Applying for public sector tenders

[SenditOver]

Hi guys,

Having never ever done anything like applying for tenders.

is anybody able to point me in the right direction for what i would need to do apply? or maybe even a sample that i could have a gander at to help my learning curve along.

thanks

 

[MrManchester]

ive sent you a message about the tender training cd, might be useful

 

[9_feet_tall]

Having applied many times for these tenders, I have come to the conclusion that micro-companies (less than ten employees) don't stand a chance. If you don't have ISO 9000 you'll automatically lose out to someone who has, and if you don't have a team of legal experts to go over the paperwork, you'll make a mistake which will cost you the tender.

However, if you do manage to jump through enough hoops to win one of these, it doesn't mean you've got the work either. I won a large(ish) tender many years ago - it would have been worth over £200,000, but the authority involved decided to abandon the entire project after placing only £300 worth of orders. Complying with the terms of the tender cost me around £25,000, so I didn't come out of that very well. BE WARNED.

If you aren't already a millionaire, just don't waste your time.

 

[SenditOver]

hmmm.. not filling me with confidence!

£25k just to create a tender document ?! why so much ?! i hadent reckoned it costing anything but the time to create the document

 

[9_feet_tall]

Often the tender document specifies requirements which you don't already have. In my case the client demanded an on-line ordering and production reporting and record facility. I also upgraded several machines to cope with the extra demand - which never appeared.

 

[SenditOver]

so they wont accept you implementing systems AFTER the tender is won ? as long as its within a set timescale?

what if you jumped through all those hoops, spent all that money, but lost your bid due to other competition offering brown envelopes.

are they at least reasonable in that respect?

 

[9_feet_tall]

But I spent the money AFTER winning the contract!
It still didn't do me any good.....

 

[Simon-M]

I wasted many hours of my life looking into this and trying to qualify. The government do not understand how to run businesses and therefor do not understand how to get the best deal. You will be forced to jump through loads of hoops and end up with very little to show for it.

I have done loads of business with US government though because they do seem to be a lot more commercially aware.

 

[SenditOver]

no chance of me leaping before i look with this then.

thanks guys for all your input. plenty of food for thought!