The public sector is a highly diverse industry, where tendering rarely fits into a predefined box. The range of tenders is as varied and wide as the different public sector organisations themselves. However, there are a few common factors to consider when aiming for public sector contracts. The multi-billion pound public sector industry is experiencing a period of growth with government backing, meaning that your business can stand to seriously benefit from a slice of the public sector pie.

Parallel Thinking

Public sector industries tend to be under a great deal of social scrutiny, particularly when it comes to environmental factors or legislative considerations which are ingrained in the public sector, such as health and safety. It is essential in public sector tendering that your bid highlights your strengths in these areas, and that you share the same core values which are of importance to the client.

A strong organisational fit between the client and contractor is vital, especially during evaluation stages. The contractor’s ability to work well and integrate with the client’s approach can have a strong influence on the ultimate success of the bid.

MEAT

Although the bottom line price will always play a significant role in bidding success, it should not be confused with value. Public sector organisations are under a magnifying glass of scrutiny, and rightfully, must justify spending taxpayer’s money. By stipulating MEAT as the goal in selecting a contractor, public sector clients can navigate around being forced to accept the lowest price in favour of inferior work. MEAT stands for Most Economically Advantageous Tender and essentially translates to value for money. When it comes to big contracts, it’s not how much the client wants to spend that counts, but what they can successfully achieve with their budget.

It goes without saying that the contract should be equally economically viable for the contractor – and projects should always be realistically deliverable and profitable first and foremost.

Backup

Public sector contracts tend to be high value, large scale projects, and with big investment comes big asks. It’s essential that you can demonstrate relevant experience, describing the skills of the people attached to the project. From senior management through to the operations team on the ground, the bid should effectively demonstrate what you are bringing to the table and the added value that comes with your team.

At the end of the day, the highest scoring bid wins the tender, and at Win That Bid, we’re all about winning – it’s what we do best. As the UK’s biggest bid writing and tender process specialists, our experts have extensive experience in construction and civil engineering projects in both public and private sector work. Our bid management team can guide you through all stages of the process, from initial tender selection right through to the final bid presentation. Get in touch for more information by calling 020 3405 1850 – and visit our site to learn more about our bid services.