Tendering to the UK Fire & Rescue Services

How to Respond to an ITT and Write a Winning Tender!

(A Buyer’s Eye View)

Nicol Thornton - Head of Procurement, London Fire Brigade

Paul Schofield - Regional Procurement Manager, East Midlands

Contents:

Part A - The Purpose of a TenderPart B - Compiling the Tender DocumentPart C - The Buyer’s Tender Evaluation Process Part D - Top Tips for Tenderers

Part A

The Purpose of a Tender

What is the Purpose of a Tender?

The purpose of a Tender (or bid) is twofold:- To tell the Buyer how you will meet their requirements and

offer them value for money; and To get the Buyer to select your organisation to supply the

goods or do the work

A Tender has to communicate the total offer you are making to the Buyer in writing. It should be an accurate representation of your organisation which you can be legally held accountable to if you are successful in winning the contract

A Tender should clarify what you will do and how much for; in

other words, what a buyer will get in terms of value from you. Buyers want suppliers who are good to work with and who deliver. The Tender proposal is your opportunity to give them the information they need to make the decision to work with you!

Why Does It Matter?

Contracts are won, and lost, on the quality of the bids submitted

Although it is just one step in a competitive tendering process, your Tender proposal is probably the most critical element

It is your main (and sometimes only) opportunity to introduce your business, explain your approach and solutions to the Buyer’s needs, and stand out from the competition

Being able to write a good Tender proposal is essential and, although there is no one right way to prepare and write a Tender, there are many wrong ones

The Silent Salesperson

A Tender is sometimes referred to as a ‘Silent Salesperson’

This is because a Tender is selling your business to a potential Buyer. This is an important point about tendering that many people, especially those who do not consider themselves to be ‘sales people’, do not always realise. Your tender will either sell, or fail to sell, your solutions and proposals

In order to sell successfully, it is helpful to:-

Know who your competition is - their strong and weak points, and

Know what the unique selling points of your organisation are and what sets you apart from the competition

Understanding the Requirements (1)

A good Tender will demonstrate your understanding of what is required to the Buyer and will propose solutions to meet those requirements

To maximise your chances of success, you must make sure that you understand what is being asked for and why so that you can respond appropriately

The Buyer’s requirements will be set out formally in a Request

for Quotation (RFQ) or an Invitation To Tender (ITT) which you must read, along with any additional information that may be sent to you before you submit your response

Understanding the Requirements (2)

As well as the Specification, the evaluation criteria (the way in which bids will be scored by the Buyer) is a vital piece of information that can help you to understand how to meet the requirements

The evaluation criteria will tell you the areas that are most important to Buyers, and how overall ‘value for money’ will be assessed. In other words, the balance between quality and cost. The Buyer must set out the evaluation criteria in the ITT for all advertised EU-compliant procurements

Buyers sometimes hold ‘Industry Days’ where potential bidders will have an opportunity to meet Buyers (and each other) to discuss the tender documentation and the contract that is being tendered. This usually happens at the early stages of the process - a few weeks after the contract has been advertised. These are important opportunities to seek clarification on what is required, as well as meet Buyers and other prospective bidders with whom you may be competing

What is Expected? (1)

When you submit your bid, Buyers will expect that certain minimum standards will be met

Buyers receive and read many Tenders a year, so making sure that you comply with these minimum standards are critical

If you fail to do any of the following in your Tender, you may risk it not even being fully read and understood

What is Expected? (2) To make sure your bid is properly considered, you must

make sure that:-

You understand and respond to all of the requirements

You can offer value for money You explain how you will carry out the work and

help the Buyer to achieve their objectives You have a positive and professional approach You follow the instructions, including meeting the

deadlines for submission Your Tender is well written and easy to read, and Your Tender follows the Buyers requested reply

structure

Why Do Tenders Fail? Tenders often fail for reasons that are avoidable. Some reasons

they may not succeed are:-

Simple administration failures such as not signing the tender or getting it in on time to the right place and person

Requested additional or supporting information is not provided or bits are missed out entirely

They didn’t answer the specific questions or meet the requirements

They are unclear and inconsistent, or They are not competitive

Being “competitive” means being able to stand out amongst your competition and putting forward the best offer that gives the Buyer good value for money and meets all the requirements. This means being able to compete in terms of price, quality and any other key aspects of your proposals

Preparation and Planning (1)

Before you put pen to paper, familiarise yourself with the Buyer’s Tender documentation, and make sure that:-

You want to bid for this contract (you can deliver it, it is not too risky or costly)

You can meet the deadlines for submission of information

You have the resources you need (including staff) to be able to write the Tender

Preparation and Planning (2)

Only the best Tenders win, and it is important to recognise that putting together a winning Tender will take dedicated time and resources

To help you get an idea of how much time and what resources will be needed, it is good practice to draw up a work plan before you begin to prepare your Tender. This should include:-

How long do you have to submit the Tender? What information is being asked for and how long it will

take to gather this? How long you will need to draft, edit and check your

Tender response? Who else in your team you might need to help you pull the

Tender together? When you might need to be available for presentations,

clarifications or interviews?

Part BCompiling the Tender Document

What Makes a Quality Tender?

A range of factors determine whether your bid will stand a good chance of winning you a tender. These can be summarised as:-

1. Quality of Writing

2. A thorough response to the requirements

3. A good presentation

Part B1Quality of Writing

Good Writing Skills

Writing skills are absolutely critical in Tender writing

Contracts are often lost on the basis of poor writing that is unclear, illogical and fails to get across the key messages of the offer being made

Both the structure and writing style of your Tender are

important to get right

Structure (1)

The structure and order of your bid should:- Be logical Be coherent Follow the order of the RFQ/ITT documents which you

have been sent by the Buyer

Use the structure of your Tender to get your proposals across clearly by:-

linking points and sections together trying not to jump about between sections and pieces of

information, as Buyers will have to work a lot harder to understand your proposals

In very poorly laid out Tenders, important pieces of information can be missed by Buyers, meaning you run the risk of losing marks.

Structure (2)

Follow the structure of the Buyer’s RFQ/ITT document where possible as ITT’s can be ‘broken up’ into key sections - try to avoid if possible a company template response

Be wary of using too many pictures, charts and diagrams. Although images can be very useful in helping to get a point across, using too many may appear to ‘litter’ a bid and may put Buyers off and not provide enough detail

Where the structure allows, try to include an Executive Summary (this should be written last) which summarises the offer you are making and the key messages you want Buyers to take on board when reading your Tender.

Ideally, an Executive Summary should be no longer than one side of paper and Buyers should be able to refer to it to recall details of who you are and what you are proposing to do.

Writing Style (1)

The way you write your tender must be:-

Clear and concise

You must write in a way that is clear and unambiguous and gets to the point; this means:-

Do not waffle Try to avoid weak qualifiers (e.g. rather, very,

really, quite, somewhat) Use plain English Keep sentences short and punchy Be consistent in your use of terminology and

language

Writing Style (2)

Interesting

It is important that your bid gets the Buyer’s attention and they will remember it. You can make your tender interesting to read by:-

Good opening sentences that get to the point Telling the buyer something they don’t know (as

long as it is relevant!) Proposing interesting and innovative solutions

Writing Style (3)

Tenders should be grammatically correct, with proper use of punctuation and good spelling

Do not run the risk of losing a contract because of bad grammar and poor spelling. It looks unprofessional and will make your tender seem hurried and poorly thought through

Check for spelling mistakes and use of apostrophes, commas and so on as poor grammar and spelling can also lead to misunderstandings about what is being said

Try to avoid the use of abbreviations and acronyms, in particular: etc., et al, e.g., i.e.

Writing Style (4)

Personable and professional

It is important to get the tone of your tender right. Ideally, tenders should be personable and give the buyer a sense of the people behind the bid. However, do not:-

Attempt to be funny Condescend or patronise Be over familiar or gush with warmth and praise

Above all, Tenders should be written in a way that is straight forward, professional and positive, and proposes to work with Buyers to meet shared aims and objectives. Remember, your tender is a formal, legal offer and should be written as such.

Part B2

A Thorough Response to the

Requirements

A Thorough Comprehensive Response (1)

Many bids fail to address all the requirements or answer all the questions and as a result are unsuccessful in winning contracts.

You must address all of the requirements set out in the specification; if you do not know what to put down do not miss it out and hope for the best.

It is better to write something than nothing at all; think ‘how can I answer that question?’, rather than ‘can I answer that question?’

Address each and every requirement with a concise, comprehensive response.

Attach any supporting information as an appendix to your tender rather than in the middle of it, as this can make the tender difficult to read.

A Thorough Comprehensive Response (2)

Show that you understand the requirements and the context of the commission by submitting information and proposals that demonstrate your knowledge of the area you are working in, your experience and the skills that you would bring to the work.

Try to work with the buyer; you both want to achieve the same things, so tell them what you will to do help them meet their requirements, including how flexible you can be, what added benefits you can bring and how you will offer value for money.

Be honest about what you can and can’t do; you may be held to your proposals in a binding contract and you must be able to meet your commitments

If you unclear about any of the requirements do not be afraid to ask for clarification.

Evidence and Examples

Do not leave anything to the Buyer’s imagination, or let the Buyer make assumptions about what you are proposing.

It is essential to provide evidence and examples to back up statements and commitments that you make in your Tender. Buyers can only make a decision about whether a bid meets their requirements or not based on the information in front of them.

Do not make ‘empty’ statements without backing them up. Provide relevant examples that illustrate your point.

Do not just repeat the requirements; explain how you will meet them and what you will do

Follow the Instructions Instructions on how to submit your Tender are given for a reason

and you must follow them. Read the instructions, twice!

Buyers normally specify how Tenders should be laid out, the points that should be addressed and when and where they should be submitted. If you do not follow the instructions, you can very quickly and easily fall out of favour with Buyers, and may even lose marks

Raise any queries you may have early on in the process. This is normally through a Tender Query process established by the Buyer in the ITT document

If there are any instructions you cannot comply with, contact the Buyer immediately

Financial Information and Costings

You will be asked to provide costs against the proposals you put forward in your tender.

You will normally be required to complete a ‘Pricing Schedule’ as part of your bid. This may be for a unit cost with quantity breaks, a schedule of measured rates, an hourly rate, a rate per end user, product, or journey, depending on what is required.

You must make sure that:-

You fully cost your services, taking into account overheads and on-costs

You provide enough information for the Buyer to make a decision on whether or not your Tender offers value for money

You provide the information that is asked for in the format requested

Part B3

A Well Presented Tender

Presentation & Layout

Your Tender should always be typed

When typing, use the same typeface all the way through; do not write too small or too large (Arial point 12 is about right)

An index is helpful, with pages clearly numbered and supporting information clearly labelled

Submit your tender in a file or preferably have it professionally bound

Keep sentences and paragraphs to a reasonable length. Bullet points are useful to clearly set out information.

If you are copying and pasting, be careful that the information is consistent all the way through

Part C

The Buyer’s Tender Evaluation Process

Why Does Tender Evaluation Happen?

The Tender evaluation process happens to make sure that:- The Buyer can decide which Tender offers the best Value

for Money An objective decision is reached, and The decision process is fair, open and accountable.

Tender evaluation happens once tenders are received, following the deadline for submission

The evaluation process can take anything from a week to a few months, depending on the complexity of the tender and the process being followed

The timescales for the decision making process should always be published with the tender documents

When Does the Tender Evaluation Process Happen?

An evaluation panel, usually made up of at least three people, evaluate tenders received

The panel team could include a procurement specialist, as well as technical specialists and staff from the Buyer’s company

The team may also seek input from specialists in areas such as finance, equalities & diversity, health and safety or HR to help evaluate the bids

Sometimes external representatives are involved (e.g. service users) to help score all, or parts of, the tender proposals

Who Evaluates Tenders?

The Tender Evaluation Panel evaluate:- The Pre-Qualification or Contractor Questionnaire

(technical, financial and economic capability of the organisation to deliver the contract) for a 2-stage bid

The Tender: the proposals and the price for delivery of the contract

Presentations or site visits may also be required to help the evaluation team make their decision

The Panel may also evaluate whether or not the tender has been submitted and presented in the correct way and that the tendering instructions have been complied with

The evaluation of the quality of the proposals and the price form the overall assessment of Value for Money

The price/quality split is decided at the outset of any process and depends upon what is being purchased

What is Evaluated?

The panel evaluate tenders by scoring them against a set of evaluation criteria (sometimes called ‘award criteria’)

The criteria are used to decide:- Which organisations meet the requirements of the Pre-

Qualification Questionnaire Which Tender best meets the requirements of the

specification and offers the best quality Which Tender offers the best price, and Which Tender offers the best Value for Money (a balance of

quality and price).

All of the evaluation criteria are weighted – this means they have different levels of importance

Some criteria are mandatory and if not met, will mean that the Tender will be excluded

Evaluation of Pre-Qualification Questionnaire

In a 2-Stage Tender Process, a PQQ is used to shortlist to a manageable number of suppliers to invite to Tender

The PQQ is evaluated to make sure that bidding organisations have the financial, economic and technical capability to deliver the contract

If organisations cannot demonstrate their capability to deliver the contract, they will not be considered

Financial: Is financially viable and can manage the contractual income

Economic/Technical Capability: Has the right experience and organisational arrangements to deliver the contract and has the necessary policies and procedures in place, and is not in breach of any law or legislation

Evaluation of Tender Proposals and Price Tenders are typically marked out of 100%. The Tender response will

be evaluated to determine which bid offers the best Value for Money

For example, out of 100%... 40% of the marks might be available for ‘Tender Price’ 40% of the marks might be available for ‘Quality’ 20% of the marks might be available for ‘Delivery’

Price will normally be evaluated on the basis of:- Whole life costs (over a pre-defined period) Affordability, and A sound commercial arrangement, offering a reasonable

return for the supplier

Sometimes Tenders are evaluated on the basis of ‘lowest cost’, where only the price is considered. This only happens in certain circumstances and will always be made clear at the start of the procurement process

Tender Scoring (1)

The tender proposals are evaluated according against a range of sub-criteria, or even sub-sub criteria. A maximum number of marks are available for each criterion

Some examples of tender evaluation criteria:-

Quality of customer service Compliance with monitoring and contract

management arrangements Satisfactory staffing and management arrangements Compliance with legal obligations, and Knowledge and ability to work with client or user

group

Tender Scoring (2) Scoring systems vary; there is no ‘one way’ to score a tender

Typically, a sliding scale is used, for example 0-5 where:- 0 = no marks (very poor or no response) 3 = average marks (partially meets requirements with a

qualification) 5 = full marks (very good response which exceeds the

requirements)

The average score awarded by the panel for each criteria is used to calculate the overall score

To be considered, Tenders have to meet a minimum standard; which will be specified in the Tender documents

Tenders may be excluded for certain reasons, for example if they fail on some of the legal or financial checks

The tender scoring the highest marks will be awarded the contract

Principles of Tender Evaluation (1)

There are strict rules governing how tender evaluation must be carried out:-

All tenders received for any one contract are scored according to the same criteria, following the same process, by the same people

Evaluation criteria and weightings must directly correspond to the specification

Criteria and weightings must be decided before tenders are advertised and cannot be changed once the tender is ‘out’

All criteria that will be used to evaluate the tenders and their weightings must be published in the tender documents

Principles of Tender Evaluation (2)

The criteria used to evaluate the PQQ and the tender cannot be the same

The highest marks are awarded to Tenders that meet or exceed the contract requirements

Tenders should not be compared against each other, but should be scored according to whether or not they meet the requirements

If the contract is going to be awarded to the tender offering the lowest price, this must be stated and made clear in the tender documentation, and

Scores must be awarded based on what is submitted in the tender only - not on the basis of any prior knowledge, experience or opinion of an organisation, or personal interest.

Why Do You Need to Know About Tender Evaluation?

Understanding how your Tender will be evaluated is important when you are preparing your Tender because:-

The Buyer’s requirements are clearly outlined, so you know what they are looking for

You can see which of the requirements are important and which are less so, by looking at the weightings and the amount of marks available for each criteria

This means you can provide the right amount of information for and place the right amount of emphasis on each requirement (or criteria)

You can be prepared for a presentation or visit as you will know if this may be required as part of the evaluation, and

You will know if any quality standards are required to deliver the contract

Mini-Competitions Within

Frameworks – One Provider Where a framework Agreement is with just one provider,

call-offs under the agreement should be awarded on the basis of the terms laid down in the Agreement

It is the same principle as that applying to a normal contract, except that with a framework agreement, there will be an interval between the awarding of the framework itself and the calling-off of the goods, works or services under it.

There can be no substantive change to the specification or the terms and conditions agreed at the time that the framework is awarded.

Mini-Competitions Within

Frameworks – Several Providers Where frameworks for the same goods, works or services are

awarded to several providers, there are two possible options for awarding call-offs:-

Option One: Apply the terms of the framework agreement Option Two: Hold a mini-competition between capable

providers

Mini-Competitions Within

Frameworks – Several Providers

Option One:

Apply the terms of the Framework Agreement

Mini-Competitions Within

Frameworks – Option One Where the terms laid down in the framework agreements

are sufficiently precise to cover the particular requirement, the authority can award the call-off without reopening competition

The OJEU Regulations do not exactly specify how this should be done

The OGC has written some guidance to support this Option and give some circumstances under which a direct call-off is permissible

Mini-Competitions Within

Frameworks – Several Providers

Option Two:Hold a mini-competition between

capable providers

Mini-Competitions Within Frameworks – Option Two (1)

Where the terms laid down in the framework agreement are not precise or complete enough for the particular call-off, a further or mini competition should be held with all those suppliers within the frameworks capable of meeting the particular need

This does not mean that basic terms can be renegotiated, or that the specification used in setting up the framework can be substantively changed

It should be noted that there is no scope, at this stage, to run a selection procedure, based on technical ability, financial standing etc

It is more a matter of supplementing or refining the basic terms to reflect particular circumstances for the individual call-off

Mini-Competitions Within Frameworks – Option Two (2)

Examples of circumstances are:-

Delivery timescales Special Invoicing arrangements and payment profiles Additional security needs Incidental charges Particular associated services, eg installation,

maintenance and training Particular mixes of rates and quality Where the framework terms include a price mechanism

Mini-Competitions Within

Frameworks – Option Two (3)

Where a mini-competition is held for a particular call-off, the contracting authority should consult in writing (invite to tender) the providers within the framework that are capable of meeting the particular need

This does not necessarily mean that every provider in the framework must be included

Part D

Top Tips for Tenderers

Top Tendering Tips (1) DO answer the questions and address the requirements DO provide a clear and logical structure within your

Tender DO back up statements with evidence DO illustrate points with relevant examples DO NOT waffle and DO write clearly DO present your Tender well - clearly referenced and

labelled DO make sure you understand what the Buyer wants DO read the instructions carefully ... twice!! DO stick to the point, although Buyers do like original,

fresh approaches DO plan and prepare properly DO NOT make any assumptions! DO make sure you have included all the necessary

information

Top Tendering Tips (2) DO make sure you know what the evaluation criteria and

weightings are before you start to put your bid together DO think about how the criteria and weightings will affect

how much information and emphasis is needed for each criteria or requirement, for example, is ‘Skills and Experience of staff’’, more important than ‘Delivery times’? How will this impact on your Tender?

DO NOT be afraid to ask If you are unclear about the criteria or scoring system that will be used

DO NOT include lots of additional information unless you think this adds value and is relevant – Buyers can’t score what they haven’t requested

DO make sure someone who is familiar with the Tender is available for Tender clarification once it has been submitted - The evaluation panel may need to ask for more information in order to come up with a final score

DO label and reference your Tender package correctly and in accordance with the Buyer’s instructions

Tips When Responding to e-Tenders (1)

DO NOT fill the tender information in on-line, save the documents to your PC to fill in

DO read all the available information posted and ensure that you meet all the requirements before filling in your response

DO make a note of any key deadlines and actions DO NOT alter the original tender documents; responses

should be inserted in the spaces provided. Additional supporting information can also be submitted to justify responses

DO use the online Q&A facility if you have any queries about any aspects of the process

DO make sure that you review all additional information or amendments when they are published

Tips When Responding to e-Tenders (2)

DO NOT leave it until the last minutes/hours before the deadline; late responses are generally not accepted

DO ensure that ALL your submission is uploaded, including any additional supporting information, before submitting the response

DO ensure that your file naming convention corresponds to the structure of the Tender, so that the Buyer can re-assemble your Tender document easily

DO NOT include publicity material in your submission unless you have specifically been asked to do so

DO contact the authority well in advance of the deadline if you have technical problems or are unable to submit your response electronically

Further Reading and Guidance The best guidance on how to prepare your Tender will be

in the Tender documents you are sent, under ‘Instructions for Tendering’. These instructions will explain exactly what you must to do submit your tender and what information is required.

There will also be a contact name in the Tender documents who you can contact if you have any queries.

Guidance on how to prepare a Tender can be found on the internet, in particular:-

www.businesslink.gov.uk www.berr.gov.uk

Questions?