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Dear Bidder We’ve now responded to 200 of the Clarification Questions. Please note that your tender needs to be submitted by 9am tomorrow. 😵 I’ve worked on massive FM tenders, both on the client and bidder sides, so I've seen things from both sides and have empathy for both. But sometimes, I see behaviours from customers that can be pretty frustrating. So, if you’re a customer considering going out to tender, please consider these points. ✅ Speak to the market before you go to tender. Having these early conversations will prep the market and will also give you an opportunity to understand any common themes or issues ✅ Give the market as much notice as possible that you’re coming out to tender. If a tender comes out of the blue then companies are less likely to bid for it ✅ Be realistic about the level of financial risk you expect the bidders to take. If you’re looking for anything more than their profit then you’ll either get this priced in, or it will be a no bid ✅ Review the data pack before it is issued. The majority of CQs could be avoided if the data quality was better ✅ Recognise that the private sector has governance to go through - give them enough time for this ✅ Bidders are much more selective now - gone are the days when you would have multiple bidders for every tender. I recently worked on a £20million tender that only had 2 bidders ✅ Have a call with the bidders once the data pack has been issued ✅ Try and avoid tenders over the Christmas holidays ✅ Be very clear about what risk you want the bidders to price for e.g. volume risk, inflation risk etc. ✅ Consider a commercial model that incentivises the right behaviours
Simon McLaughlin
5mo
All great points, but important to recognise the other side that a lot of bidders ask questions that demonstrate a lack of knowledge of their market or looking for the client to develop their delivery model or give away how the incumbent delivers their services. No issue with advising the volume of historical reactive calls but as soon as the question comes on average cost to repair, it shows they are pricing someone elses model rather than there own, or want to caveat there costs to historical volumes missing the point that there delivery strategy will directly impact repair volumes and their model impacts avg cost of repair. That said communication is key and its disappointing to see some of the legal and/or procurement advice coming out that 1-2-1 engagement go against everyone being treated equally and in my opinion harm the final tender submission.
Andrew Morrison
5mo
James, All good points ... if only they were applied consistently by both buyers and bidders! I would add the following - Try to put all bidders in as close a position as the incumbent provider by sharing as much information as possible and Don't just avoid xmas but also easter and summer holidays. Kind regards, Andrew
A good list James Saunders. In addition to Craig Hill CP APMP point, I would add, be clear on the evaluation criteria (price, quality, Social Value) and how it links to the 'mission' of the buying authority... rather than just a blanket %! This helps to demonstrate a 'joined up' procurement = more attractive to the private sector, imo.
Andrea Mars
5mo
Great points Jim. I would also add to the risks “deductions”. Consider the penalty regime they will apply. E.g. Why do two separate penalties need to apply to one performance failure? Bidders want to deliver a quality service but an onerous deduction regime can drive wrong behaviours and lead eventually to a failed contract. Be collaborative…this does work for all parties!
Craig Hill
5mo
I've seen customer engagement sessions throughout the bid period work well in other sectors (construction) - I think those would help all parties. I'd also add allowing a reasonable programme period to help bidders deliver a quality proposal to that list
Olly Jaycocks
5mo
Agreed James. I will always tell commissioners, the more quality you allow in the bid, the more quality you will have in your contract. Let’s move away from the idea that public sector suppliers have to jump through procurement hoops to succeed, more hoops/red tape = less time spent on displaying the perfect solution
Craig Campbell
5mo
Amen! Really great points James. Experiencing a number of these issues as we speak and a client taking the time to talk to the market would undoubtedly have improved things for all and enhanced the integrity of their procurement tenfold! Let’s hope they’re reading this!
Only 200 CQ's? I've worked on tenders with over 1,000, albeit that some were repeated. As you say James, get the data and information right before you go out to tender and there'll be fewer clarifications required.
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