The Procurement Act sets the floor, not the ceiling. What the 25 to 35 day tendering periods, the 8 working day standstill and the 30 day contract details notice mean for your calendar, and where the published timetable really slips.
How long does a public sector tender take, from notice to award? Read More »
Three real council contracts weighted price anywhere from 30% to 80%, so there is no typical split to price against. What the Procurement Act actually says about an abnormally low price, why the threshold and the Scottish border change the answer, and how to fill in a schedule of rates you can defend in year two.
How do you price a public sector tender (and fill in a schedule of rates)? Read More »
Public sector evaluators score your bid against a published manual. The Government Commercial Agency guide sets out eight stages, what clarification cannot fix, and what moderation strips out. Read backwards, it is a specification for your next answer.
What the people scoring your bid are told to do Read More »
The national questionnaire never asks for ISO 9001. What “or equivalent” really means, where certification is a hard gate, and what it honestly costs.
Does a small business need ISO 9001 to win tenders, and must it be UKAS-accredited? Read More »
What CHAS, Constructionline and SafeContractor cost in 2026, what real tender notices actually require, and why the badge is the gate, not the win.
Are CHAS, Constructionline and SafeContractor actually worth paying for? Read More »
There are many tenders relating to the construction industry. This can include projects for design build, infrastructure and ongoing repair and maintenance.
Construction Tenders Read More »
What is a mini-competition in procurement? Buyers and suppliers still say “mini-competition”, but since 24 February 2025 the legal term is a competitive selection process. Section 45(3) of the Procurement Act 2023 says a frameworks vs DPS may only provide for the future award of a public contract following a competitive selection process, unless the
The mini-competition Read More »
A winning bid writing tips response is in the planning. Analysing the tender definition request should be among the first steps that is taken when preparing a response. All public tender requests, often referred to as invitations to offer (ITOs), requests for tender (RFTs) or requests for proposal (RFPs), have common elements such as: Outline
Tips to make your tender for business stand out Read More »
The Public and Private Sector In the public sector there are two competitive tendering procedures: the open procedure, which is single-stage, and the competitive flexible procedure, whose stages the buyer designs itself (section 20 of the Procurement Act 2023). In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the public sector has worked under the Procurement Act 2023
What criteria do different buyers use to evaluate tenders? Read More »
