Contracts Register

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Fit to Bid

Are You Fit to Bid?

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is currently developing a Sustainable Procurement Strategy.  Once this is implemented it means they will be exploring the environmental, social and local economy impact of the council’s procurement (purchasing) decisions and identify areas for improvement.

One of the key areas the council are interested in is identifying the issues & barriers the voluntary and community sector have in doing business with them.

This work is in the early stages and the council needs your help.

Over the coming months they want to identify and develop tools, training and support designed specifically to benefit third sector organisations in getting ‘Fit to Bid’.

If your organisation has identified any barriers and/or you have any ideas on what you need to help you get ‘Fit to Bid’ or what that support might look like they need to know.

You can either contact the Strategic Procurement Department of the council directly or Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency.

Contact

For further information or assistance

Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency

Mal Fitzgerald 01642  440571

Email: mal@rcvda.org.uk

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council

Debra Thorne 01642 771256

Email: debra_thorne@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Jane Hewitt 01642 771258

Email: Jane_Hewitt@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

For further information on "How to do business with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council" visit their webpage here.

Procurement and Negotiation

 Acevo and the DTA are undertaking a project commissioned by the Finance Hub. The Hub is responding to the need for a greater national picture of co-operation between statutory and voluntary agencies to promote and standardise funding advice. This includes building understanding of good practice, and ensuring that the need for services to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector are aligned.

Improving the relationships between third sector organisations and statutory commissioners is widely regarded as the number one priority in order for the sector to be more effective in winning and delivering contracts. Improving the skills of third sector leaders in working with commissioners is vital in building these relationships.

4 new briefings launched!

Acevo has published 4 briefings in the following areas:

• Tendering and Bidding Briefing: Give your tender a winning chance

• Impact Briefing: Putting impact at the heart of the tendering process

• Negotiation Briefing: Effective negotiating to secure better outcomes

• VAT Briefing: VAT made simple when working in partnership

Feedback Statement for procurement Strategy 2007 - 2009 Consultation 

Procurement Strategy 2007 – 2009

This is the first time a procurement document has gone out to consultation.

The main changes in this version of the strategy documents were that, for the first time engagement within the procurement process and sustainability considerations were included. These were tentative but have led to a more robust exploration of these issues in the form of the Sustainable Procurement Strategy mentioned below. 

The Consultation ended on Friday 22nd June 2007.  The document was requested by 20 organisations of which 4 returned a response.  Among the comments returned were the opinions that the strategy was well laid out, easy to read, comprehensive and inclusive. 

In addition the following issues were raised which we feel require a specific response:

1.  ‘We would welcome an approach which procured services from suppliers who had a real commitment to skills and training…’

We must work within the legal constraints of local and national government procurement rules.  Social Return on Investment (SROI) Clauses are possible but to explore these pathways, implement them and create the cultural shift needed for success requires additional resources within the council’s procurement department.  These issues are being addressed as part of the development of a Sustainable Procurement Strategy.

2.  ‘If the VCS (Voluntary and Community Sector) doesn’t know what is up for tender, they can’t bid for it!’

A ‘Fit to Bid’ initiative is being developed in partnership with RCVDA (Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency) to help create links between the council and the VCS.  For further information see below.  Also see the contracts register on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council website.

3.  ‘Please allow enough time for the VCS to react to tenders.’

This has been addressed through the handbook review (see below).  However, further resources and time will be required before full adoption.

4.  ‘E-procurement – not all VCS orgs are ready for this – some training may be required.’

This will be incorporated into future development plans (see Fit to Bid Initiative below). 

Meantime advice can be obtained from the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Procurement Team based at Redcar and Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street.

5.  ‘There is…a need to acknowledge that we are where we are and there is a large and effective history in the VCS activity.’

The strategy in no way means to undermine the work that has gone before.  It is clearly due to this that the procurement department are now in a position to access the VCS and build on previous success.

Relevant Procurement Activities

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council Procurement Handbook

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have updated their Procurement Handbook this has been distributed internally to assist Council officers with the procurement process.  It includes the rules and regulations that must be adhered to along with the many other considerations which must be taken into account for example the Compact, sustainability, risk and also will include a flow process which incorporates an engagement period for procurement opportunities. However, this will require a cultural shift and as a result may take some time to fully implement.  This is part of the action plan of the Sustainable Procurement Strategy.

Dial a Ride Consultation and Tender Process

For the first time service users were on the panel helping to develop and write the tender specification.  In partnership with ROC, who are also on the tender panel, a consultation of all Dial a Ride members was carried out in August.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council Procurement Network

Fit to Bid Initiative

This is a two-stage project.  The business case and budget for stage one has been approved. 

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will work in partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency to create a web based resource on procurement issues.  It will be designed initially to create links between the Strategic Procurement Unit of the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and the Voluntary and Community Sector. 

Initially it will be a source of information on procurement issues with a view to posting potential opportunities on the site, complimented by Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency email alerts to Voluntary and Community Sector organisations.

It is expected, once established, to be a spring board for future development for example future consultations around procurement, the development of a toolkit, training and workshop requirements. 

For further information or comment contact:

Debra Thorne on 01642 771256

Email: debra_thorne@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Jane Hewitt 01642 771258

Email: Jane_Hewitt@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

The Procurement Cycle

The council have a set of rules they must abide by to ensure transparency and equitability.  The higher the value of the contract the stricter the rules. 

Demystifying the PQQ

1. Tender Process

A PQQ is a pre qualification questionnaire.  It enables the contract manager to ascertain who is fit to tender. 

It is sent out prior to the tender specification in order to ensure that the potential provider meets the necessary requirements of the council.

There are a number of questionnaires that make up the PQQ depending on what the contract is for and it’s value including:

• The Health and Safety Questionnaire
• The Equality and Diversity Questionnaire
• Insurance
• Finance
• Environmental
• Business Continuity
• Business Questionnaire

2. Quotation Process

With a quotation there is no PQQ as there is no pre qualification stage. 

Instead necessary questionnaires are issued along with the quotation brief.

When requesting a quotation the council will issue:

• The Health and Safety Questionnaire
• The Equality and Diversity Questionnaire

The other questionnaires are discretionary at quotation level.

As the Health and Safety and the Equality and Diversity Policy are essential it is highly recommended that these are put in place prior to tendering or quoting.

Top Tips

1.   Read and comply with the tender/request for quotation.

Obvious but you’d be surprised how many the council have returned that cannot be included because they haven’t fulfilled the requirement asked for.

2.  Answer the question.

If it asks how will you deliver the service, state clearly the actions you will take in order to deliver this service.  This calls for the practicalities rather than your past experience.  It needs an action plan not your CV.

3.  Highlight additional benefits

Include additional benefits you can bring to the contract above and beyond the core services.  Cost or quantify them where possible.

4.  Time

Give yourself plenty of time to fill it in.  Allow it to rest for a day or two if you can and take another look at it with fresh eyes.

5.  Approach it step by step.

Rather than trying to tackle the whole exercise in one go break it down into manageable chunks. 

6.  Ask for help

Get others within your organisation or from supporting organisations to read through the documents and provide you with another opinion.

7.  Templates

You don’t have to wait for a tender or quotation opportunity to prepare everything.  There are a number of documents and policies you can put in place that will help ease the process when an opportunity does come along.

8.  Filing System

Keep a good filing system in operation so everything is on hand when you need it.  It will make the process much easier.

9.  Be clear

About your organisations strengths, skills and your aims and objectives.  Make sure the work you are bidding for fits into your mission statement.

10.   Feedback

If you are unsuccessful ask for feedback, make a note of it and use it when putting together the next bid.

E-Procurement

What is it?

‘E-procurement’ describes the use of an electronic system to carry out the procurement processes, from finding a provider and ordering right through to invoice payment.  There is a range of benefits to be realised through the use of an effective e-procurement process by both the council and the provider.

The Benefits of E-Procurement

1.  The order process

The order process is simplified by replacing manual and paper based processes (such as searching through paper catalogues, filling out paper order forms by hand, obtaining a manager’s approval signature, checking on the status of an order) with electronic processes. This reduces time and the errors that can be made by completing paper forms by hand.  

2.  Invoices

Invoices sent electronically can be processed more efficiently and queries can be addressed quickly.  It also reduces postage and stationary costs for the provider.

Being e-ready does not necessarily mean you have to have an all singing all dancing order and invoicing system.  Access to an online computer and an email address is a good start.  We are currently in the process of compiling a list of community based IT suites that have accessible computers.  Contact Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency to find the closest to you.

Procurement websites

All the links below are to external websites. Please note that Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency & Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council are not responsible for the content of these sites.