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Looking For Evaluation Tenders? Here Are The 4 Main Types of Evaluation Services That Buyers Seek

Posted on by John Hudson

Are you looking for new evaluation tenders to bid on? Here’s why buyers outsource these services…

If you’re looking for evaluation tenders, it’s good to start by understanding the types of projects buyers procure.

Evaluation methods need to be in place to determine the effectiveness of projects, performance outcomes or to summarise data. The four main types of evaluation are process, impact, outcome, and summative evaluations.

Buyers will establish which evaluation method they require before breaking it down into different services. In this blog, we go through the four types of evaluation methods, and why buyers will seek to outsource these.

The four main types of evaluation tenders that buyers seek:

Process Evaluation

Process evaluation tenders are used by buyers to effectively measure the activities of a project/programme. It will look at the overall quality of the project, and if it is reaching the right people. In this process, you will answer the following:

  • Is this project reaching the necessary audiences?
  • Is the audience interacting with all the aspects of the project?
  • Have you had to make any changes to the project? If so, then why?

Impact Evaluation

Impact evaluation tenders are procured by buyers in order to assess the immediate effect of a project. This will analyse if the project has fulfilled the required objectives. With the main questions being:

  • How effective has the project been?
  • Has it achieved the intended objectives?
  • If not, then why was this the case?

Outcome Evaluation

Outcome evaluation tenders deal with long-term effects that have been brought about from the project. For example, measuring whether the final objectives have been achieved and if the project was a success. Usually, buyers will seek this type of evaluation three to six months after the project has finished. This allows them to fully understand the outcome. Questions answered during this process are:

  • Has the project achieved what it intended to do?
  • Were there any outside factors that affected or contributed to the project, and did it change the objectives?
  • Have there been any unintended outcomes of the project? If so, were they good/bad outcomes and what was the result of them?

Summative Evaluation

With summative evaluation tenders, this will be done at the end of project. This will be to assess whether the project has achieved its goals. This can determine whether it needs to continue, if it needs to be changed, or if the project is completed. To establish these points, it will look at the following:

  • Has the project achieved its goals in the given timeframe? Does it need to be extended?
  • If it needs to be extended, in which capacity will it be?
  • If the project is not working entirely, can it be adapted to work? Or does the whole project need to be stopped?
  • Is the project sustainable?
  • Are there any elements that are affecting the project that can be worked on?
  • Has the end goal changed in any way? 

Before posting an evaluation tender, the buyer will establish which method they are seeking. From this, they will determine the type of service they require, based on the evaluation they are seeking.

The most common types of evaluation services include:

  • Testing
  • Participation review
  • Data collection
  • Financial reports
  • Performance review
  • Qualitative

Why do buyers procure evaluation services?

There are a number of reasons why buyers require evaluation services. Ultimately, they want to know that what they are implementing is working. Buyers are more likely to outsource evaluation services because they don’t have the manpower or time to do so in-house. They may not have even considered the need for evaluation services when starting the project. By outsourcing these, it helps improve their next project. Here are three reasons why evaluation services are helpful for buyers to have in place:

  1. Peace of mind

It shows that the project is working and that the time and effort put into it was indeed for something. Seeing the project analysed in full will ensure that there is continued development.

  1. Improves knowledge

By evaluating projects, buyers can continue to learn and improve their knowledge. They can better understand their target audience and gather information that can improve their services/products. This will all feed into continued development. It will also show to the outside world that they know what they are doing. This will ultimately improve their trust with clients.

  1. Retains quality

Establishing what is working and what isn’t ensures that the buyer is, in fact, doing what they need to do. Sometimes unpredictable changes can occur that can affect their business. Keeping ahead of these will ensure they don’t fall short with their stakeholders, service users or clients.

In summary

Evaluation tenders can be broken down into these four evaluation methods:

  • Process evaluation
  • Impact evaluation
  • Outcome evaluation
  • Summative evaluation.

Buyers will seek these services to ensure that the projects they implement within their organisations are working. Allowing them to continue their development and achieve set goals.

Once they establish what evaluation method they require, they will then break this down into services they require for this. Evaluation tenders will usually procure the following services:

  • Testing
  • Participation review
  • Data collection
  • Financial reports
  • Performance review
  • Qualitative

How can Research Tenders help?

Knowing the types of evaluation tenders that are available is the first step in your search for new tendering opportunities. With Research Tenders, we can help make the search smooth sailing! We know how time-consuming sourcing new tenders can be and the admin work that goes into it. A subscription to Research Tenders includes:

  • Access to a wide range of exclusive, public, and private sector research contracts in the UK
  • A daily email bulletin, sent straight to your inbox when new opportunities are uploaded
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants each month.

You’ll have 24-hour access to our Research Tenders portal where you will find opportunities for:

Book a free live demo with Research Tenders to see how we can help your business grow.

Here are just five examples of evaluation tenders we have previously sourced on our platform:

Evaluation Consultant

Horniman Museum and Gardens – London – Budget: £20,000

FGM Pilot Clinics Service Evaluation

NHS England – Yorkshire and Humber– Budget: £33,333

PS22045 An Evaluation of the Socioeconomic Impact Arising From BBSRC’s Investment in Wheat Research and Innovation

UK​ Shared Business Services – South West – Budget: £75,000

North East and Yorkshire (NEY) Local Net Zero Hub Programme Evaluation

South Tees Site Company – North East – Budget: £100,000

Post Occupancy Evaluation for the LLDC

Transport for London – London – Budget: £180,000

Found an evaluation tender and need help with bid writing?

You don’t always have the time or resources to write a winning response in-house.

Outsourcing to bid writing experts can help. Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, offer four levels of bid writing support. They boast an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of bid writing experience. They have four bid writing packages available:

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, we can support with the writing. Our Bid Writers can write the tender response for you. They can even provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Mentor 

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. Our Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvement prior to submission.

Tender Ready

During the Tender Ready service, our Bid Writing Team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, they can review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. Once the programme is complete, you’ll have access to three days’ worth of bid consultancy. This can be used for bid writing, tender reviews, or general advice and guidance.

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers can assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Want to save even more time? Enter Discover Elite…

Upgrade to Discover Elite to ensure you never miss a tender, even when you are busy. The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool and the Become a Pre-Bid Master packages can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. They can help save you even more time when searching for evaluation tenders.

With Discover Elite, you get:

  • An annual subscription to a maximum of two Hudson Discover sector-specific portals
  • Either five or seven tender breakdowns per month, depending on the package you choose
  • Weekly phone calls with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss viable tendering opportunities
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid strategy.

Get in touch with us today to get started in your search for evaluation tenders.

The 5 Most Common Types of Social Research Tenders

Posted on by John Hudson

Are you looking to source new social research tenders? Here is where to start…

Before you begin to bid on social research tenders, you need to understand why organisations require social research services. But you also need to know what types of social research tenders there is.

In this blog, we identify the five most common types of social research services that buyers will seek and why.

What is social research?

Social research is carried out so that we can learn about people and society. By understanding the nature of human society, we can use this knowledge to develop products/services to better suit the public. Improving our understanding of health and wellbeing, as well as many other factors like leadership, psychology, and sociology etc.

When conducting social research, researchers will look at human behaviour, socio-economic groups, location, and trigger topics.

Why do buyers procure social research services?

You may be wondering why organisations procure social research services. This is because it allows for continuous development in society and contributes to continued evolution.

What type of social research tenders are there?

When looking to source social research tenders, you need to understand which type of social research the buyer is requiring. What information are they trying to gather? And how can you help?

Here are the five most common types of social research tenders:

Community welfare tenders – These contracts will aim to enhance the welfare of communities. Often, you will find public sector contracts linked to these services.

Behavioural understanding tenders – This breaks down society further, looking at social groups and their behaviours. Social research tenders of this type will usually be related to companies who offer services/products to the public. This will allow them to predict trends for future growth and support offerings.

Knowledge improvement tenders – Gaining insight into society’s beliefs, where they stemmed from and their level of knowledge. Social research tenders within this category will allow companies to understand certain issues. From this, they can begin to work on how they can be resolved. Social research tenders within these services are usually linked to non-profit organisations and government contracts.

Social progress tenders – Very similar to the above point, but it takes into consideration, prejudices and misconceptions. By obtaining this information, it allows for developments towards more inclusive societies.

Tenders for formulating new theories – This applies to overall societal development. Researching new fields of study, ideologies and theories can aid in new behavioural changes. This can lead to new development in technologies, government policies and teaching methods. A good example of this is to look at mental health services. Researching what is impacting mental health in society can lead to new therapy methods to combat the issue.

Summary

When sourcing social research tenders, you need to establish your remit of what type of research services you can provide. Buyers will require research on different topics to aid in their development and continued growth.

Common social research tenders can be broken down into the following categories:

  • Community welfare
  • Behavioural understanding
  • Knowledge improvement
  • Social progress
  • Formulating new theories.

The first step in understanding the buyer’s needs is to understand what your services can provide them. This will be identified in their specifications. You may also find that your services can you crossover into others. Providing more opportunities for you to bid on. Once you know this, you can begin to search for social research tenders.

Do you need help with searching for social research tenders?

If you’re struggling to find suitable tenders and don’t know where to look, Research Tenders is the perfect solution!

A subscription to Research Tenders can offer your business:

  • Access to a wide range of exclusive, public, and private sector research contracts in the UK
  • A daily email bulletin, sent straight to your inbox when new opportunities are uploaded
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants each month.

You’ll have 24-hour access to our Research Tenders portal where you will find opportunities for:

Book a free live demo with Research Tenders to see how we can help your business grow.

Here are just five examples of social research tenders we have sourced on Research Tenders:

Social Covenants & Charters Research

Equality and Human Rights Commission – North West – Budget: £10k

Euro 2028 Bid – Socioeconomic Impact Research

The United Kingdom Sports Council – London – Budget: £65k

Developing Communications & Engagement Resources to Support an Increase in Diversity of Participants in Research

NHS E I Office – Yorkshire and Humber – Budget: £80k

Healthcare Access, Experience & Outcomes Research – Socially Deprived Communities

NHS England – Yorkshire and Humber – Budget: £100k

Research Development & Evidence Framework

Defra Network eTendering Portal – South West – Budget: £80million

Found a social research tender and need help with bid writing?

You don’t always have the time or resources to write a winning response in-house.

Outsourcing to bid writing experts can help. Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, offer four levels of bid writing support. They boast an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of bid writing experience. They have four bid writing packages available:

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, we can support with the writing. Our Bid Writers can write the tender response for you. They can even provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Mentor 

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. Our Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvement prior to submission.

Tender Ready

During the Tender Ready service, our Bid Writing Team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, they can review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. Once the programme is complete, you’ll have access to three days’ worth of bid consultancy. This can be used for bid writing, tender reviews, or general advice and guidance.

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers can assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Want to save even more time? Enter Discover Elite…

Upgrade to Discover Elite to ensure you never miss a tender, even when you are busy. The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool and the Become a Pre-Bid Master packages can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. They can help save you even more time when searching for social research tenders.

With Discover Elite, you get:

  • An annual subscription to a maximum of two Hudson Discover sector-specific portals
  • Either five or seven tender breakdowns per month, depending on the package you choose
  • Weekly phone calls with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss viable tendering opportunities
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid strategy.

Get in touch with us today, to get started in your search for new social research tenders.

3 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Winning University Research Contracts

Posted on by John Hudson

University Research Contracts – The Ins & Outs

Securing university research contracts can present lucrative opportunities to research business. Essentially, they aim to further the academic mission of a university. Scientific understanding will be increased, or new conceptual ideas and inventions will be created through the research contract. Due to the number of universities, there are usually opportunities to bid for university research contracts. With this blog, we’ll clear some confusion, and offer some tips to help you write these contracts.

The types of university research contracts you can come across are expansive, including;

  • Amendments / Amending Agreements
  • Collaboration Agreements
  • Consortium Agreements (multiparty collaboration agreements)
  • Data Access / Data Sharing Agreements
  • Equipment Loan Agreements
  • Facilities Access Agreements
  • Framework Agreements
  • Heads of Terms (HoTs)
  • Material Transfer Agreements and more.

MoU vs NDA…What’s the difference?

If you’re working on university research contracts, it’s likely that you’ve encountered Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs). We’ve noticed our clients confusing these on many occasions, so here are the differences. Non-Disclosure Agreements occur between two parties when there is a need for security regarding sensitive information. NDAs can take place either before or after an agreement. The main difference is that it’s legally binding, in that there are serious consequences if one party breaks the terms.

Compare this to a Memorandum of Understanding, you can clearly see the difference.

When two parties begin a relationship, they often enter into an MoU first to express their desire to work together. Strictly speaking, an MoU doesn’t create a binding contract and therefore doesn’t compel the parties to enter into a relationship. Parties to an MoU can walk away from the MoU if they feel that it is not meeting their requirements. Sometimes, an MoU can even be used during the probation period.

3 tips to improve your chances of winning university research contract tenders

1.    Don’t hesitate to sub-contract!

One of, if not, the best ways to build your experience in bidding for university research contracts is by subcontracting. This way you’re gaining on the ground experience, and your size as a company matters less in the delivery. It’s the best way to learn the proverbial ropes and understand the tendering process from the ground up! Subcontracting can be seen as a steppingstone to winning larger university research contracts, where you’re the main contractor.

2.    Managing your bid effectively

If you’re familiar with the tendering process already, you’ll know how much work goes into your bid. The last thing you want is a late submission which essentially makes all your hard work redundant. Always keep your team on their toes! Organise progress meetings to check in with everyone. These will really highlight each person’s individual contributions to the larger team. Alongside this, set internal deadlines so you’re keeping up to date with your own progress. There are many more bid management strategies that you can adopy to stay on track.

3.    Providing relevant case studies

When you’re providing evidence for university research contracts (such as case studies), it’s advised that they’re relevant. This sounds obvious but too many suppliers throw irrelevant case studies and testimonials out there and hope for the best. Make sure to frame your evidence around the tender, ensuring a close fit. The closer your evidence is to the research contract, the better.

Where can I source university research contracts?

Running your own business takes up a lot of your time. The last thing you want to be doing is trawling through hundreds of websites and searching for university research contracts. Luckily for you, we have a solution.

Enter…Research Tenders.

Research Tenders is an easy-to-navigate, centralised portal hosting live research tender opportunities from across the UK.

Below are 5 past examples of university research contracts sourced on our portal:

Employee Survey and Analysis or Associated Employee Engagement for 2gether Support Solutions

East Kent Hospitals University – South East – £18k

GB-Leeds: PE2021-22/814 Citizen Science Projects – Digital Platform Research

University of Leeds – Yorkshire and Humber – Budget: £25k

High-Fidelity Sequencing, With Results Data for Two Plant Tissue De Novo Sequencing Projects

The University of Nottingham – Eat Midlands – Budget: £46k

PURCON1013 – Civic University Collaborative Platform

University of East Anglia – Eastern – Budget: £50k

Scotland’s Centre of Expertise on Climate Change – ClimateXChange Postdoctoral Research Fellow Grant

University of Edinburgh – Scotland – Budget: £135k

A subscription to Research Tenders can offer your business: 

Access to all exclusive, public and private sector website tenders in the UK.

  • An on-hand Account Manager is available to answer any questions you may have about tenders for university research. They can help you understand the procurement process and answer any questions you have about the tendering process in general.
  • A daily email bulletin is sent straight to your inbox when new, sector-specific opportunities are uploaded.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants each month.

You’ll have 24-hour access to our Research Tenders portal where you will find opportunities for:

  • Market Research
  • Academic Research
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Research
  • Survey tenders and many more.
  • Book a free live demo with Research Tenders to see how we can help your business grow.

In summary

So, we’ve arrived at the finish line to this blog on university research contracts. You’re now aware of the complexity of university research contracts, alongside where to find them. What if you need a recap? Not to worry…

  • Where can I source university research contracts? – An exploration of the smart option when it comes to sourcing university research
  • MoU vs NDA – What’s the difference? – When it comes down to it, MoUs take place before the contract, and they are not legally binding. NDAs on the other hand are legally binding and can take place just after the contract ends.
  • 3 tips to help your university research tenders succeed:
  1. Don’t hesitate to sub-contract! – Understanding the wealth of experience offered with sub-contracting.
  2. Managing your bid effectively – Using strategies such as progress meetings and setting internal deadlines to ensure you submit your bid on time.
  3. Including relevant case studies – Ensuring that your evidence falls in line with the university research contract.

 

Need help writing your next tender?

If you don’t have the resources or time to write a winning bid, why not outsource it? Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of collective bidding experience. They offer four bid writing support packages to help you on the path to success. Whether you’re new to tendering, or simply need someone to proof your written response before you submit – we can help.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is designed for those who have never tendered before. This 4-week programme works with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Tender Improvement can help if you’re already tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous submissions and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance on how to improve, helping you to secure university research contracts.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written a tender and need someone to proofread it – Tender Mentor is for you. A Bid Writer will double-check it’s in line with the specification and free of any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect tender but don’t know where to start – we can help. Send the specification over to us and our Bid Team will do the rest. They’ll let you know what they need from you and provide you with a full breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your business.

Get in touch to find out more information.

Want to save even more time?

Upgrading to Discover Elite will ensure you never miss a tendering opportunity even when you’re busy!

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool offers your business:

  • An annual subscription to a maximum of two Discover portals of your choice.
  • Up to five bid breakdowns per month to help you make your bid or no-bid decisions.
  • Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable leads and tendering opportunities.
  • Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Public and private buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid strategy.

We’ve Rebranded!

Posted on by John Hudson

Our parent company, Hudson, is going through a complete rebrand and so here at Research Tenders, we have a new look, too!

You can check out our new logos and colour palette below:

   

   

We hope you like it, we know we do!

Remember research tenders is the place to find all the latest research contracts and tender opportunities from around the uk.

 

HUDSON PROCUREMENT GROUP UNDERGOES MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT

Posted on by John Hudson

Procurement Policy – Major Research Project!

Hudson Procurement Group is currently undergoing a major research project into how businesses supply government and publicly funded bodies, in a bid to create an open, fair and transparent process by anyone spending public purse.

As part of our long-term growth strategy, we will be launching our Procure Smart platform. This research will be used to inform our knowledge as we move into our next venture – dispelling the myths and overcoming the misconceptions surrounding tendering and procurement, for all.

Whilst conducting this research we will be assessing how and where tender opportunities are published in the wider public domain. In our early stage investigations, we have discovered mass confusion amongst both buyers and suppliers regarding terminology and procurement policy, we want to eliminate this and produce these findings to advise both sides of the buy and supply table.

One of the main aims of this research project and long-term goal for Procure Smart is to gain clear insight into public spending. Through our own exploration, we have uncovered some confusion surrounding freedom of information policy requests, mainly what is available and what is not.

Our Growth Director, Jill said ‘During my 16 years’ experience working in public sector procurement, I have noticed major discrepancies between buyers and suppliers. As part of our long-term growth strategy, we are working towards complete transparency within the procurement sector by evoking a change in current government policy.

‘We want suppliers to feel like they’re not wasting valuable time when submitting a tender response, and we want to ensure SMEs flourish by ensuring easy access of opportunities and a clear understanding of what is firstly available, and secondly what is right for their business’.

Our goal will ultimately help buyers and suppliers procure more effectively across the UK and beyond, as we lobby for smarter procurement practices to be embedded in certain legislation[s].

The launch of Procure Smart will drastically improve the way that procurement policy is conducted in the business to business industry, especially with the likes of a looming Brexit and the disconcert surrounding this.

For further information regarding this research please feel free to GET IN TOUCH!

Remember you can also view the latest research contract opportunities on this website also.

To access information and training into tendering and procurement please see TENDER VLE!

ONE WEEK UNTIL TENDER VLE!

Posted on by John Hudson

Procurement training platform, Tender VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) will launch next week on 1st June 2018! This is an ideal platfrom to use if you are new to tendering or struggling to secure Research Contracts. 

We have spoken about this new project in many of our recent blogs – but what can it do for you?

Who will benefit?

Tender VLE considers three tiers of experience when it comes to procurement training. We have modified our content to adhere to different levels of understanding that we have categorised as;

  • Start – Complete beginners guide when it comes to tendering and procurement.
  • Develop – Familiar with the processes and may have even undertaken a role in the procurement system previously.
  • Excel – This section refers to those who may already be working as Bid Writers or as part of a wider bid management team.

What is it?

 Tender VLE is an online procurement training platform. It’s the first of its kind as it is completely FREE TO USE! The site will contain video-led masterclasses, delivered by our, in-house, procurement experts, comprising of;

  • Daniel Hall – Content and Procurement Manager.

Daniel has multiple years’ bid writing experience, which is exemplified by his first-class degree in English and has never scored lower than 85% quality score during his Bid Writing career. He will be the first instructor to deliver expert-level content that covers the basics during our launch period and more advanced content throughout.

  • Jill Hudson – Growth Director.

Director and Co-Founder, Jill has over 16 years of experience working as a Bid Writer. She has secured hundreds of contracts for suppliers across multiple industries including Creative industries, the Technology sector and Engineering firms.

  • Kathryn Johanson – Creative Head.

At Tender VLE, our vast experience tells us that the presentation of the bid can be one of the deciding factors between a success and failure. Kathryn heads our, in-house, Creative Team, ensuring that our clients stand out through the responses’ presentation and brand-specific design, especially with the likes of Creative Tenders.

  • John Hudson – Group CEO.

As Hudson Procurement Group’s Co-Founder, John will feature in Tender VLE’s investment masterclasses. John has experience in running multiple successful businesses and will offer first hand, long-term, strategy planning knowledge.

No time to watch the videos? Don’t worry! Each video will be accompanied by a fact sheet containing a condensed, bullet-point version, summarising each topic and a short blog that discusses the points clearly.

Why Tender VLE?

Whilst working at all levels and on both sides of the procurement industry, our experts noticed substantial knowledge gaps – leading to a complicated process. The aim of Tender VLE is to simplify the whole procedure for suppliers by clearing up any misconceptions when tendering for new work. There are many consultancies out there who provide this information and training at a cost and we know that if everyone is provided with this type of information freely, then this levels the playing field with all SME operators nationally.

Want to request a topic?

We will be adding videos to the procurement training site on a regular basis so please feel free to request a specific topic and our procurement experts will do their best to cover it in as much detail as possible.

Please send all requests or further queries via our Tender VLE LinkedIn forum.

Don’t have the time or resources to bid for work? We understand that it can be a lengthy process, get in touch with our Tender Consultants HERE to see how we can support your procurement efforts even further.

Tender VLE will launch on 1st June 2018 and can be accessed via
www.tendervle.co.uk completely FREE!

We’re here to help you SUCCEED!

Tendering for Research Contracts Doesn’t Need To Be Complicated!

Posted on by John Hudson

Tendering for Research Contracts doesn’t need to be complicated

We’ll repeat … TENDERING FOR RESEARCH CONTRACTS DOES NOT NEED TO BE COMPLICATED!

There are many factors to why people assume tendering is overly-complicated. This is usually down to the amount of time it takes to complete and how mundane the process is. Yes – there may be 5000 pages of specification but hey … who doesn’t love a bit of light reading!

The three things you MUST possess when tendering is PERSISTENCE, PLANNING & POSITIVITY!

Let’s get past the moaning and downtrodden attitude to how ‘complicated’ tendering is and break the process down to show how easy it actually is!

In order to de-complicate the situation – let’s look at a few things that are deemed complicated when tendering. This includes:

1. Terminology

The number of abbreviations flying around is becoming increasingly common in the procurement world. Terms like RFQs, ITTs, PQQs, DPS, and RFPs seems like they are only used to confuse us into a state of literary decline. Let’s simplify:

PQQ Pre-qualification questionnaire – this is usually a stage-1 questionnaire asking about specific company details like insurance and similar contracts you’ve worked on etc., along with simple ‘yes and no’ questions making sure you’re not fraudulent and you pay your taxes etc.
ITT Invitation to Tender – we can sometimes forget out the PQQ and jump straight into an ITT, which is usually where your quality and costing ratio comes in. This is where you price the job at hand and answer several technical questions about your ability to undergo the work in accordance with usually detailed specification/scopes of work.
RFP Request for Proposal – very similar to an ITT where cost and quality are assessed however RFPs are used in situations where the client either can’t – or doesn’t want to – define the scope of work up front to an adequate level of detail, meaning you need to be very descriptive and state a clear proposal to what’s needed.
RFQ Request for Quotation – The RFQ is a lot like the Tender, however typically smaller in size and scope. They’re often more geared towards clients who are seeking pricing information for a defined scope of work or supply of materials or equipment. Detailed proposals are typically less often sought here.
Framework A Framework Agreement is an agreement between one or more businesses or organisations. If you enter into a framework agreement, usually you will be one of many suppliers contractually bound to deliver against buyer requirements.
DPS Dynamic Purchasing System – A DPS is similar to an electronic framework agreement, with two exceptions, new suppliers can join at any time and it is to be run as a completely electronic process. DPS is used exclusively by public sector organisations and can be considered as a ‘competitive supply chain’, where all chosen supply chain members regularly compete for work via ITTs and RFQs.

2. Opportunities

These are extremely broad with hundreds upon hundreds of opportunities released daily! Customers tend to wish to have one main platform to source the most relevant opportunities to grow their business. Wouldn’t that be great? Currently, opportunities are typically shared through typically problematic electronic algorithms across multiple platforms, either showing you irrelevant opportunities or no opportunities at all.

Keeping it simple – sign up with our industry-specific portals via Hudson Discover to receive daily opportunities, sourced from the hundreds of UK tender portals. These are manually searched and published on a daily basis by a team of procurement-based staff, not computers. We are the first company to do this and the feedback we have is out of this world

3. Portals

There are thousands of online platforms, websites and communication systems that are evident across UK procurement. Some portals are outdated, complex and an all-around pain to navigate. Our team have used them all! Just make sure you know your key focus areas and process-knowledge for each website – these are working your way around:

  • Downloading all tender information;
  • Asking/monitoring clarification questions from other suppliers/the buyer;
  • Submitting the tender;

Every website should have a ‘help’ section – don’t be afraid to use it and/or contact the people who run it.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was one platform for everything? For every industry? For every buyer? WATCH THIS SPACE– we are working with national professionals to work on a user-friendly, affordable and globally accessible platform to condense UK procurement in a one-stop-shop fashion.

4. Writing

Not everyone can write in an engaging, concise and straightforward manner. It’s easy telling people what you do, but to put that on paper in a professional way, covering set criteria, is a major hassle for a lot of business developers. Don’t get stressed with it. Just remember 3 key focus areas when writing a response to any question:

  • WHAT: what you have done or what you are going to do?
  • HOW: how you have done this (methodology) or how you are going to do it?
  • EVIDENCE: hard-hitting proof that you have done it before- experience/ evidence is key!

We offer Bid Writing services, using our procurement experts with over 25 combined years’ experience of writing tenders. Check us out – Tender Consultants.

5. Losing

What is the point of spending all this time on a bid for it to lose and you to go back hating the process, hating the tender and subsequently hating life itself! Don’t fret – USE THE FEEDBACK! If you didn’t win the work because you lack ISO accreditations (for e.g.)– you know what to do! As part of our provision at Tender Consultants, we have a tender readiness programme that you can use to make sure you maintain a good chance of securing key pieces of work.
All procurement-based processes that most people find difficult/complicated are exactly that because of the lack of understanding of key tender-management processes. We will be launching a FREE training environment (Tender VLE) in May 2018, which focuses on everything tender and procurement based, including profound topics that will completely eradicate the notion that tendering and procurement is complicated.

Let’s leave them procurement pains behind!

We’re here to help you grow, develop and standout!

PQQ BASICS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Posted on by John Hudson

PQQ is something you’ll hear most often in the tendering and procurement world.

The term can take many forms including SQ (Selection Questionnaire), Stage 1 Tender and the recently established ESPD (European Single Procurement Document).

PQQ stands for Pre-qualification questionnaire and it does exactly what it says on the tin!

This is typically the first stage of a tender process and helps the buyer filter through organisations that are more suited to deliver upon their requirements and needs, allowing a select few to be invited to tender (ITT) and making it easier to narrow down competent suppliers. It also ensures any previous convictions or misconduct is declared as per procurement regulations.

A lot of people assume that this is the easy part of the tender process. If you have all of your business affairs in order, then you’d be right! Think of it as an application form. It doesn’t necessarily win you the contract, but it’ll get you to the next stage!

The image below represents what’s featured in a typical PQQ – where you, as the supplier, would complete all relevant fields, including basic company information and registrations etc.

PQQ
PQQ

The PQQ is predominantly a ‘tick-box’ exercise, where you and your organisation state compliance against key legislative requirements in order to do business.

This includes compliance with the likes of:

  • Legal Compliance
  • Financial Standing
  • Insurance Cover
  • Modern Slavery
  • Equality & Diversity
  • Health & Safety Regulations
  • and Environmental Standards etc.

One of the most important aspects to a PQQ is your response regarding technical and professional capabilities. This is where you must list [usually 3] references/contract examples to show the buyer of your capabilities to undergo the required works based on your past experience (see extract below).

ResponseMost questions throughout a PQQ are quite clearly ‘pass and fail’. If you don’t commit to providing the correct insurance cover (for example) – you fail and that’s that!

However, the technical and professional capability is one of the few questions that is scored based on the quality of what is provided.

See our ‘Importance of Relevant Case Studies’ blog to make sure you are ahead of yourself when it comes to contract examples and case studies.

You’ll find PQQ information is quite repetitive and as long as you aren’t breaking the law in any way or have been found guilty of any misconduct, you’ll find you are answering the same information over and over. The more PQQs you complete, the easier they are to submit.

In 2017, the Crown Commercial Service wanted all procurement bodies/suppliers to stop using the typical PQQ and now use an SQ (Selection Questionnaire). This is nothing to worry be concerned about. The bulk of the PQQ questions still remain, with just a few tiny amendments, such as the inclusion of Modern Slavery compliance.

Also, due to the European Public Procurement Reform which kicked off in April 2016, one of the key elements to this was the introduction of the ESPD (European Single Procurement Document).  This is an online electronic form that any supplier can complete, download and submit as part of their bid for a growing number of public procurement agencies, both nationally and internationally.

In a nutshell, a PQQ is a document you complete to show you are both capable of delivery and compliance against specific regulations. Once you’ve passed this point. You’ll then move onto the core part of a tender process – the Invitation To Tender (ITT).

Need further support with your PQQs? Get in touch now with our Tender Consultants!

Start by receiving those all-important opportunities today by receiving a free demo from one of our 10-industry-specific portals that are dedicated to helping you DISCOVER the right tender opportunities to bid for!

CLICK HERE to arrange a free demo!

Why Choose Hudson Procurement Group?

Posted on by John Hudson

Why Choose Hudson Procurement Group?

  • What do you do exactly?
  • How does it all work?
  • Why should I choose you?

Although these questions are being asked less and less due to our growing presence online and current position in the procurement sector, we still want to show you some key traits of our provision and how we work FOR YOU!

We have recognised that across all businesses nationally, contract/tender opportunities are spread so wide that it takes time and unnecessary hassle to source the right prospects for your company. Even if the right ones come through from your many subscriptions on a range of procurement portals, this may be delayed by up to 5-10 days, along with some (if not all) opportunities having zero relevance to your organisation. This is because CPV codes* are being used incorrectly on a major scale by both buyers and suppliers, with some portals not offering the full range of CPV codes available and/or delaying the release of key opportunities due to automatic processes.

*CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) Codes are used to differentiate, segment and classify contract opportunities so that your company can search and receive notifications about the opportunities aligned to your provision/offering.

With over 25 years’ experience and extensive knowledge of tender management and opportunity tracking, the creative and innovative specialists at Hudson Procurement Group is doing something that no other company is doing – We are MANUALLY tracking all opportunities that are released daily from the majority of procurement portals across the UK and take this information to MANUALLY publish daily bulletins that are not only sector-specific, but specific to your actual service. We do not rely on CPV codes, which ensures no mistake, or irrelevant opportunity will ever be sent. Every opportunity posted by public AND private buyers will be provided to you promptly, clearly and consistently on a specific platform dedicated to your sector.

We currently operate 10 industry-specific platforms including:

We offer free demos with a dedicated Account Manager, who also provides live support with our platforms, however, due to the intuitive and user-friendly design, we guarantee minimal support needed.

Because customers are guaranteed to have every opportunity at their fingertips, including the value, location and brief description to what’s required, their procurement practices are effectively improved, eliminating excess time spent on sourcing opportunities and more time on developing their procurement strategies.

However, it doesn’t stop there – due to our combined knowledge and experience, we also offer Tender Consultancy, which supports clients to better understand and maximise procurement practices within their organisation. This includes impartial advice, tender writing, tender training, tender reviews and holistic support with procurement.

We have upcoming systems to support clients EVEN FURTHER in the upcoming years, which include:

  • Tender VLE– a virtual learning environment dedicated to offering FREE tender and procurement training on a range of educational levels (beginner, intermediate & advanced etc.) all in VIDEO & BLOG format;
  • Hudson Discover – a one-stop-shop for buyers and suppliers to use an inter-trading platform. This is to identify buying opportunities for our group of subscribers, making our portals more specific to the needs of our customers. This is already in development as per our ways of working above;
  • Tender Bank– an online platform where customers can obtain multiple documents that will support their tendering efforts, including policies, matrices, methodology templates and written response templates in line with sector-specific objectives;
  • Procure Smart– a user-friendly collaborative platform for buyers and suppliers where they will be able to upload, communicate and submit tender documents online.

 We are Hudson Procurement Group and we are here to ensure we help suppliers, buyers and the overall economy, maintain access to procurement best practices and most importantly DISCOVER relevant opportunities to them!

Why choose Hudson Procurement Group? – I think by now you already know!

Small Businesses, sick of the Government taking money from you? It’s time to turn the tables….

Posted on by John Hudson

Small businesses, sick of the Government taking money from you? It’s time to turn the tables….

So, we are almost half way through 2017 and everybody, especially small to medium business owners, are struggling to keep up with government decisions and how politics has destabilised their playing field with Brexit, General Elections and certain decisions leading to uncertainty in the marketplace.

Such uncertainty is highlighted in the mixed bag of results thrown up by the numerous surveys published since the turn of the year.  For example one survey, Close Brothers Business Barometer, shows that 64% of companies surveyed with a turnover of less that £500k said they were not confident about the UK’s economic outlook for 2017 whereas Yahoo Finance highlighted research carried out by the American Express Global SME Pulse, which showed that 50% of UK SME’s surveyed expect to see growth of at least 4% over the year.

Such is the uncertainty for SME’s that, in a poll by funding-provider Liberis, 58% of all SME bosses listed reducing costs as their priority while a mere 39% said that their priority was to expand their business.

What most businesses seem unaware of is that we are fast approaching 2020, the deadline for the government achieving its pledge to spend £1 in every £3 with SME’s.  Whilst most government pledges are met with a shrug of suspicion and disinterest, it would be worth noting that this particular pledge could add up to £15bn worth of business opportunities.

It seems like a scam?

While you may be of the opinion that the halls of Westminster don’t always echo with the sounds of MPs championing the ‘little guy’, in this case there actually is something in it for you. In 2015, the Cabinet Office announced an ambitious new target to get more small businesses working on central government contracts.

In 2013 to 2014, central government spent £11.4bn with small and medium-sized businesses, by 2020, the government wants to increase this by an extra £3bn per year directly or through the supply chain. As part of these targets, the government has improved the way it buys goods and services to help more small businesses bid for public sector contracts, by streamlining the process and making winning business that much easier.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Matt Hancock said, “This is such an amazing opportunity for the country’s diverse and innovative small businesses, and today I urge them to get stuck in. From computers to uniforms – there are so many opportunities for small businesses to work with us, and I want to see more of them providing value for money for the taxpayer and benefiting from our spending.”

John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service said, “Further opening up our marketplace to small businesses is good economic sense all round – making it easier for them to access and win government business opportunities, whilst encouraging increased competition and market innovation to deliver best value for the taxpayer.”

But aren’t government contracts notoriously difficult to apply for?

Historically, the process was lengthy and complicated but as Emma Jones, the government’s Crown Representative for SME’s recently blogged, things are a now a whole lot easier and she urges businesses to seize this opportunity to bid for and win government contracts.

She goes on to inform that the Prime Minister announced a review of the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), which will look at how they can increase the initiative’s impact and give more innovators their first break and that they realise that working with small businesses with new ideas generates innovation in government.

So, they do want your goods and services and with the government currently looking for everything from toiletries to tax advice, marketing services to interior design, and with the peace-of-mind that comes from knowing that the government pays suppliers within 30 days, it is time to take advantage.

I’m interested, but I’ve never tendered before, what is my next step?

Now that you know all of these great research contract opportunities are out there but are new to the tendering process, please don’t be put off.  Help is at hand in the form of Hudson Procurement Group who will put in place a bespoke solution to help guide you through the process and also steer you to success in landing contracts.

Through Hudson Discover businesses are able to purchase services from our suppliers on ten sector specific platforms.  It also acts as an inter-trading platform allowing buyers and suppliers to trade with one another creating a sense of community and business collaboration.

Our tender consultancy service, Tender Consultants Ltd, allows you to access the best tender writers in the UK, led by Jill Hudson, a focused and energetic Growth Coach. With over a decade of tender writing experience, and growing both UK and international businesses across a range of sectors, Jill has developed bespoke Tender Ready exercises which allows businesses to either take the first steps into tendering, or improve success rates where they may currently be lacking

We offer Tender Training for companies looking for support with Tendering and one to one coaching that is specific to your business and, due to common requests we’ve had from customers, we’ve launched a Tender Writing service for those businesses who wanted tenders writing on their behalf.

Take the first step, click below or call us on 0203 051 2217 today.

www.tenderconsultants.co.uk

www.hudsonprocurementgroup.co.uk