The ins and outs of public contracts in England and winning them

Do you need to secure public contracts in England but have no idea what you’re doing? If this is your first time tendering for work you may be overwhelmed by the tendering process. Follow this guide to find out more about public contracts in England and how to win them.

What are public contracts?

If you’re looking to secure public contracts in England, you’ll need to understand what they are.

To simply put it, public contracts are public sector job opportunities. Contracts are offered to suppliers that offer the most value for money. This is known as the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT ). This doesn’t mean the bid goes to the cheapest bidder. Other factors come into play such as:

• Quality
• Ability to deliver the contract
• Experience.

Many people believe public contracts in England are just for large businesses. However, this isn’t the case. In recent years more SMEs have been awarded contracts in the public sector.

By 2022, the government aim to spend £1 in every £3 with SMEs. The latest figures show they are well on track with this target.

What are the advantages of public contracts in England?

There are many advantages when tendering for public sector contracts. A couple of them include:

Guaranteed pay

One of the major benefits to public contracts in England is guaranteed pay if you win the contract. Legally, public sector bodies must pay the awarded supplier. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) must pay suppliers within 60-days of invoicing. This is to comply with the Prompt Payment Code.

Gain experience 

Public contracts are a great way of gaining tender experience even if you don’t win the contract. However, the more contracts you win, the more experience you have. More experience can lead to securing bigger contracts. This could lead to expansions for your business.

How do I win a public contract?

If you want to secure public contracts in England, here are some tips to help:

Bidding for what you can win

When searching for public contracts in England, be sure to bid for opportunities you can realistically win. Bidding for contracts that you can’t win is a waste of your time, money and resources. Before choosing an opportunity, be sure you are able to deliver the contract.

Time management

 If you want to win contracts you need to have good time management skills. Throughout the process, you’ll have so many deadlines coming at you. You’ll be expected to meet them all.

Time can easily creep up on you if you don’t make a plan. You should be aware of how long the tender response is going to take you and set enough time aside. If you plan your time effectively you will be able to meet your deadlines and avoid any unnecessary stress.

The last thing you want to do is rush your bid because you didn’t set enough time aside. Be organised and start your bid preparation early.

Add social value

Social value is the social, economic and environmental aspects that need to be considered for securing public contracts. It is an opportunity for you to stand out from your competitors, adding value to your bid. Things to consider include:

• Tackling economic inequality
• Supporting Covid-19 recovery
• Fighting climate change
• Improving equal opportunities
• How you support health and wellbeing.

Answer the question specifically

Many suppliers don’t win contracts because they don’t answer the question specifically. It’s important when writing a tender response for public contracts you answer the question in FULL.

The buyer is asking the question for a reason. They want a specific answer for each question. Make sure you read the question in full and understand what is being asked. There will be keywords in the question that can help you with your answer. How you answer the question will help the buyer understand if you are suitable to deliver the contract or not.

Your response should demonstrate:

• You understand what the buyer is asking for
• Have the economic and financial abilities to deliver the contract
• Relevant case studies
• Qualified and professional team

Where can I find public contracts?

Now you know everything about public contracts in England, you may be wondering where to find opportunities. Hudson Discover hosts 11 sector-specific tendering portals. One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

These sectors consist of;

• Creative Tenders
• Healthcare Tenders
• Facilities Tenders
• Construction Tenders
• Technology Tenders
• Logistics Tenders
• Research Tenders
• Consultancy Tenders
• HR Tenders
• Finance Tenders
• Hospitality Tenders

Need support when writing your next tender?

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready 4-week programme is designed for businesses that are completely new to tendering. Our Bid Writers work with you to make sure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

• A 12-month subscription to Catering Tenders.
• Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
• An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and 8 policies.
• Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

Have you been tendering for work, but aren’t seeing success from your efforts? Our Tender Improvement programme can help. During the course of the programme, a Bid Writer will assess your previous responses and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance, working with you to improve for future submissions.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect catering tender, but don’t know where to start, Hudson Succeed can help. Send it over and one of our Bid Writers will take care of it all for you. They’ll even submit it on your behalf. They’ll provide you with a full Tender Writing breakdown and let you know what they need from you.

Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can help if you’ve already written a bid response and you need someone to double-check for errors. Our Bid Writers will check it’s in line with the specification. They’ll also make sure it’s free of grammar and spelling mistakes before you submit it.

Get in touch with our team for a friendly chat about how we can help you.