Free/not so expensive tendering portals

[Lucky8]

Are there any tendering portals that you'd recommend that don't cost an arm and a leg? More for bidding services than manufacturing, and not multi-million pound contracts. But a good comprehensive spread of opportunities nevertheless.

 

[Panoramix IP]

I would also be interested to hear member’s thoughts on this question.

 

[Mr D]

No idea of the name but there used to be an EU wide tender listing site that - using filters - could give some stuff that was relevant. Used it for an organisation with 6 figure turnover up to 7 years ago, occasionally full contracts and often subcontracting based on knowing a particular service was needed.

 

[ethical PR]

Public sector organisations promote tenders on their websites and also have regional websites showing tenders for work.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Tendering for what? To who?

 

[ethical PR]

Tendering for services they require

 

[owas]

Public sector organisations promote tenders on their websites and also have regional websites showing tenders for work.

Our council list most public sectors tenders on their website, which other public sectors would not come under the council list?

 

[Lucky8]

I mean a tendering portal, not individual council websites. Portals that aggregate public and private sector tenders together in one place, and OJEU and non-OJEU.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

What did google say when you searched?

 

[Lucky8]

Probably the same as if you searched. Endless articles about tendering, hard to separate OJEUs from non-OJEUs etc. Hence my request for help. Do you have any help to offer?

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

A quick search uncovered the government list of +£10k contracts, DEFRA portal, London tenders and a few others, all (I am sure are) free to register on!

 

[Lucky8]

Yes, my search discovered all those too. But as I said earlier, I'm looking for a portal that includes private and public tenders. OJEUs and non-OJEUs. Not restricted to London either. If you could point me to a free/inexpensive portal that meets my requirements, that would be great.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

You are unlikely to find anything to do that, especially a free one.

Also, most private businesses do not use tendering portals.

 

[Lucky8]

Most private construction buyers use tendering portals.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Most private construction buyers use tendering portals.

Whilst I don't doubt that some do, especially larger ones, of the 25-30 construction companies I know, only 2 or 3 use a procurement portal.

 

[intheTRADE]

Off the top of my head, have you tried Glenigan, Barbour ABI, LiveLead or WeConnectConstruction.

The latter of those two being the cheaper options (£100-200 per month) and Glennigan and Barbour being very expensive from memory, although it is a year or two since I used either of them.

 

[Lucky8]

Off the top of my head, have you tried Glenigan, Barbour ABI, LiveLead or WeConnectConstruction.

Thanks. I used Glenigan and Barbour years ago, they were pretty good. I only used construction as an example of private companies who use tender portals. I am not now looking at construction tenders, now for services primarily.

 

[ethical PR]

I think you will need to sign up to one of the paid for portals if that is what you are looking for @Lucky8

 

[Lucky8]

I think you will need to sign up to one of the paid for portals if that is what you are looking for @Lucky8

So by paid, I think £100 or thereabouts is fair, but not £3k. Can you recommend a good one around this budget?

 

[ethical PR]

So by paid, I think £100 or thereabouts is fair, but not £3k. Can you recommend a good one around this budget?

No I can't I don't use paid for portals.

I presume you have already done a Google search to do your own research to identify what portals are available, what services they offer and what their costs are.

It doesn't particularly matter what you think is fair in terms of pricing. It matters what those providing the service have identified is a fair price.

You have a choice either using local free portals or pay the going rate for a portal that covers all the areas you are looking for.

 

[Lucky8]

I presume you have already done a Google search to do your own research to identify what portals are available, w

You presume correctly. Obviously.

It doesn't particularly matter what you think is fair in terms of pricing.

It does if I as a consumer have this budget, and out there is a supplier who has a tendering product that falls within it. There are some. It's not strange to come onto a business forum where people share advice and ask if anyone can recommend a couple.

 

[Financial-Modeller]

So having learned that nobody currently provides everything that you seek for free, why not launch your own portal to cater for the gap in the market @Lucky8 ?

 

[Lucky8]

So having learned that nobody currently provides everything that you seek for free

Well I didn't ask that to start with, so I haven't learned something that I already knew.

why not launch your own portal to cater for the gap in the market

That's an idea. Are you offering any useful tips?

 

[ethical PR]

You presume correctly. Obviously.



It does if I as a consumer have this budget, and out there is a supplier who has a tendering product that falls within it. There are some. It's not strange to come onto a business forum where people share advice and ask if anyone can recommend a couple.

That's like saying I want to buy a Porsche, but I only have a £100 and therefore there must be a supplier out there that has something similar to a Porsche, that falls within my budget.

You have looked yourself , you have asked others who use these sorts of sites for advice. You have been told that there isn't a tenders site on the market that does all you want it to without paying the going rate which is in the low thousands NOT £100.

There is no point you saying 'there are some'.... that offer everything that the more expensive portals do a fraction of the price', when there is no evidence that this is the case.

 

[Lucky8]

That's like saying I want to buy a Porsche, but I only have a £100 and therefore there must be a supplier out there that has something similar to a Porsche, that falls within my budget.

No. It's like saying I want to buy a mid-range SUV within my budget, I have been to some garages, seem some mid-range SUVs within my budget, which ones of these do you recommend and are there any others you think I should take a look at?

You have been told that there isn't a tenders site on the market that does all you want it to without paying the going rate which is in the low thousands

Wrong again. Nowhere have I been told that. I mentioned I had seen a couple like that.

There is no point you saying 'there are some'.... that offer everything that the more expensive portals do a fraction of the price', when there is no evidence that this is the case.

Wrong again. The several thousand-pound portals offer added data and archives I have no use for. Over and above tenders. It is not unreasonable to look for a package that is only the tenders which would be cheaper.

Quite frankly, for someone with "ethical" and "PR" in your name, you sure make a lot of wrong assumptions and jump down people's throat for saying things they haven't said.

I have looked at portals within my budget, they're fine. That is the "evidence" you keep wanting to deny (for whatever wierd reason you have). I cannot understand why you are so hostile when someone comes on a business forum asking if anyone else has any recommendations of similar portals?

 

[ethical PR]

Why is it hostile to point out that I am not aware of any national portal that has the functionality you are looking at that cost £100?

If you have found portals available within your budget of £100 which aggregate public and private sector tenders together in one place, and OJEU and non-OJEU, why aren't you using them, rather than coming on here to look for recommendations?

You saying you have found them isn't evidence. Can you name these portals as reference for others looking for something similar?

 

[Lucky8]

Why is it hostile to point out that I am not aware of any national portal that has the functionality you are looking at that cost £100?

Good grief, there you go again. It isn't, I never said that, as you well know.

why aren't you using them, rather than coming on here to look for recommendations?

I don't think you quite understand the concept of researching various solutions, comparing them and asking a place where people are generally helpful to one other for their recommendations which you might not know about, do you?

You might want to try it some time. The helpful, polite, and listening bit. Please don't post anything else in reply to me, you have clearly got some twisted bee in your bonnet and your badgering is not helping answer my query.

 

[ethical PR]

I was helpful to you. You just didn’t want to listen to the advice being offered. @Lucky8

I will presume as you are unwilling to name the two companies you say you have already found which proves your point that you can buy a National tendering service for £100 - that they don’t exist

 

[Lucky8]

I was helpful to you. You just didn’t want to listen to the advice being offered. @Lucky8

Oh god, you're back again.

No, you weren't helpful. If you were helpful, I would feel enlightened by your responses and I'd welcome your input.

But the reality - you know, that stuff that's real, not in your head - is that I have found your badgering significantly rude, your answers irrelevant, and I have had to go so far as to actually ask you to cease repying to me.

Yet here you are, going against my polite request. I don't know what is wrong with you, and what twisted definition you have of "ethical", but would you be so kind as to take whatever it is, elsewhere.

 

[Financial-Modeller]

That's an idea. Are you offering any useful tips?

Given the oddly belligent and antagonistic nature of your replies to the vast majority of the respondents who have taken time to freely answer your question, no.