BIDDING FOR CONTRACTS: BY SANDRA DICK
“Make sure you’re as informed as possible,” he says. “Events like supplier days or soft market testing, where the public body will send out a question or hold a conference explaining what they are looking for, are good things to attend.”
When writing your bid, stick to the point. “Every bid evaluator will try to cut through the presentation and get to the details, but badly presented material can mask the quality of the content,” he adds.
“It goes back to what we’re told in school - remember to actually answer the question you’re being asked. You can write a lot of text that doesn’t actually score anything.
“There’s nothing more demoralising if someone is wading through page after page of material that doesn’t say much,” warns Peter.
“It’s something you get better at with practise. You can shortcut the process with help from someone who has done it before, there are specialist services who can help.”
Not all bids are the same Tenders come in diff erent shapes and sizes – as well as values. Some will lay out the criteria at the outset, others will take the form of a series of questions, and some will ask for a ‘method statement’, in which you’ll be asked to explain in more detail how you will provide the service. An ‘open tender’ is a simple process, with interested parties bidding and little dialogue involved. Restricted tenders involve a ‘pre-qualifying’ process, with applications from possible contractors, and the best invited to enter a second stage of competition. Negotiated tendering with a single supplier can occur when there’s a highly specialised contract or if an existing contract is to be extended. It can be why some contracts seem to be awarded without anyone else having the chance to bid. Competitive dialogue is used for complex procurements, when the authority may not have a clear vision of the technical issues,
legal elements and costs of a proposed project. Shortlisted parties may be invited to participate in a conversation about the project, before being invited to submit a fi nal tender for the work.
Points make prizes Tender documents will explain the way the winning bid is decided. “Most have a balance between quality and cost,” says Peter. “They will publish alongside the tender where the points will be scored. You need to understand what you need to win. “If the balance between quality and cost is 70 towards quality, then a low cost off er is unlikely to win. If it’s 70 – 30 the other way, then you can write the shiniest proposal you want, but if someone comes in with a lower cost off er, it will beat you. “You have to realise what your strength is to win. Will you blitz them on price or own them on quality?” For the successful business that cracks the tender code, it can be like winning the lottery. Finally, win or lose, it’s worth asking for a ‘debrief’ so you can see where you hit the spot – or lost the game. Eumonia works with local authorities, UK government and devolved administrations on all aspects of household waste and recycling policy, service efficiency and procurement. It also advises on commercial waste service efficiency, sales and collaborative procurement, and provides support to waste contractors bidding for local authority contracts.
www.eumonia.co.uk
IN JULY, Tiverton & Honiton MP Neil Parish was re-elected as chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Aff airs (EFRA) Committee, writes our Parliamentary Reporter SAMUEL McKEOWN.
As chair, Conservative Neil will securitise and put forward amendments to any governmental plans during Commons debates.
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Aff airs will be publishing a 25-year Environment Plan in 2018 - which Neil will be taking a close interest in and assess whether it is suffi cient.
More broadly, the MP will be holding the Government to account on all commitments to protect and enhance Britain’s environmental regulations after Brexit.
Speaking about what he hopes to implement, Devon MP Neil said: “Short- term, the Government should get on with implementing its air quality plan, which was published recently.
@SkipHireMag
Chair of EFRA, MP Neil Parish is man with a plan
“The Government has already lost in court twice on this issue. It needs to ensure this plan is implemented in full, and air pollution levels are quickly reduced below legal limits.”
Neil also faces the issue of recycling rates stalling in the UK in recent years, but feels emphasis needs to be made between recycling and the benefi ts to local areas - which could change the perspective of the public opinion regarding recycling.
One main issue facing the UK is plastic, and the 8.3billion tonnes of plastic waste has produced in the UK since the 1950s.
Neil added: “I think we are only just waking up to the severe problems caused by plastic waste.
“I also applaud the steps the Government is already taking to ban the sale and manufacture of microbeads. The 5 pence plastic bag charge has also decreased bag use by 83% - a very positive step.”
Neil concluded that the Government
needs to continue to take bold action to cut plastic waste further, including considering ideas such as a plastic bottle deposit scheme.
SHM September, 2017 13
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