Author Archives

Noel Vassallo

I joined Tenders Direct in February 2020, bringing with me over 9 years’ experience in writing and creating content for a variety of appeals and campaigns. Applying my skills to public sector procurement, I ensure our resources are easily accessible, concise and most of all, useful. By analysing our unique insights and monitoring our sources for the latest market news, I also provide readers with up-to-date and relevant information.

In my free time I like to keep busy by finding new hobbies to challenge myself with. Currently I am making sure that my old easel and mountain bike don’t feel neglected, as well as attempting the odd bit of woodwork.

Public Sector Round-Up 26.02.21

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Weekly UK tender publishing update

916

729

187

Total UK
Tenders		Low Value
Tenders		High Value
Tenders

90

26

385

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		High Value
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 19.02.21 & 25.02.21

In the news this week

£15 million for education technology in Welsh schools next year
The Welsh Government has announced that it will invest a further £15m towards providing educational technology for schools in the next financial year. The funding is a continuation of the Hwb EdTech programme, which has seen over £92m of investment over the last two years.
So far, the Hwb EdTech programme has seen:  
◆ The provision of 128,000 devices since the start of the pandemic, with 54,000 to be delivered in the coming weeks
◆ 10,000 re-purposed devices issued to ‘digitally excluded’ learners
◆ 10,848 MiFi devices for learners without internet access at home
◆ 300,000 digital infrastructure products, including cabling, switches and WiFi devices

Council approves spending £1.7million on new cycling route through Ancoats
Manchester Council plans for a new £1.7m city centre cycling route have been approved. The plans for a cycle route were not included in the original £9.1m upgrade of Great Ancoats Street, which is in the final stages of completion. A £2.3m pedestrianisation plan was also signed off for the Northern Quarter of Manchester, which will see temporary street closures made permanent with new footpaths built in.
In total the projects will have created over £13m worth of opportunities, and is part of the culture change across the UK to provide spaces with greater social distancing and to encourage more active transport.

Take your bid writing skills to the next level with our Advanced Bid Writing Skills online training course.

In this CPD accredited course, you will learn how to:
◆ Construct a robust bank of evidence
◆ Formulate a detailed storyboard of your bid
◆ Examine ways to effectively improve tender responses
◆ Effectively review and edit tender responses

We have availability on the following dates:
◆ 23 – 24 March, 13:00 – 16:30
◆ 20 – 21 April, 13:00 – 16:30

View full course details and book your place: https://www.tendersdirect.co.uk/b/advanced-bid-writing

Top high value contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Birmingham: Repair and maintenance services
Short description: Servicing and repairs of automated doors, gates and barriers across all Housing 21 courts in England – consisting of 581 assets across 179 locations.
Published By: Housing 21
Date Published: 23 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £3,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 9 (of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: Houlder Ltd | ABCA Systems Ltd | Multi Glazing Systems
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cleaning and sanitation services
Short description: Requirement for suitably qualified contractors to provide the water management services to sheltered housing schemes where communal water systems exist across.
Published By: Home Group
Date Published: 23 February 2021
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £1,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 8 (of which were SMEs: 5)
Contractors: H2O Nationwide Ltd | Total Environmental Compliance Limited | Integrated Water Services Ltd |
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Southampton: Digital mapping services
Short description: Provision of geospatial data services including maintenance and manipulation mapping data.
Published by: Ordnance Survey
Date Published: 23 February 2021
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £30,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 10 (of which were SMEs: 2)
Contractors: Cyient Europe Limited | Landmark Information Group Limited | IIC Technologies Limited
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Bringing an experienced Bid Writer in to help form your response can provide you with the winning edge. However, when considering using a consultant, we advise you fully assess the resources available to you to first identify what skills you’re missing. We’ve seen businesses enquire about support which they had internal resource for, and others who started bids blindly only to encounter issues down the line.

In our upcoming free webinar we’ll help you make informed decisions when deciding whether or not you require the support of an external Bid Writer.

Our webinar will be held on Wednesday, 23 March 2021, 1.00-1.45pm, and will cover the following topics:
◆ How to assess your resources, identifying strengths and weaknesses
◆ When to consider using a bid writer
◆ The pros and cons of both options
◆ Getting the most from a consultant

To attend, please register here.

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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

Public Sector Round-Up 19.02.21

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Weekly UK tender publishing update

920

832

88

Total UK
Tenders		Low Value
Tenders		High Value
Tenders

106

16

299

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		High Value
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 05.02.21 & 11.02.21

In the news this week

Government to bring an end to unsafe cladding with multi-billion pound intervention
The government has announced that it is committing £3.5bn to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding on residential buildings 18 metres (6 storeys) and over in England.
The government also plans to reduce the need for EWS1 forms, introduce a ‘Gateway 2’ developer levy, and start a new tax for the UK residential property development sector – to raise at least £2 billion over the next decade to help cover cladding remediation costs.

Record year for UK’s £8.9bn cyber security sector
A new government report shows that the UK’s growing cyber industry attracted record investment last year, despite the global pandemic.
◆ almost 50,000 people are now employed in UK cyber security
◆ Number of active cyber security firms in the UK increased 21 per cent on last year
◆ Sector contributed more than £4bn to the economy, attracting £800m of investment
◆ The industry continues to provided vital technical support to the NHS in the fight against coronavirus

With Covid-19 forcing organisations to adjust and adapt to new ways of working, there has been a significant demand for cyber security, and wider tech solutions. Looking at the number live notices for the industry, there are many opportunities available for IT businesses within the public sector. You can use our category searches to view all available IT Security Tenders or use this link to see every IT Related Tender.

Bringing an experienced Bid Writer in to help form your response can provide you with the winning edge. However, when considering using a consultant, we advise you fully assess the resources available to you to first identify what skills you’re missing. We’ve seen businesses enquire about support which they had internal resource for, and others who started bids blindly only to encounter issues down the line.

In our upcoming free webinar we’ll help you make informed decisions when deciding whether or not you require the support of an external Bid Writer.

Our webinar will be held on Wednesday, 23 March 2021, 1.00-1.45pm, and will cover the following topics:
◆ How to assess your resources, identifying strengths and weaknesses
◆ When to consider using a bid writer
◆ The pros and cons of both options
◆ Getting the most from a consultant

To attend, please register here.

Top high value contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Aberdeen: Technical support services
Short description: Contract to develop a tendering technical specification and associated plans for the procurement of a new vessel in the near future.
Published By: Scottish Government
Date Published: 12 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £740,842.00
Number of tenders received: 13 (of which were SMEs: 9)
Contractors: Houlder Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Southend-on-Sea: Industrial machinery
Short description: a contract for the design, supply, installation and maintenance of cremator equipment to be placed in Southend Crematorium.
Published By: Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
Date Published: 12 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £2,200,000.00
Number of tenders received: 1
Contractors: Facultatieve Technologies Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Belfast: Investigation and security
Short description: a framework arrangement for the provision of a range of security services. 
Published by: NIE Networks Ltd
Date Published: 16 February 2021
Framework/DPS: yes
Value excluding VAT: £3,314,000.00
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 1
Number of tenders received, lot 2: 5
Number of tenders received, lot 3: 1
Contractors: RE:SURE Intelligence Ltd | Electronic and Security Services Ltd | BIDVEST Noonan (UK) Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

Public Sector Round-Up 12.02.21

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Weekly UK tender publishing update

1,091

744

347

Total UK
Tenders		Low Value
Tenders		High Value
Tenders

106

64

518

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		High Value
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 05.02.21 & 11.02.21

In the news this week

New £10 million fund to drive private sector investment in nature
A new environment improvement fund will create numerous opportunities for businesses, by allowing them to seek grants of up to £100,000 or bid for contracts to help local authorities implement their own environmentally friendly projects.
The Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund aims to encourage a range of nature projects across England, with the intent of developing them to a point where they can attract private investment. The aim is to create a pipeline of projects for the private sector to invest in, and develop new funding models that can be replicated elsewhere.

Wales commits to net zero by 2050, but sets out ambitions to get there sooner
The Welsh Government has set out its legal commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, but is pushing to make significant improvements by 2030.
Their plan focuses on achieving cleaner air, ending harmful agricultural pollution, moving from fossil fuel extraction and towards green energy, as well as working towards a net zero public sector in Wales by 2030 and making Wales a zero waste nation.
We have seen a lot of projects already in other parts of the UK which aim to reduce environmental impact by replacing windows, improving insulation, adding solar panels and other improvements to cut public sector emissions. With wales making a significant effort for the entire public sector, there will be numerous contract opportunities created as a result.
Our tender search filters allow you to adjust results by region, and by industry. Start searching for opportunities today: www.tendersdirect.co.uk

Voi launches long term scooter rental in West of England
The West of England Combined Authority will be the first place in the UK to offer long-term e-scooter rental, with residents able to keep a Voi vehicle at home for months at a time.
E-scooters are getting a lot of attention as greener and socially distanced forms of transport. The WECA started their e-scooters trials last year, but other regions are looking to run similar projects. This week alone both Rochdale and Colchester provided updates on their own e-scooter trials.

Top high value contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Preston: Security services
Short description: Manned security service across several business parks to protect the properties on site and prevent unauthorised access to the premises.
Published By: Lancashire County Developments (Property) Ltd
Date Published: 10 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £932,755.20
Number of tenders received: 17
Contractors: FGH Security LtdFGH Security Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-London: Cargo handling and storage services
Short description: a multi-supplier framework for the packing and transport of fine art, objects, storage of works, entire exhibitions and exhibition fixtures and fittings.
Published By: The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London
Date Published: 10 February 2021
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: €3,800,000.00
Number of tenders received: 5
Contractors: MTEC Momart Crown Martinspeed | Constantine
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Weston-Super-Mare: Construction work for highways, roads
Short description: Replacement road over rail bridge at Winterstoke Road, Weston-super-Mare
Published by: North Somerset Council
Date Published: 10 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £6,440,664.00
Number of tenders received: 5
Contractors: John Graham Construction Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

Public Sector Round-Up 05.02.21

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Weekly UK tender publishing update

1072

734

338

Total UK
Tenders		Low Value
Tenders		High Value
Tenders

98

62

440

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		High Value
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 29.01.21 & 04.02.21

In the news this week

£33 billion investment in Scotland’s future
Significant capital investment in healthcare, education, transport and the environment within Scotland for the next five years has been set out. The funding will support 45,000 jobs with the creation of new healthcare facilities, schools and local facilities across Scotland.

◆ £110 million for digital public services transformation
◆ £50 million for Active Freeways
◆ £60 million for climate adaptation of the trunk road network
◆ £2 billion for education and learning facilities
◆ £600 million to strengthen connectivity across Scotland
◆ £1.5 billion towards transport
◆ £2.3 billion for healthcare

You can adjust your search filters on Tenders Direct to show results for any of the industries listed above, and even choose which region you would like to see results for. Try it for yourself at www.tendersdirect.co.uk

Councils urged to bid for extended electric vehicle chargepoints funding
Local authorities are being urged to apply for a share of £20m funding to increase the number of on-street electric vehicle chargepoints.
The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) will cover 75% of the capital costs of procurement and installation, and is hoped to lead to 4,000 more chargepoints – doubling the number available across the UK.
Use our Electric Vehicle and Charging Equipment category to keep an eye out for related opportunities.

Bids, tenders, proposals. Whatever you call them, winning them is crucial.
We are not just a team of experts, as a company, we routinely win and deliver contracts directly with public and private sector buyers, so we know what works.
Whether your requirement is checking a bid before submission or reviewing your overall approach, we can help.
View our full range of services here: https://www.tendersdirect.co.uk/b/consultancy

Top high value contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Catford: Surveillance and security systems and devices
Short description: Contract to design, supply, install and commission equipment to replace the existing central control room equipment, network and digital recording system and public space analogue cameras and wireless transmission equipment.
Published By: London Borough of Lewisham
Date Published: 04 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £984,876.00
Number of tenders received: 5
Contractors: EUROVIA INFRASTRUCTURE LTD
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-London: Tunnel operation services
Short description: Maintenance and Management Contract for TfL Road Tunnels and Pumping Stations
Published By: Transport for London
Date Published: 02 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £200,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 4
Contractors: Kier Highways Limited
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-London: Fire-prevention services
Short description: Provision of fire safety/waking watch services.
Published by: London Borough of Waltham Forest
Date Published: 01 February 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £3,600,000.00
Number of tenders received: 16 (of which were SMEs: 16)
Contractors: MPD FM Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

Public Sector Round-Up 29.01.21

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Weekly UK tender publishing update

971

629

342

Total UK
Tenders		Low Value
Tenders		High Value
Tenders

123

61

457

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		High Value
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 22.01.21 & 28.01.21

In the news this week

This week’s news articles are all focused on taking actions to combat climate change, and significantly reducing emissions by 2030.

Council secures £15m to combat Climate Change in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire County Council will use this funding to deliver several sustainability led projects at a number locations including school buildings, fire stations, libraries and offices. The money will go towards projects including:

◆ an air source heat pump at County Hall
◆ an air handling unit upgrade at Farnham House
◆ mass installation of solar panels at 23 fire stations
◆ energy efficient boiler systems at various schools
◆ improving building insulation

You can find contract opportunities in Hertfordshire, and other UK locations, by using our Tender Search and location filters.

West Berkshire Council announces plans for £10m solar farm
The plan would see more than 45,000 solar panels installed over 75 acres of council-owned land near Grazeley. According to feasibility studies, the solar farm would offset around 30% of the council’s carbon footprint.
Funding for the project will be included in the capital strategy and submitted for council approval on 2 March 2021.

£26.9m investment in carbon savings for County Council buildings and local schools
The green light has been given to projects which will improve the energy efficiency of local schools and council buildings.

◆£6.7 million for the installation of solar panels
◆£20.2 million window replacement programme

Around 370 Hampshire schools and several council buildings are expected to benefit from this funding.

Discover how can help you find and win new business

Top high value contract award notices

Title: UK-Stoke-on-Trent: Health and social work services
Short description: Contract to co-ordinate a single integrated All Age Carer Support Service with a single point of access for adult and young carers from age 5 across Stoke-on-Trent
Published By: Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Date Published: 22 January 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £1,460,000.00
Number of tenders received: 3
Contractors: North Staffs Carers Association
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Stratford: Hot-water boilers
Short description: Framework for the provision of Boilers for London and Quadrant’s self delivered new build projects.
Published By: Torbay Council
Date Published: 26 January 2021
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £1,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 2
Contractors: Baxi Heating UK Ltd | Ideal Boilers Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Leicester: Food, beverages, tobacco and related products
Short description: Framework for the supply of frozen ready meal solutions that shall include complete single portion main meals and desserts and multi-portion meal components, including main and side dishes, desserts and sweet and savoury sauces.
Published by: ESPO
Date Published: 28 January 2021
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £20,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 9 (of which were SMEs: 4)
Contractors: apetito Ltd | BFS Group Limited T/A Bidfood | County Enterprise Foods part of Nottinghamshire County Council | I Care (GB) Ltd | NH Case Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

Public Sector Round-Up 22.01.21

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Weekly UK tender publishing update

986

674

312

Total UK
Tenders		Low Value
Tenders		High Value
Tenders

93

51

468

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		High Value
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 15.01.21 & 21.01.21

In the news this week

£7.5 million to digitally schedule shifts and save NHS staff time
The funding is part of a £26 million national fund to have all NHS doctors, nurses and other clinical staff on e-rostering systems by 2021. The £7.5m will be used to support digital shift scheduling across 38 NHS trusts, which will allow staff to spend more time with patients.
This is a useful article as it provides a breakdown of this spend per trust, highlighting how much has been spent for each project. To access all NHS and other public sector tech tenders, use our Search Categories to find the most relevant opportunities for your business.

Transport for London gets the go-ahead for 852 new homes in Acton
Half of these new homes will be affordable, as part of Mayor Sadiq’s strategy to provide genuinely affordable homes with excellent transport links. 9 new buildings will create these homes, and offer a mix of one, two and three-bedroom properties.
The site for this project also includes more than 2,300 sqm of commercial and retail space.
The proposals form part of a wider housing programme, which aims to provide more than 10,000 homes across the capital. Permission has been granted for 6,650 homes already, with approval for a further 1,250 homes pending, and more housing applications to be submitted this year. This means TfL will be creating significant opportunities for contractors as part of their overall strategy. Ensure you never miss a tender with Tenders Direct.

Our guarantee to you

Top high value contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Bristol: Restaurant and food-serving services
Short description: Contract for the operation of the food and beverage concession outlets at Westonbirt Arboretum, namely the Restaurant and Kiosk.
Published by: Forestry England
Date Published: 15 January 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £10,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 12 (of which were SMEs: 9)
Contractors: Fosters Rooms Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: UK-Hamilton: Ponfeigh Bridge Replacement
Short description: South Lanarkshire Council’s Roads and Transportation Service has identified a requirement for the construction of a 36 metre single span proprietary steel bridge at Douglas Water, Lanark.
Published By: South Lanarkshire Council
Date Published: 19 January 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £1,710,522.02
Number of tenders received: 3 (of which were SMEs: 3)
Contractors: I & H Brown Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Torquay: Repair and maintenance services
Short description: Contract to service mechanical plant and equipment for Torbay Council assets, TDA assets and for external TDA clients who have signed up to a Service Level Agreement and may have assets across the South West region, from Cornwall to Wiltshire.
Published By: Torbay Council
Date Published: 21 January 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £1,600,000.00
Number of tenders received: 5
Contractors: WEMCO Limited
View full notice on Tenders Direct

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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

Public Sector Round-Up 15.01.21

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Weekly UK tender publishing update

974

638

336

Total UK
Tenders		Low Value
Tenders		High Value
Tenders

110

44

470

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		High Value
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 08.01.21 & 14.01.21

In the news this week

Highways England urges local businesses to play a part in A30 Cornwall upgrade
Highways England is urging companies in and around Cornwall to play a part in the £330 million pound upgrade of the A30 between Chiverton and Carland Cross.
As construction activity increases, so will opportunities for the contractors and supply chain. The types of services and people required will include plant, fencing, track matting, catering, cleaning, accommodation and hospitality.
To find associated tenders and other relevant opportunities, you can use our Tender Search Tool to filter notices by industry and region.

Highways England funding resolves cycleway’s missing link
Highways England is investing £630,000 into the A36 Southampton Road in Salisbury, reducing the need for detours, dismounting and cycling within the carriageway. This is one of the many schemes made possible through the £169 million Users and Communities fund – which will improve routes for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders over the next 5 years.

Other ongoing projects include:
◆ £17 million of funding invested to enable Cornwall Council to deliver four major cycle routes alongside the busy A30;
◆ £1.2 million towards a cycle path upgrade and £1m towards the design of several other cycle routes around the Avonmouth area of Bristol;
◆ £675,000 towards improved cycle and footpaths and upgraded crossings on both the A35 and Sea Road South around Bridport.

Home building stats show sector is bouncing back
Support for the construction industry has resulted in an increase in the number of completed homes within the UK.
Official statistics show that 35,710 homes were started between July and September 2020 – a 111% increase on the previous quarter – while, 45,000 homes were completed in the same period, show a 185% increase.
To view related contracts for existing and future projects, please view our Tender Category Search.

Brexit has concluded – what’s changed?

With Brexit over and the UK no longer in the EU, some new changes have been made to public procurement.
To keep you informed of what has changed, we have an upcoming webinar as well as several posts you may find useful.

◆ Free webinar: Tendering after Brexit – What is Find a Tender Service?
◆ Brexit and Public Procurement
◆ Low value tenders post Brexit – improved opportunities for SMEs
◆ What is Find a Tender?

December Round-up and Observations from 2020

5,129 notices were published in December 2020, an incredibly positive number, breaking the trend of less opportunities being published in the run up to New Year. It’s an incredibly reassuring sign also considering factoring the impact of Brexit and Covid-19.
In our most recent post we look at the notices published in December 2020, find out what observations our Specialists made in 2020 that could have an impact on procurement in 2021.

Top high value contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Sunderland: Construction work
Short description: A framework for minor building works mainly consisting of building refurbishments.
Published By: University of Sunderland
Date Published: 13 January 2021
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £36,000,000.00
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 16 (of which were SMEs: 13)
Number of tenders received, lot 2: 18 (of which were SMEs: 12)
Number of tenders received, lot 3: 16 (of which were SMEs: 11)
Contractors: Birch Tree Northern Ltd | T. Manners and Sons Ltd | LIVECO Ltd T/A VEST Construction | Brims Construction Ltd | Esh Construction Ltd | Interserve Construction Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Truro: Solar photovoltaic modules
Short description: Framework for the supply and installation of solar panels across five lots with an additional lot for a consultant to carry out post installation checks. Panels to be installed in line with the IET code of practice for grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems.
Published By: Cornwall Council
Date Published: 14 January 2021
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £40,000,000.00
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 10
Number of tenders received, lot 2: 13
Number of tenders received, lot 3: 11
Number of tenders received, lot 4: 12
Number of tenders received, lot 5: 11
Contractors: Cleanearth Energy | Sungift Solar | ZLC Energy | Natural Generation |
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Title: United Kingdom-Edinburgh: Medical consumables
Short description: Non Sterile AGP Disposable Gowns
Published by: NHS National Services Scotland
Date Published: 14 January 2021
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £1,660,210.00
Number of tenders received: 2
Contractors: Redwood TTM | Ilasco Ltd
View full notice on Tenders Direct

Details of a free webinar about Brexit and Find a Tender. 20 January, 1pm to 1.45pm

For further discussions around Find a Tender, and what tendering after Brexit will be like.
Register for our free webinar, 20 January 2021, 1:00-1:45pm.

In the session we will cover:
◆ Procurement after Brexit, and the new Find a Tender Service
◆ What it means for public sector organisations and private companies
◆ What will happen with above threshold procurement (OJEU)
◆ How to best prepare and gear up for a successful 2021

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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

December Round-up and Observations from 2020

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5,129

3,438

1,691

Total UK & ROI
Tenders		Low-Value
Tenders		OJEU
Tenders

688

277

1,692

Frameworks
or DPS 		Prior Information
Notices		OJEU
Award Notices
Tender notices published in the UK & ROI between 01.12.20 & 31.12.20

December 2020

5,129 notices published in the last month of the year is incredibly positive. With workplaces slowing down for seasonal time off work, the last few weeks of the year normally see significantly less notices getting published. Below we can see the December totals for the last 5 years, and it is clear that December 2020 broke this trend. 

What is interesting about these stats is the high number of low value notices. OJEU notices could have been a result of obligations created by EU funding, but a significant number of low value contracts is unexpected, and means we start 2021 with plenty of opportunities SMEs can bid for.

As of 15 January 2020 there are over 5,300 live tenders across the UK and ROI, a great start to 2021 and a clear sign of the significant effort being made by the public sector to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Our Specialists’ Observations from 2020

Tenders Direct offers a unique service where all of the tenders on our site have been individually sourced and classified by our team of Specialists. This Peer Review Process allows us to provide you with full coverage of every single UK and ROI tender, as well as applicable high value notices from the OJEU.

With Brexit and Covid-19 causing much speculation around their impact on public procurement, we caught up Carol, our Head Classification Specialist, to gain some insight into any trends she may have observed in 2020.

The amount of tenders published by the OJEU and various other sites slowed down greatly for a couple of months due to COVID and the start of offices working from home which was very worrying for us.
Suddenly this pattern changed and the number of tenders published rapidly increased day by day and the numbers we are sending out to our customers is now greater than pre-Covid which is amazing.

Some observations worth mentioning are:
◆ Some tenders which were published pre-Covid have since been cancelled and republished again to allow the maximum time for everyone to prepare their bids.
◆ There have been a significant number of tenders published that are specifically Covid related e.g. masks, PPE, disinfectants, call centre services, testing services etc.
◆ There has been a significant increase in tenders for business consultants/economists to help companies through the crisis and assist them in the future.

So despite Covid and Brexit, the number of tenders being published continues to be high and the trend is certainly upwards, so hopefully 2021 will be a very positive year.

Carol Davidson, Head Classification Specialist

Find opportunities you can bid for

With so many opportunities for work available right now, you’ll want to know how many of them are relevant to you.

Market Overview

Our Market Overviews are free, and are incredibly useful for anyone considering bidding for public contracts.
We can supply you with the number of tender opportunities published for your industry, the search categories we recommend using, and links to all the contracts published in the last year.
This information can be used to better understand what the public sector is looking for, and help you plan how public contracts fit into your overall business strategy.
Request your free Market Overview by by clicking this link.

Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

What is Find a Tender?

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Since 1 January 2021, high value (above threshold) tenders in the UK have been published via the Government’s e-procurement portal, Find a Tender service(FTS). 
 
FTS is the public portal for all high value notices published in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The portal is used by public buyers to advertise contracts, and by suppliers to access these opportunities.

What are high value notices? 

High value notices make up around 34% of all contract opportunities in the UK, with lower value notices making the other 66%. The thresholds which determine if contracts are higher or lower value change biennially, and vary in value for goods, works and services. Details of current thresholds can be found here. 
 
Prior to 1 January 2021, high-value notices were published to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). With the conclusion of Brexit, high-value notices from the UK are no longer advertised on the OJEU. UK business can, however, still bid for applicable high value EU contracts. Further details on the changes introduced with Brexit can be found here. 

What is the best way to search for tenders?

Find a Tender is a portal just for high value UK notices, meaning you cannot use it to access lower value tenders, notices of any value from the ROI, or high value EU notices. For full coverage of high and low value notices across the UK and ROI, as well as applicable OJEU notices – you need Tenders Direct. 
 
Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. With our unique Peer Review Process and tailored business profiles, we can guarantee you regular, timely and relevant business opportunities. 

Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

How do I find government contracts?

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The public sector is made up of numerous organisations run by the government – this includes local councils, emergency services, armed forces and the NHS. Each of these organisations relies on the private sector to supply them with a wide range of goods, works and services, and on average spends over £290 billion on procurement each year.

To ensure there is a competitive marketplace, contracts must be published publicly, and be accessible to any supplier. This means whenever a public body has a procurement need, they have to advertise the contract online using any of the numerous publishing platforms (also known as advertising portals) available to them – details of these can be found at the end of this post.

The Problem with Finding Tenders

You could try and search for notices yourself using the websites above, but due to the sheer number of sources, especially for low-value notices, it would take a significant amount of effort to find suitable notices.

Even if you did find notices this way, they might not actually be as relevant as you had hoped. This is because of CPV codes. There is a CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) code for every product or service, and while buyers should use them to let suppliers know what they are looking for, many notices are coded incorrectly. This means they won’t appear in searches and you could miss out on these opportunities.

However, Tenders Direct allows you to avoid these issues by sourcing and reviewing every UK and ROI notice, then making them available to you in one accurate and easy to search database.

Tenders Direct – How does it work? 

We are able to provide full coverage of every tender published in the UK and ROI thanks to our team of Sourcing Specialists, who scour every source to find every tender published. Our Classification Specialists then review each of these notices for accuracy, and re-classify them according to product, service and industry. This Peer Review Process not only ensures you have access to every tender published; it also eliminates irrelevance so you only ever see notices that match your search criteria.

To help you stay ahead of the competition and have more time to prepare your bids, our tender alert service eliminates the need for manual searches by notifying you as soon as relevant opportunities are published. Our Client Experience Managers work with you to learn about your business, identify your needs, and develop your unique alert profile – ensuring you receive notifications tailored specifically to your requirements.

With a Tenders Direct subscription, we guarantee you will never miss a tender. Visit our website for more information about our services, or call our New Business Executives on 0800 222 9009 to discuss your needs.

How Tenders Direct works
Discover how Tenders Direct can help you find and win public contracts.

See for yourself
Request a free sample tender alert direct to your inbox.

Tender Publishing Platforms UK 

Contracts Finder - for English contracts worth over £10,000 with the government and its agencies. 

Public Contracts Scotland – for all Scottish public procurement. 

Sell2Wales – for all Welsh public procurement.

eSourcing NI – for all public procurement in Northern Ireland.

Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) – for high-value tenders published in European Union countries.

Find a Tender – for all high-value notices published across the UK.

Public Buyer Specific – low-value tenders, which make up the majority of all public contracts, can be published on the buyer’s own website or through a third party service such as myTenders – meaning there are hundreds of sites used to publish notices. 

These posts may also be of interest

Why work with
the public sector? 
Our article looks at 6 reasons why you should do business with the Public Sector.

Differences between
the private and public sector 
This infographic looks at the different procurement processes.

What is
a public sector tender? 
An explanation of how tenders work and the different procedures they can use.  

Request a tailored
Market Overview
Discover what types of opportunities are available for your industry with a free Market Overview report.

Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.

For more information about we can help you find and win more work in the public sector, please visit tendersdirect.co.uk or call us on 0800 222 9009.

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