Tender Ready in 10 Steps

1. Tender Ready in 10 Steps Workshop 3 – 4th April Gill Joy, Owen Paterson Intend Business Development LLP Tender Ready in 10 Steps – Aberdeen

2. Tender Ready!! The 10 Steps 10 Creating a Tender Desk 7 8 9 “People” aspects Of Tendering Policies & Standards Presenting Professional tenders 4 5 6 Buyer’s View – prepare and evaluate tenders Presenting Company information Responding to Technical & Quality questions 1 2 3 Understanding the Procurement Landscape Introduction to Tender Documents Market Intelligence & Bid Strategies

3. Agenda for today Step 7 – “People” aspects of tendering Presenting your team and skills mix – templates for CVs, skills matrix Overview of TUPE Group exercise – tackling people-related questions in tenders Step 8 – Policies and Standards for tendering Content for policies (Health & Safety, Environment, Equality & Diversity) and sources of help Standards Typical questions related to policy & standards areas Step 9 – Presentation tips for professional tenders Tips and templates, Writing style, Tender interviews/presentations Step 10 – Creating a tender desk Key roles, tasks – Action Plan for your business

4. “Homework” H • Describe your business activities – the “elevator pitch”

5. “Elevator Pitch” The purpose of your organisation (what you have been set up to do and for whom – not a vague mission statement) Unique selling points – strategic reasons why are you better than others in the market (largest, first to provide a certain service, only provider with range of skills/services, specialist skills such as languages When you were established, your legal status, brief timeline of how you have grown since start-up (1-2 sentences max) Services you provide (bullet points make it easier for evaluator to check these versus their requirements) Your capacity – number of clients, number of end users assisted (per annum or since start up). Number of public sector contracts you have already – name the clients/regions Unique selling points – specific operational things you do that make you better (communications infrastructure, dedicated account managers to ensure clients spend less time managing the contract, etc

6. People aspects of tenders 7 • Presenting your team and skills mix – templates • Overview of TUPE • Group exercise – tackling people-related questions in tenders

7. Team Summary

8. Skills Matrix

9. Curriculum Vitae • Short format • Long format • Create master file of CV content and adapt as needed for each tender • No CV? Provide a job specification for the person you will recruit • Set dates for CV updates (every 6 months)

10. TUPE Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) • Applies when there is relevant transfer of an economic entity (eg majority of employees, clients remain the same, activities similar before and after) • You need to take specialist legal advice to see if TUPE applies • Employees transfer with all their existing terms and conditions, rights and liabilities (eg unpaid wage, disputes) intact • Dismissal unfair if linked to transfer; change in employment T&Cs very difficult so hard to harmonise staff conditions • Outgoing employer must inform and consult with staff/representatives – provide incoming employer with transfer info 14 days before transfer (not in time for tender?) • Some leeway if outgoing employer insolvent

11. People Planning & Management Provide a staffing plan including management and quality assurance support for this service, holiday plans and emergency cover Describe your planned staff structure with information on the reporting lines of key staff for this service Provide a copy of the job specification for the individual responsible for day-to-day management and operation of the service

12. Organisation Structure Client: NAC H Smith Building Services ACME Ltd I M Incharge Director in Charge ACME Ltd C McTavish Project Manager ACME Ltd Name Role ACME Ltd Name Role ACME Ltd Name Role ACME Ltd Name Role Subcontractor Ltd Traffic Management Subcontractor Ltd Lighting contractor

13. People Planning & Management (2) • Recruitment procedures • Training and Personal Development • People Management – Performance, Retention

14. Exercise “People” Questions in tenders Please tell us how you will recruit and retain staff for the support service Please describe your planned staff structure, with information on the skills and experience of key staff for this Service, and show how it fits into your organisation How will you deal with performance issues in relation to staff and what processes of performance management will be used. Describe the process you will adopt to ensure sufficient numbers of staff at all levels within your organisation. Please supply additional information on how your organisation will retain a consistent workforce throughout the duration of the contract. How will you cover staff absence both Planned & unplanned - Short term & Long term?

15. Policies & Standards 8 • Content for policies (Health & Safety, Environment, Equality & Diversity) and sources of help • Standards • Typical questions related to policy & standards areas

16. Health & Safety Policy If you employ 5 or more people you must have a written health and safety policy statement and a record of your health and safety arrangements. It’s about foreseeable, significant risk Need a written document so that you and your workforce are clear about who's responsible for what. “Top dog” responsible Subcontractors should be asked for H&S information

17. Elements of H&S Policy • Adequate control of risks arising from work activities • Consult with employees • Provide/maintain safe equipment • Ensure safe handling and use of materials

18. Elements of H&S Policy • Provide info, instruction and supervision of employees • Ensure employees are competent to do their tasks • Prevent accidents and causes of work-related health • Maintain safe and healthy working conditions • Review and revise policy regularly

19. H&S Related Questions • Demonstrate how policy is translated to implementation in day-to-day operations • How are your staff are trained in H&S? • How you keep up to date with H&S developments? • Incident recording and reporting (RIDDOR)

20. H&S Related Questions

21. H&S Sources of Help • http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/ • Free advice line and visits, funded by Scottish Government on OH or Safety issues • Proformas & help with paperwork • Contractor appraisal document • www.hse.gov.uk • All HSE Guidance docs now free of charge • Database of prohibitions and limitation notices • www.workplacehealthconnect.co.uk

22. Equality & Diversity • EQUALITY= equal value, current term for Equal Opportunities • DIVERSITY=celebrate visible and non-visible individual differences • protects people from being discriminated against on grounds of gender, age, religion & belief, sexual orientation, race, disability… • recognises and removes barriers that limit what people can do and can be (attitudes, behaviour, processes)

23. Single Equality Act • Brings together all equal opportunities and discrimination legislation into one Act • Widens the coverage beyond age and sex discrimination • Act will be implemented in stages - large companies first • Public sector will use procurement as a driver for equality & diversity

24. Equality & Diversity Policy A written policy that covers: • a company’s commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace; • a company’s firm opposition to discrimination and expresses its aim of creating an inclusive and harmonious working environment where diversity is respected; • the benefits the policy brings to the company, its employees and customers. This policy needs to be regularly reviewed and updated.

25. E&D Questions • Please provide details of any positive measures which your organisation takes to encourage the employment of people with disabilities within your organisation • How will you ensure that black and ethnic minority people and other hard to reach equalities groups will be able to access your services? • Please demonstrate how you will meet the needs of specific equality groups in the provision of services (for example special religious or cultural needs, gender specific requirements).

26. Sources of info & help Business Gateway http://www.bgateway.com/Scottish_Enterprise_files/SCO00384__Equality_Policy_leaflet_low_resolution.pdf Equality & Human Rights Commission Scotland http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/scotland/ Equal & Diverse – Dr Donald Macaskill http://www.equalanddiverse.com

27. Environmental Policy • Fits your business scale and objectives • Appropriate to the services/products you offer • Statement – high level objectives for your company, signed off by director, available to all on request, updated • Translates into Action Plan with timescales, responsible staff, specific benefits

28. Action Plan – progress & results Office “Switch Off” campaigns Recycling Identify all applicable environmental legislation and check compliance Develop sustainable procurement policy Increase use of videoconference/Skype to reduce travel Fuel efficiency measures

29. Environment Qs • Please provide details of any Environmental management processes or procedures your organisation adheres to in order to manage environmental impacts. • Your organisation's approach to Sustainability in service delivery, including (but not limited to) reduction of carbon footprint, disposal procedures, and recycling. • Please confirm how you would ensure that your environmental policy is adhered to on site. • If classified as a distributor, please detail what information you would provide regarding products to be supplied to facilitate reuse, recycling and recovering of WEEE, its components and materials, and provide relevant examples.

30. EnvironmentalPolicyHelp & Advice • Greenbusinesspartnership.org.uk • Envirowise.gov.uk • Netregs.gov.uk • Carbon Trust.co.uk • Energysavingtrust.org.uk

31. Standards • Third party certified Quality Management System ISO 9001 or equivalent • Third party certified Environmental Management System ISO 14001 or equivalent • Investors in People • Registration with Care Commission, SSSC etc • Accredited/Approved contractor schemes CHAS, SIA • Membership of trade/ professional associations

32. Presentation tips for tenders 9 • Presentation “bug bears” • General tips, templates • Writing style

33. Presentation issues 20 things guaranteed to make your tender look unprofessional…

34. Presentation bug bears Content not logical Poor bid cover Poor layout on page – not enough white space, line spacing Inconsistent styles for similar content eg CVs, project profiles Fonts difficult to read Mix of different fonts and font sizes Conflicting styles – bold, italics, underlining over-used Incorrect or no cross references No linked contents page/headers Cheap paper Coffee stains on document (yes, it really happens!!) Ineffective binding

35. Presentation bug bears Colours over-used – no “house” style Typos Evidence of Cut and paste Annexes not used correctly Graphics or images illegible Charts meaningless – poor captions Sentences incomplete Comments left in – especially inappropriate ones !!! Inconsistent use of job titles or other key terminology Over use of jargon/acronyms Headers and Footers missing/too “busy” Company name and tender ref missing on pages No Compliance table – poor bid structure

36. Presentation templates • Methodology/ Project management section – workshop 2 • Your team, CVs – workshop 3 • Project references – workshop 2 • Cover pages, Contents

37. Cover pages • Cover page: your logo and that of partner(s), title and ref for tender, date submitted • Inside cover • Compliance table

38. Inside cover

39. Compliance table We believe that our proposal addresses all the requirements of the ITT. The compliance table below identifies the main parts of the proposal where each requirement is addressed:

40. Writing Styles Over-confident/ over-selling (it’s not a brochure or website) Not: You must agreewe are the best qualified company in Scotland to supply this service But: We are fully qualified to meet and in many cases exceed all the requirements you have specified. We have the appropriate resources already in place to deliver an excellent service Vague We have VAST experience in this area….. Need to scope what this means in practice (breadth and depth, years’ experience, etc) We have a W I D E range of ...... services/ clients/ products/methods

41. Writing Styles Avoid Negative words eg.Unfortunately, impossible, unworkable…. Non-discriminatory language Not: After the girls in the admin team receive an order, we complete it within 24 hours.But: When orders are received by the admin team, they are completed within 24 hours. Keep sentences short, use sub-headings to link back to question

42. Tender Interview – Presentations • Take the right people to present (including the project manager or equivalent) • Prepare an overview of the key elements of your proposal • emphasise client benefits in your proposal • add more detail/evidence of understanding requirement to add value to the original submission • Use graphics in slides not just bullet points – talk around the slides not repeat everything on screen • Rehearse your timings – elevator pitch • Prepare everyone in the team for all the questions you think you will be asked!

43. Creating a Tender Desk 10 • Key Roles & Resources • Group Exercise • Action Plan to get Tender Ready

44. Tender Desk Roles Business Development – tender notices/alerts and review, model texts, market research & competitor , check contract awards, partner search, compliance, bid plan, tender writing Admin - bid writing (admin elements), filing/records, supplier profiles prepare, tender library maintenance Technical – input to bid decision, clarify specifications, technical content writing, check subcontractors/suppliers Management – business development, bid decision, bid strategy & business cases, partner negotiation, coordinate bid plan, commercial & legal aspects, sign-off, follow-up evaluation stage, staff training for tendering

45. Tender Desk Resources • Model texts: • Company overview and USPs checklist/ performance stats • Project management/methodology templates • Project profiles / data sheets • Staff numbers, CVs • Cover letters, letters of authority

46. Tender Desk Resources • Certificates, Awards, Registrations, Official Docs: • ISO, IIP, BBA, Disclosure Scotland etc • Product related accreditations COSHH etc • Bank and tax certificates/letters; Insurance policies • Membership of professional associations • Awards (Design, Environment, Innovation, Business, etc) • Policies – UPDATED! and related Action Plans

47. Tender Desk Resources • Tender Search: • Up to date search profiles / CPV codes identified • List of tender sources for your business (see handout & slides from Workshop 1) • Regular search schedule to avoid missing short-deadline opportunities (weekly?)

48. Monitoring performance Analyse number/type tenders published in your sector Analyse Bid-No Bid decisions Time & money spent on PQQs & tenders Win ratios – trends? Analyse client feedback for all tenders/ PQQs

49. Tender Desk Exercise E • Look at the various tasks on the cards • How would you organise them in your business? • Who should be responsible for what? • Do you need more resources? People trained for new roles?

50. Action Plan H