price has been set out in figures and words with the currency and whether VAT is included made clear. Provide details of how long your prices will remain valid. Tender decisions can be a lengthy process, so you will need to consider when your costs tend to incur increases. Consider entering a contingency for any unexpected costs or additional work that may arise. Be sure to explain where and why you have included this in your proposal 14


If this is your first tender bid don't be tempted to bid too low, thinking you will get your foot in the door. The evaluator will either be suspicious of your low bid, suspecting the level of quality you can provide or in the event that your bid is successful, it will be extremely difficult to increase your prices with this organisation in the future. Price your tender realistically and at a cost enabling you to provide a top quality service now and in the future.

Follow the instructions

The purchasing organisation includes instructions for a reason. You must follow them, failure to do so is likely to lose you favour with an evaluator. If you can't/won't do as they ask at the bidding stage, how do they know you will listen to them once the contract has been given.

Your Well Presented Tender

Your well presented tender will be enjoyable to read, easy on the eye and of good quality. To make the most of your chance to win business; Don't hand write your tender, always type it, using the same font style and size throughout (arial 1 2 is a good option).This ensures the look and feel of your tender is consistent and easy to read. Provide an index, clearly numbered pages and clear labeling of supporting information. Present your tender in a file or have it professionally bound Keep sentances and paragraphs short. Use bullet points to make points clearer. Check, double check and check again that all your information is consistent from start to finish.

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Summary

For you to produce a successful and winning tender bid, it is essential that it is: · Of good quality throughout. · Addresses and provides solutions to all of the purchasing organistations requirements and questions. · Structured in the format requested . · Competitive and clearly presents the value you will bring . · Written and presented well

Checklist

1 . Have all the relevant questions and requirements been answered. 2. Can your proposals be carried out and has the supporting evidence been provided? 3. Is the supporting evidence referenced and clearly set out in an appendix? 4. Is everything set out in the same font size and style? 5. Has the document been signed in all the relevant places, double check this always as far too often a tender has been dismissed simply because the bidder has forgotten or missed where they need to sign. 6. Do you have a duplicate copy, somewhere safe, for you to refer to in the future? 7. Has your completed presentation been triple checked? Is there someone else outside of the project that can read and check it over for you? They may bring to light any questions you need to consider further.

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Top Tips For Successful Bids 1 . Plan each point fully, taking each stage one step at a time. 2. Read all the questions and requirements carefully and answer them fully. Make sureyour proposals focus on and cover every requirement set out in your 'invitation to bid' documents, specification and/or evaluation criteria. 3. Always provide supporting evidence or statements for your proposals. 4. Study all documentation, ensuring you understand what is required from and expected of you. 5. Follow all instructions completely. 6. Provide all the information requested, If for any reason you cannot provide information, seek advice from the purchasing organisation for an alternative. 7. Where possible, cross reference your proposal response to the requirements or questions in the 'invitation to bid' documents. 8. What is the objective of the contract? You need to know and understand this, keeping it in mind from preparation to completion. Stay focused. 9. Don't let the documentation put you off, it is okay to ask for help. 1 0. Don't include promotional material inyour tender unless of course you have been specifically asked to. 11 . What format has the purchasing organisation requested your tender be in? Have you complied? Do not send in any other format 1 2. Don't use jargon - stick to plain English. 1 3. Return everything by the date and time given, not a second later. 1 4. Has everything that needs to be signed, been so. Check again.

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Resources

For a range of guides and resources to assist in your business including how to cost your services visit:

http://www.cleaningbrief.com/our-guides-and-services.php

To search for information about contracts worth over ÂŁ1 0,000 with the government and its agencies visit:

https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

For the governments guide on tendering for public sector contracts visit:

https://www.gov.uk/tendering-for-public-sector-contracts

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Examples

Example 1: Invitation to Tender <insert date> Tender for: <insert description> Dear Sirs Invitation to Tender Purchasing organisation invites offers for the supply of <insert description> Your tender must be submitted in compliance with the following documents which accompany this invitation to tender:Instructions to Tenderers Form of Tender (including Certificate of Tender) Specification of Requirements for a # Contract Documents It is the responsibility of the tenderers to ensure that offers are received by 1 0.30hrs on <insert date>. Tenders received after this time shall not be considered, but shall be opened, recorded, marked “Late Tender� and returned to sender. Please acknowledge receipt of this Invitation to Tender by sending a facsimile marked for the ##NAME/TITLE to 01 224-27XXXX##, confirming whether you intend to offer. Yours faithfully <insert name and title>

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Example 2: Tender Acknowledgement Form To: <Purchasing Organisation Name, Department and Address> (YOUR fax no XXXXX XXXXXX) Date: <insert date> Dear Sirs, Re: Tender for: We acknowledge receipt of your Invitation to Tender package. We have received all of the documents listed in the Invitation to Tender without damage and in usable condition. We have read the Invitation to Tender and will tender in accordance with the requirements detailed. OR We do not wish to tender and accordingly return the complete Invitation to Tender package with this letter. Yours faithfully, <insert name and title> For and on behalf of: --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Example 3: Instructions to Tenderers Purchasing Organistaion Tender for: <insert description>

Instructions to Tenderers Form of Tender

Tenders must be submitted with the enclosed Form of Tender, and must be supplemented by all other information and authorities requested in these Tender Documents. Tenderers should note that all attachments and appendices to the Form of Tender shall upon award of Contract be deemed part of the Contract.

Submission of Tenders

The original Tender plus one copy must be submitted in a sealed package or envelope addressed as follows: #Purchasing Organisation Name Department & Address details# Your submission should also prominently display the following message: “TENDER FOR:### COMMERCIALLY CONFIDENTIAL – DO NOT OPEN” The name of the tendering firm must not appear on the envelope, nor must it be visible through the envelope. The Tender must not arrive later than ##. The Tender shall be valid for acceptance for a period of 90 days from the date fixed for receipt of Tenders. 24


Award and Preparation Costs

The purchasing organisation reserves the right to award the contract for goods and services as detailed in this invitation as it sees fit, and may reject any or all of the Tenders received with no obligation to disclose its reasons. The cost of Tender preparation shall be borne in full by the Tenderer, who shall have no recourse to the purchasing organisation for this or any related expense.

Currency, VAT and Summation

The currency of the Contract shall be UK Pounds, and costings shall be prepared on this basis. All sums entered in the Tender are to be inclusive of VAT. All costs which may be directly or indirectly related to the satisfactory completion of the Contract and for which remuneration would be sought shall be clearly detailed and summarised in your tender, or in accompanying paperwork. No other additional charges which could reasonably have been anticipated shall be accepted.

Delivery

The purchasing organisation is working to a target of service provision

before ###. This date may become critical and influence our selection; please consider this when calculating lead times. Please include a detailed schedule which you will implement in order to meet the service requirement. Installation and acceptance protocols and procedures are to be provided. Your offer must include all delivery and on-site service costs including adequate insurances.

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Proposed Sub-contractors

Details of proposed sub-contractors must be supplied, with associated workscopes.

Fitness for Purpose

The Tenderer shall be deemed to have reasonable knowledge of and satisfied itself as to the nature of the purchasing organisations requirement, and any conditions which may affect its tender to supply, in order that the goods and related services offered shall be fit for purpose (see note 1 2, Contact for Queries).

Training and Documentation

Details of on/off-site training required for full local operation to be included, together with Proposals relating to how this should be funded.

Alternative Proposals

1 0.1 You may wish to submit Alternative Proposals which include preferential costings supply or alternative means of delivering best value for money. 1 0.2 Alternative Proposals must be clearly marked so, and be submitted as separate appendix to your main tender.

Change in Status of Tenderer

In the event that after the date of this Invitation to Tender and prior to the award of any Contract, the status or identity or circumstances of the Tenderer is changed in any material way, including but not limited to merger, amalgamation, takeover or any other reorganisation, change of name, or involvement in any action relating to receivership, liquidation, bankruptcy, winding-up or similar action, such change will be notified to the purchasing organisation immediately. Failure to comply with this may result in Tenderers being disqualified, or in the event of any award of Contract shall be deemed to be in breach of Contract. 26


Contact for Queries

1 2.1 All questions relating to the Tender Documents must be addressed in writing to ## NAME AND TITLE, fax number 0XXXX-XXXXXX##. Answers to technical queries shall be addressed in writing to ##NAME circulated as necessary. 1 2.2 The authorised contact for this Tender is ##NAME## and in no circumstances should the substance of these documents be discussed with any other member of the purchasing organisation without the specific written agreement of the authorised contact. Please note : The Purchasing Organisation reserves the right to refuse a Tender which has not been submitted in accordance with the instructions detailed here.

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Example 4: Form of Tender <Insert Contact Details>

For the attention of <insert name> Dear Sirs Tender for : <insert description> Having carefully examined the subject Invitation to Tender dated # and the documents detailed therein:We confirm that we have fully satisfied ourselves as to the nature of the requirements of the purchasing organisation. We hereby offer to supply the services in accordance with your Invitation to Tender and its enclosures as follows: Instructions to Tenderers Form of Tender (including Certificate of Tender) Specification of Requirements for ## In the event that our Tender is accepted we undertake to execute a formal contract with the Purchasing Organisation embodying all of the terms and conditions contained within this offer. Unless and until a formal agreement is executed, this Tender together with the Purchasing Organisations written or telefaxed acceptance shall constitute a binding Contract between us. We agree to abide by our Tender for a period of 90 days fixed from the lodgement date of tenders, and it shall be binding upon us at any time before expiration of that period. We understand that you are not bound to accept the lowest or any Tender received, nor assign a reason for the rejection of any Tender. 28


We accept that any costs incurred in Tender preparation are for our own account. We understand that this shall be deemed to be our only and final offer, and unsolicited re-tenders shall not be considered. We confirm that the person whose signature is appended to this Tender is a duly authorised signatory of our Company and has full and formal legal authority to sign this Tender on behalf of our Company. We understand that if our Tender is accepted we shall be reimbursed for the services in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Contract to be executed between us.

Certificate of Tender

We certify that this is a bona fide Tender, intended to be competitive, and that we have not fixed or adjusted the amount of the Tender in accordance with any other person, body or association.

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Authorisation Signed: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Name (Print): -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Title: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------For and on behalf of: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Full address, including postal code, to which all communications relating to this Tender should be despatched: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telephone Number: ------------------------------------------Facsimile Number: ------------------------------------------List of Documents Included with Form of Tender:

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Example 5: Supplier Appraisal Form

Purchasing Organisation Supplier Appraisal Form Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS or typescript. COMPANY DETAILS Full Name Full Address

Post Code Telephone. Fax. E-mail . Address of Headquarters (if different from above) Telephone. Fax. E-mail. Date your company was formed: 31


Type of company Incorporated # Partnership # Sole Trader # Other (please specify)

BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

Describe briefly the range of services supplied by your company: Give brief details of the areas in which your company specialises: How many people does your company employ? Permanent staff: Contract staff:

FINANCIAL AND GENERAL INFORMATION Turnover in each of 20##20##20##the last three years: ÂŁ

Will you authorise us to obtain bank references if required? YES / NO Name and address of your company’s bankers: Please attach a copy of the audited accounts for each of the last two years. If audited accounts are not available please state why in the box below and attach any relevant financial information which is available. 32


Of what professional and/or trade associations, if any, is your company a member?

EXPERIENCE

Who are your major customers?

May we seek references? YES / NO Company Contact Name. Telephone No. Which other similar purchasing organisations have you supplied goods/services to, and when?

Purchasing Organisation Supply Date

Contact Name Telephone No. Describe any services undertaken during the past two years which may be relevant to the proposed purchasing organisation services:

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Does your firm have a nationally recognised quality monitoring system in place? If so, please provide details . Any other information you wish to provide and/or list of documents you have attached:

Signed for the Company ................................................................ Name (block letters) ....................................................... Date .................. Designation/Title ...........................................................

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Example 6: Simple Contract For the supply of between The Purchasing Organisation

and Your Company

Insert date

Section 1 : FORM OF AGREEMENT Contract for the Supply of: AGREEMENT made as of this day of 20##, by and between Your Company having its principal office at Your Company Address (hereinafter called the “Contractor�), and the Purchasing Organisation, having its principal office at The purchasing Organisations Address (hereinafter called the 'Purchaser') The Contractor wishes to provide a ######### to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser wishes to purchase ########### from the Contractor, all as more particularly described in the documents incorporated here. It is hereby agreed as follows: 35


The Contract shall incorporate: Section 1 : Form of Agreement Section 2: Articles of Agreement and Price Section 3: Specification of Requirements Section 4: The Purchasing Organisations General Conditions of Purchase All of which shall be read as one document. In case of conflicting statements the order of precedence is: This Contract The Purchasing Organisations General Conditions of Purchase The Contractor’s response to the invitation to tender The Contractor’s representative shall be ################, telephone number: ##### ######, facsimile number: ##### ######. The Purchasing Organisations representative shall be ########### telephone number: ##### ######, facsimile number: ##### ######. The services shall be as described in Section 2: Specification of Requirements. The Contractor shall provide the services to the Purchaser in accordance with Section 2: Articles of Agreement and Price. The Purchaser shall pay the Contractor the price in accordance with section 2: Articles of Agreement and Price. Signed for and witnessed on behalf of the Contractor Signed: ----------------------------------------------------Witness: ----------------------------------------------------at: ----------------------------------------------------Date 36


Signed for and witnessed on behalf of the Purchaser Signed: ----------------------------------------------------Witness: ----------------------------------------------------at: ----------------------------------------------------Date ------------------------------------------

Section 2: Articles of Agreement and Price Services to be Supplied

The services to be supplied are those listed as Items #### of Appendix A to the Form of Tender submitted by the Contractor on ####### (a copy of which is attached to this Section as Annex 1 ).

Price

The Price shall be #### as detailed in Clause #### of Appendix A to the Form of Tender submitted by the Contractor, that is £#####.

Delivery

Delivery of all services shall be made to the following address: <insert address> Services are required to commence by <insert date and time>. is included in the Price.

Value Added Tax

The prices contained herein shall include Value Added Tax.

Terms and Conditions (including Payment)

All other Terms and Conditions set out in Section 4 – The Purchasing Organisations General Conditions of Purchase shall apply to this Contract, except that any terms or conditions contained in Section 1 – 37


Form of Agreement, or in Section 2 – Articles of Agreement and Price, which differ from those in Section 4 shall take precedence. Annex 1 to Section 2: Articles of Agreement and Price (To be submitted as Appendix A to the Form of Tender by the Supplier) (Blank page - to be completed by supplier and incorporated in contract) Annex 2 to Section 2: Articles of Agreement and Price (Service Agreements etc.) (Blank page – to be completed by supplier and incorporated in contract).

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Example 7: Record of Tender PROJECT TITLE: REFERENCE: REQUISITIONER NAME: TENDER MANAGER: DEPARTMENT: IS THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF CONTRACT LESS THAN £1 00,000? (Purchasing Services must be consulted on all tenders of £1 00k and above) IS THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF CONTRACT £1 54,000 OR OVER? (All contracts above this threshold must be tendered – by the Purchasing Officer – in accordance with the Public Supply/Service Contract Regulations. Approximately 90 days should be allowed for this). SPECIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS DRAWN UP INCLUDING WHOLE-LIFE COST ELEMENTS? ADVERTISEMENT OF TENDER NOTICE? DATE: _ _ / _ _ / _ _ INVITATIONS TO TENDER ISSUED DATE: _ _ / _ _ / _ _ NUMBER OF INVITATIONS ISSUED DATE SET FOR RECEIPT OF TENDERS __/__/__ 39


NUMBER OF TENDERS RECEIVED NUMBER OF LATE TENDERS SUPPLIERS SHORTLISTED. HOW MANY? PRESENTATION / SITE VISITS ARRANGED? AGREEMENT ON SELECTION BID SUMMARY / RECORD OF SELECTION COMPLETED CONTRACT AWARDED DATE: _ _ / _ _ / _ _ UNSUCCESSFUL TENDERS ADVISED OF CONTRACT AWARD COMMITMENT ENTERED TO SYSTEM CedAr REQ. NO: CedAr ORDER: SIGNATURE OF TENDER MANAGER NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN. DATE _ _ / _ _ / _ _

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he aim of this guide is to give you tips, guidance and confidence to begin growing your business through the tender and procurement processes. Whilst writing this guide, we wanted to simplify the processes involved and help you to understand them and hope we have achieved this. However, as with everything the best way to simplify a process is to do it and so if you are still feeling overwhelmed by all means, visit the government website links provided, watch some of the videos but be wary of overloading your self with information and then simply begin the process. It is really the only way you will ever get to grips with the system. Take the plunge and learn as you go. Once you find a contract that would suit your business, don't be afraid to ask for more information or clarification if you need it. If your tender bid isn't the winning bid, ask why not? The purchasing organisation must give you a response within a set time frame, currently organisation must provide a response within 20 days of your request. This information is an important part of your learning process. Every contract you win helps your business grow, every contract you don't helps you and your business knowledge grow. So what have you got to lose. With all the new government initiatives there is no better time to begin Tendering. If you have any further questions you are very welcome to post your questions to Our facebook page: https://en-gb.facebook.com/thecleaningbrief Twitter: @cleaningbrief or Linkedin Group: The Cleaning Brief 42


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