Supplier Event
Knowsley Council & Crown
Commercial Services
Steve McKeown
Tel: 0151 443 2240
Steve.McKeown@knowsley.gov.uk
Economic Growth &
Competitiveness Manager
Supplier Event
Knowsley Council & Crown
Commercial Services
Emma Graham
Customer Delivery Manager
Crown Commercial Services
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
and Crown Commercial Service
Procurement Event
Wednesday 4th February 2015
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Overview of Crown Commercial Service
 We are an executive agency within the Cabinet Office,
providing commercial and procurement services to the public
sector.
 We are responsible for increasing savings for the taxpayer by
leveraging government’s buying power and centralising buying
requirements for common goods and services.
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Our customers include:
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Central Government Departments
Local Authorities
Health Sector
Education Sector
Not for Profit Organisations
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Offering procurement solutions across
common categories of goods and services:
 Communications
services
 Construction
 eCommerce
 Fleet
 Energy
 Professional Services
(including temporary
staff)
 Office Solutions
(including stationery
and printers)
 Print
 Research (including
science and
technology)
 Technology
 Travel
 Property and
Facilities
Management
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Tendering for opportunities
 CCS must follow a formal process to advertise any new
requirements for goods and services, or if existing
agreements need renewing
 CCS advertise tender opportunities in the Official
Journal of European Union (OJEU) and suppliers need
to respond to a contract notice to become a supplier on
one of our agreements
 Once an agreement has been awarded, additional
suppliers cannot be added
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Where to find tendering opportunities
Contracts Finder
Tenders Electronic Daily (TED)
CCS procurement pipeline page
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Other opportunities – Government eMarketplace
 Online open marketplace
for low value, less complex
products and services
 Customers can submit an
electronic request for
quotation for their
requirements
 Also an online catalogue
linked to our frameworks
 This route enables you to
promote your capability to
supply certain goods and
services on a national or
regional basis without needing
to go through a tender process
 It is a potential route to supply
the public sector – there are
no guarantees of business
 It won’t make you a Crown
Commercial Service supplier
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Small Medium Enterprises
 We work with SMEs every time they are the best value for money
 We are on track to deliver our aspiration of awarding 25% of Central
Government procurement to SMEs, directly or via the supply chain
 We breakdown our requirements to help SMEs bid on a portion of the
goods and services
 In the new Procurement Regulations, Pre Qualification Questionnaires
(PQQs) have been abolished for low value procurements, which previously
ruled out SMEs straight away, with a single standardised questionnaire for
high value procurements
 We introduced the Mystery Shopper Service in 2011, to spot-check
procurement processes to ensure compliance to procurement regulations
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Advice for SMEs
 Choose the right opportunity
o Aim for opportunities under £100,000 where PQQs have
been abolished
o Bear in mind that bigger businesses have larger resources
and can go after more business at the same time
o If you are unsuccessful, ask for feedback so that you know
how to improve in the future
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Advice for SMEs (cont.)
 What to include in your bid
o We want to hear about your innovative solutions and how
things can be done differently
o Demonstrate that you can save the public sector money
and provide at a better quality
o Ensure that you answer all questions properly so that you
don’t eliminate yourself
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Current opportunities
Procurements underway
Category
Agreement
Code
Expected award
date
Fleet
Vehicle Lease and Fleet
Management
RM3710
March 2015
ICT
Network Services
RM1045
May 2015
ICT
Digital Services 2
RM1043ii
May 2015
Professional
Services
Executive Search Dynamic
Purchasing System
PS-2014-ES
Services
ongoing until
February 2018
Professional
Services
Workforce Management
RM1072
February 2015
Communications
Media Monitoring and Evaluation
and Related Services
RM3708
April 2015
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
Planned procurements
Category
Agreement
Planned OJEU
publication date
Planned award
date
Financial
Services
Merchant Acquiring Services
February 2015
July 2015
ICT
Traffic Management
Technology
February 2015
June 2015
Office Solutions
Crown Office Solutions
January 2015
May 2015
Professional
Services
Language Services
February 2015
April 2015
Professional
Services
Employee Benefits Services
March 2015
May 2015
Professional
Services
Grants and Programme
Services
March 2015
May 2015
Professional
Services
Corporate Finance Services for
Government
February 2015
May 2015
Professional
Services
Multi-Disciplinary Health
Temporary Staffing
February 2015
May 2015
Property
FM Assurance Services
February 2015
May 2015
Property
Laundry and Linen Services
March 2015
July 2015
Travel
Crown Travel and Venue
Services
March 2015
June 2015
Delivering value for the nation through
outstanding commercial capability and
quality customer service
QUESTIONS?
Supplier Event
Knowsley Council & Crown
Commercial Services
Rachel Clarke
Services Co-ordinator
Innovas
Tender/PQQ
Hints & Tips
Innovas Consulting Solutions Ltd
rachel.clarke@innovas.co.uk
t: 01606 551122 m: 07760 885 799 w: www.innovas.co.uk
Some Examples of what the Public Sector Purchase
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Construction
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Facilities Management
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Printing
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HR Services
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Stationery
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Training Courses
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Catering Services
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Accountancy Services
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Ice Cream Vans
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Legal Services
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Funeral Services
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Pensions
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Care Services
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Vehicle Maintenance
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Youth Work Services
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Cleaners
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Removal Services
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Consultancy
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IT Support/Services
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Environmental Services
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Websites
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Graphic Design
Jargon Buster
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PIN - Prior Information Notice – advanced warning of a contract being tendered
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EOI - Expression of interest – sending email or clicking a box within the portal to say that you
would like to apply
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RFQ - Request for Quotation – smaller than a PQQ – this is generally used for low value items
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PQQ – Pre-qualification Questionnaire – first stage of restricted tendering – this will include
pricing
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ITT - Invitation To Tender – this is the second stage of restricted tendering – methodology
(How you will run the project / contract)
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Contract Award Notice – information about who won the contract
Tender Portal Tips
Registering on websites
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You need to register with the key websites and fill out their profile details
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Most of these websites send out emails when they have a contract opportunity
which matches your profile
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Be careful on your key words as simply putting consultant or designer is too broad
and will generate too many ‘junk’ opportunities
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For each website they will ask for details on the main person – who gets the emails
One option is to set up your own email which forwards internally eg
tenders@innovas.co.uk. This is set to forward internally to everyone relevant
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Make a log of all your usernames and passwords as it is easy to forget!
Getting Prepared
PQQ phase
Purpose of the PQQ
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This is a quick way for tenders to sift through who is most likely to be suitable to tender for
their project
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It focuses on:
• Compliance
• Financial Stability
• Credibility
• Risk reduction
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It requires extensive policies to be in place – build a library!
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It often requires audited accounts – 3 years
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You will need full insurances in place – often including professional indemnity
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You may need other compliance memberships eg CHAS - The Contractors Health and
Safety Assessment Scheme – OR - Constructionline
Some of the Key Policies & Information required
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Health & Safety
• Name competent manager
• Risk assessments
• Training
• Accident reporting
Environmental & Sustainability
Data Protection
Quality Procedures and Accreditations: ISO standards – Prince2 Procedures
Complaints Procedures
Business Continuity Plan
Membership of Trade Bodies
Equal Opportunities – Equality & Diversity
Employment of Apprentices/Community Engagement
References
Example of similar previous contracts: name of customer + full details of the contracts
Insurances:
• Public Indemnity
• Employer’s Indemnity
• Professional Indemnity
Tips to remember
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Read carefully the PQQ and ALL the questions
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Answer them exactly as they ask and give them all the information
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Watch out for double negatives!
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If you don’t tick all the boxes – you will not get through even if they are not relevant to you
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Identify the language used in the tender and mirror it back in your response
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Identify and use your key messages / themes through the question and rest of bid
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Abbreviations – do not use
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Technical information – assume the marker is not a technical expert in your field
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Look at how you can stand out from the crowd even at this stage!!!
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Packaging and Presentation
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Simple to read
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Professional in presentation
CRITICALLY …
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Give yourself enough time to prepare properly
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Submit on time in the way they require and with the number of copies they ask for
Preparing for your Tender
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Read the entire document thoroughly first
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Identify all the questions you will have to answer
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Look at the resources you will need and how you can showcase them
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Check out the evaluation criteria eg:
• Expertise – past experience: 15%
• Methodology: 25%
• Team: 20%
• Price: 40%
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Check the timetable for tendering
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Look at the implementation timetable to make sure you can meet it!
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Decide who will lead on writing the bid – and who is needed to write sections and / or
supply information
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Set an internal timetable giving time for reviews before
submission
Writing your Tender
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Think about the presentation of the document you will submit - standard sections might
include:
• Executive Summary
• Introduction: a short introduction which sells your capability on one page
• Building on your track record: a summary of similar projects to prove you have the
existing expertise
• Issues & Context: Shows you understand the Tender requirements and any implications
• Our Approach: This can also be Our Solution or Our Offer. This is the core of the tender
• Our Team: Name the key individuals and give a pen picture of each
• Costs and Timings: The details of your quotation and any timings related to delivery or
implementation
• Risk Analysis and mitigation plans
• Case studies
Writing your Tender
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Use diagrams to illustrate your approach
 Clarify
Objectives for the project
Target outcomes desired
 Set Key Milestones and Reports
 Agree Time-scales and dates for review meetings
 Establish communication protocols and working
methods
 Finalise and refine methodology
•Clarity of Vision for the
Project
•Understanding of the client’s
definition of ‘Success’
Develop Evaluation Framework
 Working with the Design Team and the Client
agree the Success Metrics to be used. These
must be clear, measurable, and able to evidence.
 Develop Logic Model linking Activities with
Outputs, Outcomes and Success Measures
 Agree basis of measurement and how Attribution
will be assessed
 Agree format for Participants to commit to
measureable targets and service outcomes
 Identify Control Group, Peers and Organisation
leads
 Identify data sources at a local and national level
to provide baseline and ongoing evidence of
impact
 Agree lines of enquiry and develop question sets
in English and Welsh
 Test final programme design against Evaluation
Framework to ensure alignment
•Evaluation Framework
Agreed
•Programme finalised and
tested against Framework
•Evidence and Enquiry tools
etc in place for evaluation
team
 Define
Inception
Meeting
1
Design
Phase
2
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Avoid jargon
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Use their words
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Watch word counts if given!
Remember
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People DO believe that what they see is what they will get!
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Ensure your USP stands out
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Ensure you have met their specification in full
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Above else …. Don’t be late!!!
Tender/PQQ
Hints & Tips
Innovas Consulting Solutions Ltd
rachel.clarke@innovas.co.uk
t: 01606 551122 m: 07760 885 799 w: www.innovas.co.uk
Supplier Event
Knowsley Council & Crown
Commercial Services
Liam Power
Tel: 0151 443 4169
liam.power@knowsley.gov.uk
Procurement Manager