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 »
The biggest reform to UK public procurement in a generation is now live and embedded. Here is what small and medium-sized enterprises need to know, and how to make the most of it. The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, replacing the patchwork of EU-derived regulations that had governed public sector
What the Procurement Act Means for SMEs Read More »
The Government’s announcement of seven new towns is the most ambitious building programme in over fifty years. For small and medium-sized businesses across the UK, it is not simply a housing story. It is a multi-decade commercial opportunity on a scale that most SMEs have never encountered. The question is whether you are positioned to
Britain Is Building Again. This Time, Small Businesses Should Be First in the Queue. 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 »
In the world of tendering it sometimes feels like you need to bid mistakes for everything somewhat relevant to your business, especially if you are an SME looking to grow and meet new targets. In the world of business we often get into a mindset that if you don’t bid then you’re not working hard
How to decide what tenders to bid for Read More »
comprehensive social value importance guide has been part of public sector tendering since the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 came into force on 31 January 2013. The Act does not place a duty on bidders. It requires the contracting authority, before it starts a procurement, to consider how what it is buying might improve
How to Write the Perfect Social Value Response in a Bid Read More »