Council Tenders: What You
Need to Know
Writing council tenders can be a great way to get business. But the tendering process can be long, complicated and difficult to understand. Here are some useful things to know before writing council tenders:
A procurement officer will assess your council tenders
Usually council tenders will be assessed by a procurement officer. The procurement officer checks that correct procedures are followed and all companies are treated fairly.
While this may sound complicated, it can mean that you have a better chance of winning the job. As long as your council tenders show that you meet all the criteria, you will be considered.
If you have any doubts about your tender it may be possible to speak to the procurement officer. The advertisement for the council tenders should tell you if enquiries are welcome.
Companies submitting council tenders must be suitable for the public sector
Councils have less freedom to pick whoever they want when they assess council tenders. Council tenders will normally need to demonstrate that you trade properly and treat staff fairly. The checklist varies but normally includes factors such as:
- 3 years of audited accounts
- Environmental Policy
- Insurance cover
... and possibly many more. Sometimes councils will have a pre-qualification questionnaire for you to fill in before submitting council tenders. If you are not invited to submit a tender following this, you will not win the job by submitting council tenders anyway.
Council tenders must comply with English and European Law
This is why winning a contract can be more complicated than winning a private sector contract.
The main thing you need to know for your council tenders is that the public sector is committed to getting best value. This means that they will assess all council tenders to see if they give value for money.
It may come as a relief that price is not the only factor that will decide if your product or service is value for money. Many other factors will be assessed. If your council tenders show that they will get excellent service for a fair price you have a good chance of winning.
By winning a tender you may become a preferred supplier
If your company does win a council tender you may become a preferred supplier. You will still have to submit council tenders, but you may not have to prove that you are suitable for the public sector again.
Councils like to use preferred suppliers. If they already have evidence to show a company is suitable for them it can cut down the length of the tendering process. So while submitting council tenders isn't quick and easy, it's worth it.
