The tendering process is becoming increasingly electronic in line with the latest legislation, and with plenty of contracts up for grabs through online tendering websites, there has never been a better time for Northumberland-based businesses to get to grips with the process.
Here, Marianne Raine – the founder of training and business consultancy Red Whippet – shares a few of her expert tips on the online tendering process and what SMEs should keep front of mind when applying for opportunities.
As part of iNorthumberland Business Support’s fully funded programme of digital training, Marianne Raine has put together an in-depth training module on ‘online tendering for SMEs’, aimed at local businesses that have never applied for public sector contracts online before, or that have tried but found the process difficult and disheartening.
The module will guide businesses through the pitfalls and highlight the opportunities for them to shine among the tender applications.
Marianne advises that the first step that SMEs looking to get involved with tendering should take is to investigate online tendering websites. She says: “These will help you to find out about opportunities as soon as they arise – search terms such as ‘Northumberland tender opportunities’ on Google to see the most relevant contracts for where your business is based.
“It’s a good idea to register with multiple online tendering websites that are suitable for your business to gain access to a greater number of opportunities. Tendering websites usually concentrate on either a geographical area or a particular sector so, for businesses in Northumberland, the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) website is a useful place to start.”
iNorthumberland Business Support’s online tendering course will give you more guidance on how to register with websites like NEPO and take you through the sign up process.
In order to save time, it is worth remembering that many tenders will ask quite a few of the same questions, so you can prepare a bank of information that you can use in all your responses – for example your insurance details and accounting documents. While you won’t be able to recycle an entire tender, it’s definitely beneficial to have as much as you can ready in advance.
Marianne recommends that SMEs take the time to decide whether each opportunity is right for them. She says: “I strongly recommend that businesses invest the time to look into and consider each opportunity as this can save valuable time, and free you up to work on high quality responses for the projects you really want to work on. In addition, make sure to check whether it would actually be viable for you to take on the work if you were successful, both in terms of finance and resource.
“If not, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t throw your hat into the ring – consider whether you could subcontract or partner with another business on the tender.
An obvious-sounding – yet valuable – piece of advice is to ensure you read every question properly, underline key words and double check that you submit all the required information when in process of putting together your response.
Marianne continues: “It’s also worth remembering that everything you submit should be relevant to the specific opportunity, so resist the temptation to include details of a great project you’ve worked on if it doesn’t fit the brief!
“My final piece of advice is: be confident. When you see the Council or NHS name on tenders, it can be daunting if you don’t have much experience of the process. However, large organisations are aware of the advantages that working with small businesses can have, so have confidence in your offering and response because you do stand a good chance of winning the contract.”
For more advice like this, register at www.inorthumberlandbusiness.co.uk to take the online training course. Other modules available as part of the programme include social media for business, cloud technologies, search engine optimisation and cyber security.
Businesses that complete the online tendering course will be eligible to attend a masterclass with Marianne Raine on Monday 15th June at Blyth Workspace, giving you the chance to further your knowledge and network with other Northumberland businesses. Simply email business@archdigital.co.ukto book your free place.