Quirky Tenders: 2016’s most memorable tender notices

Here ye, here ye, we’ve got some entertaining news.

2016 has drawn to a close. What happened in the 365 days that made up 2016?

1. Energy: Portugal ran its entire nation solely on renewable energy for four days’ straight
2. Media: Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar, and in his speech he supported action against global warming
3. Charity: Thanks to the ice bucket challenge that took off this year on social media, the gene responsible for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) has been found, meaning we are closer to an effective treatment
4. Gaming: Pokemon Go got everyone gaming and walking outside too
5. Construction: The Tate Modern Museum extension was completed
6. Health: New rapid cancer tests devised by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) could save 10,000 lives a year
7. Marketing: Instagram copied Snapchat with their ‘stories’ feature which was the latter’s debut feature
8. Retail: Toys R Us offered ‘quiet shopping hours’ for kids with autism at Christmas
9. Space: Tim Peake successfully completed his ISS mission and returned safely
10. Sport: Team GB won LOADS of medals at the Rio Olympics and made our country proud

Last year didn’t disappoint in terms of exciting projects: can public sector tendering compare? It certainly can….

We have decided to look back on the most memorable tenders that we shared with our customers throughout the year on our tender alert service. Below are our top picks some of the quirkiest tenders from 2016:

UK – Tenders Direct

The BBC tendered for the production of a new series of Songs of Praise

The South West Yorkshire Partnership needed 100 blue stress balls…to be exact

Glow in the dark accessories were a must have for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

The City of Edinburgh Council were a year ahead of the game and went out to tender for the annual Christmas market and Hogmanay celebrations before this year’s events were over with

Medieval jousting: The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds tendered to host a late medieval (circa 1480s) joust and mêlée on site

Aberdeen City Council were on the lookout for a Big Top Circus

Tinned tomatoes were a hot topic in Wakefield: The Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation tendered for a Meet the Supplier event to connect public sector companies with local suppliers, one area of interest was tinned tomatoes

IRELAND – Tenders Direct Ireland 

The Education Procurement Service in Ireland were looking for a 3D Printing Suite for their UCD Earth Institute in Dublin

Raising the profile for Irish Artists: Culture Ireland invited expressions of interest for the role of Commissioner of Ireland’s national representation at the Venice Art Biennale in 2017

Cork County Council got steamy: they tendered for the construction of new sauna and
steam facilities after demolishing their existing amenities

NORWAY – Anbud Direkte

The Østfold Hospital Trust tendered for sinus cavity navigation equipment for sinus surgery

The Norwegian Health Directorate tendered for 5.5 million condoms and 500,000 packets of lube

Electric bikes for Oslo Municipality: these bikes needed to be in specific local council colours

So what can we conclude from all this? In the midst of change and innovation, the UK keeps it traditional with medieval parties’ party accessories from the 90’s. The Irish like to wind down with a bit of TLC in the sauna, and the Norwegians certainly try to fight blocked noses and unwanted pregnancies.

Stay tuned for what 2017 will bring.