Tag: low value tenders

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.

Improved public sector opportunities for SMEs

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With no requirements to comply with EU directives for public procurement, the UK Government is able introduce changes to how they procure below threshold goods, works and services.  
 
On 10 December 2020, the Cabinet Office published the Procurement Policy Note (PPN): Reserving Below Threshold Procurements – which outlines how central government buyers are encouraged to reserve low value tenders for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), and suppliers in specific geographical regions from 1 January 2021. 

What does this mean for SMEs?

The introduction of this PPN is aimed at supporting SMEs by making more opportunities available to them, and increasing their chances of securing work with the public sector.

As part of its drive to level up the UK economy, the government is committed to tackling inequality and giving everyone across the country the opportunity to fulfil their potential. An economy with diverse, resilient and innovative supply markets provides the best environment to start and grow a business.

Point 16. Procurement Policy Note – Reserving Below Threshold Procurements

There are two ways that buyers are advised to create tenders which favour SMEs:

Reserving them by supplier location – buyers are able to open tenders which can only be bid on by suppliers located in a specified geographical area. The scope of these tenders can be UK wide or narrowed down by county. Buyers will not be able specify individual nations of the UK.  

Restricting the types of organisations that can bid for the work – buyers are able to specify that only SMEs and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) are eligible to bid for the work. 

While the PPN applies to central government buyers, the wider public sector is “encouraged to apply the principles” outlined within – meaning as familiarity with these practices grows, so too will UK-led and SME specific opportunities. 

The PPN does not apply to low value tenders involving any provision of goods into Northern Ireland – which remains subject to EU regulations under Northern Ireland Protocol, avoiding a hard border with the Republic of Ireland. 

What are low value tenders?

Low value tenders are those which fall below specific thresholds, which have been identified to prevent discriminatory procurement practices. If buyers wish to reserve low value tenders, the current thresholds which tender values must fall below are:

Supplies & Services
< £122,976 ex VAT

Works
< £4,733,252 ex VAT

The EU thresholds introduced on 1 January 2020 will remain in place until 1 January 2022. Future thresholds will be determined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) – which the UK has been a member of since 1 January 2021. 

How do I find low value tenders?

There are thousands of portals through which public bodies can publish their notices, and it would take a lot of time and effort to try and locate every opportunity relevant to your business.   
 
Thankfully, Tenders Direct eliminates your need to search for tenders by collating every UK and ROI notice in one place, and alerts you to the tenders relevant to you. Our unique service ensures we are aware of every tender published, and allows us to guarantee that with Tenders Direct – you will never miss a tender again.  

Top 5 bid writing mistakes  
You’ll want to avoid these mistakes to take full advantage of these SME specific opportunities. 

Request a free demo 
See how our system works, and discover the opportunities available for business like yours.

Brexit and Public Procurement 
Read about the other changes introduced with Brexit’s conclusion on 1 January 2021.

Reserving Below Threshold Procurements 
View the full policy procurement note on GOV.UK 

Public Sector Round-Up 06.11.20

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UK tender publishing update

999

725

274

Total UK NoticesLow-Value NoticesOJEU Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 30.10.20 & 05.11.20

In October 5152 notices were published across the UK. 3529 of these were low-value notices – which is great news for smaller businesses or those with limited experience of working in the public sector. Lower value notices tend to have less competition and fewer restrictions, making your entry to the market much easier.

If you are interested in finding out what the market looks like for your industry, get in touch and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free overview for your business. Alternatively, start looking for opportunities with our tender search tool on www.tendersdirect.co.uk

In the news this week

New Epsom and St Helier hospital in Sutton given green light
A new state-of-the-art hospital has been announced as part of the government’s £3.7 billion commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 – for which another eight new schemes have been invited to bid. To discover construction, healthcare and other public sector opportunities, use our tender category search.

£228m Mottram bypass goes out to consultation
The public is being given the chance to influence plans for a new £228 million bypass to between Manchester and Sheffield. There will be a 6 week public consultation for the new two-mile bypass, which will run from the roundabout at the end of the M67 (junction 4) to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.
Over the next 5 years, Highways England will be delivering £14 billion of major road projects, increasing the quality, capacity and safety of England’s motorways and major A roads – we can alert you to any projects relevant to your business, find out more here.

£2bn Technology Services 3 framework
This framework agreement will provide a range of local, regional and national services, and is divided into 5 lots: Technology Strategy and Service Design (£320m), Transition and Transformation (£260), Operational Services (£940m), Major Services Transformation Programmes (£580m) & Service Integration and Management (£100m).
For full details, view the notice here.

Top OJEU contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Margate: Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
Short description: The supply and installation of a floating vessel in the form of a pontoon or barge at the Port of Ramsgate, to form a commercial aggregate berth which will be sited within the Port estate.
Published By: Thanet District Council
Date Published: 30 October 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £1,299,986.95
Number of tenders received: 2 (Of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: BAM Nuttall Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Leyland: Construction work
Short description: Development of 55 residential units at land off Westfield Road, Catterall, Preston, Lancashire. 
Published By: Progress Housing Association Ltd
Date Published: 30 October 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £8,413,000.00
Number of tenders received: 1 (Of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: Breck Developments Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Manchester: Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment
Short description: The supply and delivery of a variety of crime reduction products, to be used by police forces as a cost effective way of reducing the risk of vulnerable people becoming victims of crime.
Published By: Greater Manchester Combined Authority — Greater Manchester Police
Date Published: 03 November 2020
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £1,700,000.00
Number of tenders received: (Of which were SMEs: 2)
Contractors: JNE Security Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE


Boost your skills with our CPD accredited online training courses. Whether you are an experienced bid writer or new to tendering, we have courses for you.
Our course dates for January and February 2021 have just been announced:

Advanced Bid Writing Skills
⬩ 26 – 27 January 2021, 13:00 – 16:30
⬩ 23 – 24 February 2021, 13:00 – 16:30

An introduction to Public Procurement and Bid Writing
⬩ 12 – 13 January 2021, 13:00 – 16:30
⬩ 09 – 10 February 2021, 13:00 – 16:30

Writing Compelling Bids
⬩ 19 – 20 January 2021, 13:00 – 16:30
⬩ 16 – 17 February 2021, 13:00 – 16:30

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.
Visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk to find out more.

Public Sector Round-Up 25.09.20

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In the news this week: a new PPN puts a focus on social value, £80m boost to towns across England, and £8.7m to introduce digital records and e-prescribing capabilities to seven NHS trusts.
Our top OJEU notices for the week feature a 3 year kitchen and bathroom installation contract in Birmingham, a building materials and associated services framework in Preston, and a framework for information technology services in Chester.
Our stand out PIN this week is a £670,000,000 Building Safety and Compliance Framework from Fusion 21.
This week we saw 887 notices published across the UK, with 678 of those being low value opportunities.

UK tenders update

887

678

279

Total UK NoticesLow-Value NoticesOJEU Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 18.09.20 & 24.09.20

887 notices were published between 18.09.20 and 24.09.20.
As of 25.09.20, there are over 3800 live notices across all industries on Tender Direct.
If you would like more information about the types of opportunities available for your business, we would be happy to provide you with a free Market Overview.

In the news this week

Procurement Policy Note – Taking Account of Social Value in the Award of Central Government Contracts
If you are looking to win public sector work, you could soon have to make it clearer in your proposals how you plan to help the government deliver its social value priorities. A newly released PPN introduces requirements, from 1 January 2021, for Central Government buyers to evaluate their procurements and ensure they provide a significant level of social value. The 5 key pillars for evaluating social value are: COVID-19 recovery, Tackling economic inequality, Fighting climate change, Equal opportunity, and Wellbeing.

£80 million boost to towns across England
Over 100 towns across England will be be given up to £1m to support projects that will make a difference in the area. Projects highlighted include new green spaces, businesses spaces, greater pedestrianisation, and new community hubs to support those living alone.

Digital prescribing and records introduction boosted by funding
The government have announced £8.7m funding, across seven hospital trusts, to introduce digital records and e-prescribing capabilities. 130 NHS trusts already have similar systems, and as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, over £78m will be invested in introducing electronic prescribing systems across the NHS.

Stand out prior information notices

£670,000,000 Fusion21 Building Safety and Compliance Framework
The framework is intended to support public sector organisations in managing the safety and compliance of their buildings. Included within the 12 lots are opportunities for £120m worth of fire safety consultancy and £80m for electrical testing.
View full prior information notice HERE


Would you like some help with developing your bid strategies? We have a free webinar coming up on the 30th of September that can help. Our webinar starts at 1pm and will last 45 min – register here.

Top OJEU contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Birmingham: Installation of fitted kitchens
Short description: To deliver kitchen and bathroom installations to include the supply of bathrooms and any associated works. This contract will be for a 3 year duration with an option to extend annually for a maximum period of 24 months. 
Published By: Midland Heart Ltd
Date Published: 23 September 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £24,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 6 (of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: Woodland Property Services | J Tomlinson Ltd | Lovell Partnerships Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Preston: Construction materials and associated items
Short description: Contract for building materials and associated services, providing high quality services using a customer focused approach particularly in the public sector to create an end to end building materials framework. 
Published By: Places for People Group Ltd
Date Published: 21 September 2020
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £200,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 2
Contractors: Travis Perkins Trading Company Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Chester: Information technology services
Short description: A national framework agreement for the provision of a secure managed service of technology assets to public sector organisations.
Published by: Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Date Published: 18 September 2020
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £5,000,000.00
Number of tenders received: 1
Contractors: Clares Office Supplies Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

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.
Visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk to find out more.

A Closer Look: The Challenge

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All businesses exist to overcome some sort of challenge on behalf of their clients. At Tenders Direct, we specialise in helping suppliers find – and win – public sector contracts. But aren’t public contract notices in the public domain? Surely this information is easy to find? Well, much like a needle in a haystack, relevant tenders for your business are out there but locating them is another matter.

Continue reading “A Closer Look: The Challenge”

Why we love low value tenders

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Low value tenders are those which aren’t published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) as they are below the EU threshold set at £122,976.

More information can be found about thresholds in our blog post, but what are the key benefits of low value tenders?

For SMEs and companies who have no experience of working in the public sector, low value tenders are a good starting point. Securing a few low value contracts allows smaller suppliers to build up a body of work that can help them go after high value OJEU notices in the future.

The five key benefits of low value tenders

Continue reading “Why we love low value tenders”

The Mystery Behind Part B Services

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When I was working in customer services for Tenders Direct I was always getting asked about the loophole that is Part B Services. Whispers of a tender due to come out any day now, companies waiting patiently and BANG, before they know it, the Tender has been awarded to John Doe Ltd down the road. How does this happen, where was the tender published and why do some tenders disappear into a black hole of EU Laws?!

Continue reading “The Mystery Behind Part B Services”

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