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Tag: training tenders

Looking for Coaching Tenders? Here’s What You Should Know…

Posted on by John Hudson

Here’s everything you need to know about finding and winning coaching tenders!

Looking for coaching tenders? One of the most valuable things we can offer each other as humans is knowledge. Whether it is providing individual or group support, we understand the importance of coaching tenders. In this blog, we will share how you can find coaching tenders and three tips to help you win! Keep reading to learn our secrets…

How to find coaching tenders

So, you’re looking for coaching tenders. Using a search engine such as Google is fine, but there is a faster way.

This is where Consultancy Tenders comes in.

Our portal is one of Hudson Discover’s 11 sector-specific tender tracking portals. They are specifically designed to save you as much time as possible when searching for tenders.

What makes Consultancy Tenders different?

You may have heard of tender tracking portals before. So, what makes us different? Well, our Opportunity Trackers manually search for tenders without the use of CPV codes. This means there is no risk of missing the perfect coaching tenders because of a coding error. We also send daily tender notifications to keep our users updated with all the opportunities found each day.

Want to save time looking for coaching tenders? Try Discover Elite

Sign up to Discover Elite via your chosen portal. Then, a dedicated Account Manager will find live bids on your behalf. They’ll speak with you weekly to discuss opportunities that may interest you. This is especially helpful for those with little time to spare due to busy schedules.

Upgrading to Discover Elite will ensure you never miss a tendering opportunity, even when you’re busy!

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool offers your business:

  • An annual subscription to a maximum of two Discover portals of your choice.
  • Up to five bid breakdowns per month to help you make your bid or no-bid
  • Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable leads and tendering opportunities.
  • Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Public and private buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid strategy.

How to win coaching tenders

Now that you know how to find coaching tenders, you may be wondering how to win them. We sat down with some professional Bid Writers to see what advice they have to offer. Here’s what they had to say!

1.     Showcase your relevant experience

One of the most important parts of bidding for coaching tenders is to back up your claims. The purpose of a bid is to showcase why you should be awarded the contract. You can’t just say why you deserve it. You need to show that you have the experience to do it right.

So, using case studies is vital within your bid proposal. It almost certainly won’t be a winning bid without them. These case studies should also be from the last three to five years. Most importantly, they need to be relevant. You need to show the buyer you know exactly what they are looking for. Showcase your experience in delivering the same or similar work. If you can’t do this, the buyer is unlikely to award you the contract. Don’t throw your chances away by including irrelevant information. This only shows the buyer that you don’t fully understand their goals.

2.     Thoroughly edit your proposal before submission

It is very unlikely that the first draft of your bid proposal will be perfect. That is why you should never submit the first draft! You should use bid management skills to stay organised and ahead of schedule. This way, you are left plenty of time for reviewing, proofreading, and editing your bid.

The best way to proofread your bid is to go through it multiple times. If possible, it should be reviewed by several people. This way, you are far more likely to catch all the errors. Even reading aloud to yourself can make it easier to spot mistakes. The buyer will not take you seriously if your bid is full of errors. It gives the impression you are unprofessional and are not thorough with your work. With this in mind, it is understandable why the buyer wouldn’t trust you with the contract. You need to give the best impression possible. One of the best ways of doing this is to show you pay attention to the quality of your work.

3.     Check you are eligible

Before you begin planning your bid, you should check your eligibility for the contract. You’d be surprised by how many people don’t do this, spend resources, and lose the bid purely for this reason. It’s a complete waste of time! So, save yourself the annoyance and thoroughly read all the tender documents. With coaching tenders, it is quite likely you’ll need certain qualifications and accreditations. So, keep an eye out for this when you read the documents.

Examples of coaching tenders found on our portal

Below are just a handful of examples of the coaching tenders we’ve had on our Consultancy Tenders portal.

Provision of Early Help Youth Work, Mentoring & Counselling Services

Bedford Borough Council – Eastern – Budget: £679,200

Aviation Security Training, Engagement & Mentoring (ASTEM) Framework Notice

DfTc – Department for Transport – London – Budget: £5,000,000

Coaching & Mentoring Training

University of Derby – East Midlands – Budget: £70,000

Mentoring, Coaching & Workshop Delivery Skills for Email Marketing Techniques

Cornwall College e-Tendering – South West – Budget: £18,000

Leadership & Coaching Support

Sheffield City Council – Yorkshire and Humber – Budget: £52,115

Summary

We have reached the end of our blog on coaching tenders! Let’s recap everything we covered so nothing is forgotten.

To find coaching tenders, you can use a portal such as Consultancy Tenders. Our portal is unique as we don’t use CPV codes. So, there is no risk of missing an opportunity.

To win coaching tenders, you should consider the following tips:

1.     Showcase your relevant experience

2.     Thoroughly edit your proposal before submission

3.     Check you are eligible.

Need help writing your next tender?

If you don’t have the resources or time to write a winning bid, why not outsource it? Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% success rate and has over 60 years of collective bidding experience. They offer four bid writing support packages to help you on the path to success. Whether you’re new to tendering, or simply need someone to proof your written response before you submit – we can help.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is designed for those who have never tendered before. This 4-week programme works with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Tender Improvement can help if you’re already tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous submissions and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance on how to improve, helping you to secure your next coaching tender.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written a tender and need someone to proofread it – Tender Mentor is for you. A Bid Writer will double-check it’s in line with the specification and free of any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect tender but don’t know where to start – we can help. Send the specification over to us and our Bid Team will do the rest. They’ll let you know what they need from you and provide you with a full breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your business.

Get in touch to find out more information.

Leadership Tenders: Get Ahead of the Curve with Consultancy Tenders

Posted on by John Hudson

Here’s how you can get ahead by finding leadership tenders quickly and efficiently!

So, you’re likely here because you have questions about leadership tenders. Perhaps you want to know what they are, where to find them, and who can help you win. The good news is that you’re in the right place. We will be covering all that in this blog! So, keep reading if you want to learn more about leadership tenders.

What are leadership tenders?

Let’s start with the basics for those who may be unfamiliar. Leadership tenders can be a contract in any sector that requires the advice and consultancy of an expert. For example, a company may have a team of leaders that are not well experienced. They will benefit greatly from the support of an expert with relevant experience.

Leadership tenders may be for training courses to give individuals and teams the confidence and skills they need. It can be especially beneficial to those going into job roles that require team management.

Where can you quickly find leadership tenders?

Most of us always turn to search engines such as Google to quickly find the answers to our questions. When you look for leadership tenders manually, you’ll be met with countless results. These sites will all feature contracts differently. Most will likely just have a link to download lengthy tender documents. You’ll have to read the entire thing to find specific information, all to check if you are eligible. This can quickly become tedious and will take hours of your time. For many business owners, this isn’t an option as it is hard enough managing a business. Luckily, there are tools out there that can help you to streamline the process of finding tenders.

Consultancy Tenders

There are many services out there, known as tender portals, which feature several contracts all in one place. Consultancy Tenders is one of Hudson Discover’s 11 sector-specific portals. What makes Consultancy Tenders different is that we don’t use CPV codes when searching for tenders. Our Opportunity Trackers manually find and upload all tenders. This means there is no risk of missing a tender due to an error in the code. It would be frustrating to miss out on the perfect tender for your business purely because of this!

With the Consultancy Tenders portal, you can use filters to see contracts based on keywords, location, and budget. You’ll also be able to easily see the deadline for the tender submissions. We also send out tender notifications daily to keep all our users up to date with new opportunities.

Want to save even more time looking for leadership tenders? Try Discover Elite

If you want to streamline the process even further, you can sign up to Discover Elite via your chosen portal. With this service, a dedicated Account Manager will find live bids on your behalf. They’ll speak with you weekly to discuss opportunities that may interest you. This is especially helpful for those with little time to spare due to busy schedules.

Upgrading to Discover Elite will ensure you never miss a tendering opportunity even when you’re busy!

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool offers your business:

  • An annual subscription to a maximum of two Discover portalsof your choice.
  • Up to five bid breakdowns per month to help you make your bid or no-bid
  • Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable leads and tendering opportunities.
  • Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Public and private buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid strategy.

Examples of leadership tenders found on our portal

Below are just a few examples of the kind of tenders you can find out our portal!

Leadership Development Support – A887

Swale Borough Council – South East – Budget: £25,000

Leadership Programme

Scottish Police Authority – Scotland – Budget: £750,000

Leadership Academy 2022

Improvement and Development Agency – London – Budget: £350,000

Leadership Framework – Health Inequalities

NHS England – Yorkshire and Humber – Budget: £40,000

Framework for RNA Centre of Excellence Supply Chain and Training Manager Consultancy

Centre For Process Innovation Limited – North East – Budget: £213,477

Summary

Here’s a summary of what we covered in our blog on leadership tenders.

Leadership tenders are contracts that involve services such as offering training and consultancy support. They can be especially beneficial to those in leadership job roles that lack the required skills and confidence.

To find leadership tenders, you can use tender portals such as Consultancy Tenders. This portal is unique because there is no reliance on CPV codes to find opportunities. Therefore, there’s no risk of missing the perfect tender for your business.

Still got questions about leadership tenders? Why not contact us to speak to our experts? We are always happy to help!

Need help writing your next tender?

If you don’t have the resources or time to write a winning bid, why not outsource it? Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of collective bidding experience. They offer four bid writing support packages to help you on the path to success. Whether you’re new to tendering, or simply need someone to proof your written response before you submit – we can help.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is designed for those who have never tendered before. This 4-week programme works with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Tender Improvement can help if you’re already tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous submissions and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance on how to improve, helping you to secure your next tenders.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written a tender and need someone to proofread it – Tender Mentor is for you. A Bid Writer will double-check it’s in line with the specification and free of any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect tender but don’t know where to start – we can help. Send the specification over to us and our Bid Team will do the rest. They’ll let you know what they need from you and provide you with a full breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your business.

Get in touch to find out more information.

How to Tender for Training Contracts…and Win!

Posted on by John Hudson

Tender for training contracts with our top tips

Do you want to tender for training contracts to grow your consultancy business? If so, do you know what steps to take to increase your chances of success?

In this blog, we’ll discuss the steps you should take to tender for training contracts. Keep reading to find out more!

3 tips to help you tender for training contracts

  1. Make sure it’s a suitable tender

When you tender for training contracts, the first thing you need to do is make sure it’s a suitable project. If it’s not and you proceed with the bid anyway, you’re wasting your business’ precious time and resources.

If you’re unsure how to determine whether or not a tender is suitable, you could create a checklist. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do you have relevant case studies?
  • Is it financially viable for your business?
  • Do you meet the financial standing?
  • Do you offer something unique in the market?
  • Does this fit with your long-term strategy?
  • Do you need to outsource any work?
  • Does your company have the ability to deliver the work on paper?
  • Do you have time to deliver the work?
  • If you were in the buyer’s shoes, would you choose yourself for the project?

  1. Submit a high-quality, well-written proposal

One of the most important things to consider when you tender for training contracts is the quality of your response. To secure tenders for your business, you need to submit a high-quality, well-written tender proposal.

The quality of your response is important, as this makes it easier to convey information to the buyer. If they have to jump through hoops to understand your answer, you’re unlikely to win the bid.

To increase your chances of success, use simple, clear and concise language in your tender response. Avoid too much technical jargon and express your ideas clearly.

  1. Showcase your experience

When you bid for a project, you need to demonstrate your experience to the buyer. They’ll expect to see previous contract examples that show you’re capable of delivering the work.

You should submit two to three case studies from the past three to five years when you tender for training contracts. Ideally, these case studies will be similar in size, scope and complexity to the project you’re bidding for. This will assure the buyer that you have experience with similar contracts and are the right supplier for the job. So, for example, don’t submit examples of your previous experience with project management if you’re bidding for training contracts.

In summary 

So, now you know how to increase your chances of success for when you tender for training contracts. Firstly, you need to make sure it’s a suitable tender for your business. If you’re unlikely to win, don’t proceed with the bid. You need to make sure that your tender response is well-written, using clear and concise language.

Consultancy Tenders

Do you want to tender for training contracts? Why don’t you visit Consultancy Tenders?

Consultancy Tenders streamlines the tendering process to save you valuable time when finding training tenders.

Below are 5 past examples of training contracts we’ve sourced on our portal:

UKSA – CS21521 – Tabletop Exercises & Training Package

UK Shared Business Service Limited – South West – £33,333

Police Investigative Training

Warwickshire Police – West Midlands – £125k

Dynamic Purchasing System for Provision of Apprenticeship Training Programmes

North East Lincolnshire Council – Yorkshire – £3.2million

Apprenticeship Training Provision Tender

Southern Water Services Ltd – South East – £3.8million

WCS Training Panel 2022 – RFT for Panel Provision of Training Services to Waterford Chamber Skillnet 2022

Waterford Chamber Skillnet – Republic of Ireland – Budget: Undisclosed

Benefits of becoming a subscriber include:

  • Locating public and private sector opportunities in one central portal.
  • Receiving daily updates of available tenders, direct to your inbox.
  • Filtering your search by relevant keywords, budget, location, and more.
  • Access to your own Account Manager, who’ll answer any queries you have.
  • Your dashboard will automatically filter tenders to show you relevant opportunities.
  • We manually track opportunities from over hundreds of sources daily.
  • We host exclusive tenders that will not be posted on any other site.

Want to start finding training contracts with Consultancy Tenders? Book a free live demo today.

Need assistance with consultancy projects?

You may not have the time or resources in-house to write a winning tender response. Outsourcing to tender writing specialists can help you secure your next contract.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, provide four levels of bid writing support services. Our Bid Writers have over 60 years of collective bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re new to tendering or need your response proofread – we can help.

Tender Ready

Tender Ready is the perfect programme for those who are completely new to tendering. You’ll have access to an expert Bid Consultant to answer any questions that you may have. You’ll also get a year’s subscription to our Consultancy Tenders portal.

Tender Improvement

If you have already been applying for tenders but aren’t seeing success our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Writers will go over your previous submissions and provide feedback and guidance.

Tender Writing

Have you found the perfect contract for your business but are struggling to start? Send it over to our Bid Writing Team and they can write the whole response for you. If you use our Tender Writing service, they’ll even submit it on your behalf!

Tender Mentor  

Our Bid Writers can look over a bid response you’ve already written, checking it for errors before you submit. Sometimes you just need another pair of eyes to go over your response and our Tender Mentor service can help.

A subscription to Consultancy Tenders could increase your chances of securing a tender for training contracts. With the time saved and numerous opportunities found, Consultancy Tenders can feed seamlessly into your business development strategy. With a subscription to the portal, you receive:

  • Unlimited access.
  • A dedicated Account Manager.
  • A free 20-minute phone consultation.
  • A daily email bulletin.

Contact us today to find out more!

How has COVID-19 Impacted Education Tenders?

Posted on by John Hudson

Education tenders and the rise of virtual learning

COVID-19 has led to an increase in education tenders thanks to the digitisation of education.

Last year saw the UK government prioritising investment into education and upskilling workers. This is a trend that’s set to continue well into 2021. Here are a few reasons why:

Increased government funding

Britain’s education sector remains one of its most lucrative. The estimated revenue of the industry in 2020 was around £43.6 billion. Moreover, funding for schools is set to increase by £7.1 billion by 2022 – 2023.

It isn’t just school children who will reap the benefits from this boost in spending. The government are increasing investment across the whole educational board. This includes funding for traineeships, adult learning and digital skills bootcamps.

Core funding will be assigned in the following areas of the education sector in 2021 – 2022:

  • £1.4 billion to education funding. Including funding to help children catch up on lost learning in schools.
  • £291 million for Further Education. This ensures core funding for 16 – 19-year-olds.
  • £300 million for school facilities for children with disabilities and special educational needs.
  • £2.5 billion for apprenticeships and further improvements for employers, including upskilling.
  • £375 million from the National Skills Fund (NSF).

The rise in demand for virtual learning

It’s no surprise that online learning has seen a significant increase over the last decade with the rise of technology. Particularly more so over the last 12 months. The pandemic has forced educational institutions to adapt and adjust to digitisation. Schools, universities and companies have found themselves forced into remote learning, with little to no say in the matter.

Although some might see this as a negative, the plus side is the increase in technology tenders and education tenders. It has become apparent that there is a digital skills shortage. This has become apparent to the government, leading them to invest in digital boot camps. Further investments are also being made into skills training that’s tailored to local communities.

Digital Bootcamps

A recent trend for education tenders is the rise of digital bootcamps. The reason the government is pumping all this money into upskilling local communities is to aid the recovery of COVID-19. The Department for Education (DfE) hopes that investing in educational tenders will get Britain on the road to recovery. With added benefits of aiding the unemployment crisis. They hope 75% of trainees move into a new job or role within six months of completion of training.

The DfE recently launched a massive £36 million tender from the NSF. Two lots worth £18 million each are up for grabs. They’re looking for a flexible training model of digital or technical training. The first lot for digital skills bootcamps in nine regions of England. The second lot will award a number of contracts on a local or national level for technical bootcamps based on demand. Its aims are to meet the skills shortages and needs of local areas and it’s set to start this May. Both are set to last one year, with the possibility of a one-year extension. This is just one recent example of the millions of pounds being pumped into the education sector.

The National Skills Fund also publishes education tenders. They help fund:

  • Technical courses for adults that are equivalent to A-levels.
  • Employer-led bootcamp training models.
  • Traineeships and the National Careers Service.
  • Innovative models for local collaboration between skills providers and employers.

They aren’t the only businesses putting out educational contracts.

Here are some more examples past education tenders we have sourced on our Consultancy Tenders portal: 

Tenders Sought For Online Mindfulness Tutor

Relatives For Justice- Northern Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

01-01-2021

ED-SEND-Independent Non Maintained School Placement Request 853403AS & 511286BN

Bristol City Council- South West- Budget: £480,000

23-12-2020

Primary care training and education on diabetes

Nhs Lewisham Clinical Group- South East- Budget: Undisclosed

22-12-2020

Framework for Spot Purchasing of Activities For Adults With A Learning Disability In Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets- London- Budget: Undisclosed

14-12-2020

Alternative Education Provision Request For Information (RFI)

Buckinghamshire Council- South East- Budget: Undisclosed

21-12-2020

APM UK – call for Delivery Partners

Ingeus- London- Budget: £5,000

08-12-2020

Are you just starting to bid for education tenders?

If so, we’re happy to help you get started!

Tendering for education contracts requires a fair bit of preparation. You should consider if you have enough relevant experience and start building up your case studies. The best place to start when tendering is to find contracts on Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) or framework agreements. These are both multi-supplier setups, usually open to smaller contractors. This allows small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to build up their experience. Once you’ve got these banked, you’ll be able to progress to single provider contracts.

Looking for further support with education tenders?

Need support to boost your chances of winning education contacts? Our dedicated team of experienced bid writers at Hudson Succeed can take the burden out of bid writing. With over 40 years of experience and an 87% success rate, you can trust them with your bid. Leaving you time to focus on your business.

They provide four levels of writing support to maximise your bidding success. Whether you’re new to the tendering process or have tendered before, they have a service tailored to your needs:

Get in touch to learn how you can succeed with us.

Education tenders are one of the most popular types of tenders on our portal.

Consultancy Tenders

Consultancy Tenders streamlines the tendering process to save you valuable time when finding education tenders.

Benefits of becoming a subscriber include:

  • Locating public and private sector opportunities in one central portal.
  • Receiving daily updates of available tenders, direct to your inbox.
  • Filtering your search by relevant keywords, budget, location, and more.
  • Access to your own Account Manager, who’ll answer any queries you have.
  • Your dashboard will automatically filter tenders to show you relevant opportunities.
  • We manually track opportunities from over 1,000 sources daily.
  • We host exclusive tenders that will not be posted on any other site.

Want to start finding education contracts with Consultancy Tenders? Book a free live demo today.

Education Contracts & Opportunities in 2021

Posted on by John Hudson

Why you should be tendering for education contracts 

Education contracts are one of the most populated types of tender on our sector-specific tendering portal, Consultancy Tenders. Are you tendering for work on education contracts as we head into 2021? If not – here’s why you should be!

We source a wide range of opportunities for education, training and tutoring providers, every day. So, here’s a rundown on current opportunities, and how you can tender for education contracts effectively.

What do education contracts usually look like?

A broad range of services fall under the umbrella term ‘education contract’. The buying organisations range from universities and colleges to local councils, to environmental agencies, and much more. The budget and number of providers on education contracts also vary greatly. From single supplier tutoring contracts worth thousands to large university frameworks for multiple providers, with budgets in the millions.

As an SME in the education sector, there are plenty of tenders you could be pursuing to grow your business. Education contracts currently available to SMEs may include services and programmes such as:

  • Apprenticeship training
  • Mentoring
  • Expert speaker services
  • Workshop delivery services
  • Early childhood education
  • Environmental education services
  • Social inclusion programmes
  • Business coaching
  • Community work
  • Local employment services
  • Functional skills delivery

And that’s just to name a handful! We source hundreds of unique opportunities, covering a vast range of education contracts. So, we appreciate the scope of the sector. Book a free live demo of Consultancy Tenders, and we’ll demonstrate how to find education contracts, relevant to your business.

Which areas of the education sector will see investments in 2021?

What is the forecast for education contracts in 2021? New opportunities will arise from increased investment and funding across the board – from schools, to traineeships, to adult learning. The Spending Review 2020, announced on 25th November, gives insight into the focal points for investment across the education sector.

The Spending Review 2020 & Education Contracts.

The government has prioritised investment in education and skills in 2020. Investments are being made to level up education standards and provide a higher quality experience for all UK learners. This applies to learners of all ages – from adult training courses, to early childhood education. New funding hopes to offset areas of education that were negatively impacted by COVID-19. The schools’ budget, for instance, is set to increase by £7.1 billion by 2022-23. This is the biggest school funding boost in a decade.

Core funding will be assigned to the following areas of the education sector in 2021-2022:

  • £1.4 billion to education funding, including funding for schools to help children catch up on lost learning.
  • £291 million for Further Education, to ensure core funding for 16 to 19-year-olds is sustained.
  • £300 million for school facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
  • £2.5 billion for apprenticeships and further improvements for employers.
  • £375 million from the National Skills Fund, which funds:
  1. in-demand technical courses for adults, equivalent to A level
  2. the employer-led boot camp training model
  3. traineeships and the National Careers Service
  4. innovative models for local collaboration between skills providers and employers.

Brand new education contracts are cropping up!

There are currently education contracts cropping up in new areas as society adapts to the effects of COVID-19.  We’ve seen an unsurprising increase in tenders for Online Distance Learning Services, for instance.

Further investments are also being made into skills training that is tailored to local communities. This local approach will supplement national programmes. For instance, work-based training, such as sector-based work academy programmes (SWAP).

SWAP programmes are a recent development for education providers, as of late 2020. Organised by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), these programmes help unemployed people apply for new jobs. Applicants on the programme receive training and education to gain skills which make them suitable for new areas of work. For example, Fareham College has teamed up with Job Centre Plus (JCP) to establish a sector-based work academy. Applicants enrol on a four-week educational course to gain skills and knowledge required for a career in construction. Qualifications, such as a Level 1 Award in Bricklaying, are obtained through the college’s Civil Engineering Training Centre (CETC). This programme helps relieve local redundancies and lost jobs due to the effects of the pandemic.

SWAPs are also designed to help employers recruit a workforce with the right skills to sustain and grow their business.

Are you just starting to tender for education contracts?

If so, we’re happy to help you get started!

Tendering for education contracts requires preparation. You should consider how best to gain relevant experience and build up your case studies. The best place to start when tendering is to find contracts on Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) or framework agreements. Both of these are multiple supplier set ups, open to smaller contractors. This allows SMEs to build their experience and, in turn, build up effective case studies for future bids. Once you’ve got a bank of relevant experience, you’ll be capable of progressing to single provider contracts.

The bid writing experts at our Hudson Succeed division have extensive experience writing tender responses – with an 87% success rate! They can thoroughly prepare you for tendering through their 4-week Tender Ready package.

Here are some points to consider when bidding for education contracts.

What’s the procedure?

The procurement procedure for education contracts can be either open or restricted.

  1. Open procedure:

An open procedure is often used for more straightforward procurements. This procedure means that:

  • Anyone can submit a tender;
  • You are not permitted to negotiate with bidders, and;
  • The buyer is required to evaluate all tenders received.

  1. Restricted procedure:

A restricted procedure is often used in less stable markets with lots of competition. This procedure means that:

  • Interested parties can submit an expression of interest;
  • A minimum of five suppliers must be invited to tender and these are sufficient to ensure genuine competition, and;
  • No negotiation with bidders is permitted, just clarification of bids and finalisation of terms.

Let’s take a brief look at an example of the tendering process for an education contract.

Example: A council puts out a Request for Tender (RFT) seeking qualified tutors to deliver various training programmes for young people. The programme focuses on 16 – 18-year olds at risk of being NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Through the programme, young people will be able to progress into further education, apprenticeships or skilled employment.

This is an open procedure tender. The RFT will establish a panel of individuals or companies. A mini competition will then take place to decide who will be selected for contract award.

How can you submit an effective bid, in this case?

How do you put forward a tender response showcasing why your business is the best fit to deliver this contract? Here are some points to consider:

  • Read the Invitation to Tender (ITT) carefully.

Make sure you’ve read and understood the ITT carefully. The following components will typically be included:

  • a cover letter
  • a timetable for the contract
  • how to ask clarification questions
  • how to submit your bid
  • the specification
  • the award criteria
  • the specific levels of service you want
  • the terms of appointment

  • Seek clarification.

Always seek clarification for any aspects of the tender you’re unsure on. This will greatly increase your chances of responding fully, and correctly. 

  • Consider the buyer’s core purpose.

In this case, the core purpose in the RFT may read as follows. “Our core purpose is to improve quality of life for individuals and communities by improving their opportunities for employment.”

Can you align your own core values with the buyer’s core purpose to show why you’re best for the job?

  • Relevant experience.

The award criteria in education contracts are often heavily weighted on the relevant past experience you/your company has. In this case, there is a 40 – 50% weighting in the criteria sole for past experience. This is a large portion of the award criteria, so you must have relevant experience of delivering similar training. It’s essential, also, to show what you’ve gleaned from similar past contracts you’ve undertaken and how you will utilise this.

  • Demonstrate your impact.

Clearly demonstrate the impact your work will have. What are you going to do? What difference will it make to the programme? For instance?

Output – I will survey learners on their current skills and training.

Outcome – I will use this as a basis to make a new curriculum.

Impact – The new curriculum will better prepare learners for the workplace.

  • Consider the wider community.

It may be worthwhile to consider longer-term impacts, and indirect impacts. For instance, how will improving employment opportunities for young people affect the wider community? Will students in the programme go on to train others?

  • Keep it relevant.

It’s important to sing your own praises and sell yourself within a tender. However, don’t use up the wordcount describing how great your organisation is, if it’s not relevant to the actual tender! Instead, keep the focus on how your organisation is the best fit for this particular piece of work.

Looking for further support with tenders?

Need support to boost your chances of winning education contracts? Our dedicated and experienced team of Bid Writers at Hudson Succeed can take the burden out of bid writing.

We provide four levels of writing support to maximise your bidding success. Whether you are tendering for the first time or have tendered before, we have a service tailored to your needs:

Get in touch to learn how you can succeed with us.

Consultancy Tenders

Consultancy Tenders streamlines the tendering process to save you valuable time when finding education contracts.

  • Locate public and private sector opportunities in one central portal.
  • Receive daily updates of available tenders, direct to your inbox.
  • Filter your search by relevant keywords, budget, location, and more.
  • Access your own Account Manager, who’ll answer any queries you have.
  • Your dashboard will automatically filter tenders to show you relevant opportunities.
  • We manually track opportunities from over 1,000 sources daily.
  • We host exclusive tenders that will not be posted on any other site.

Below are examples of education contracts sourced on our portal:

Adult Skills and Education Service: Adult Traineeships

City of London Corporation- London- Budget: £100,000

All Wales Public Service Graduate Programme 22-24 – Masters

Welsh Government- Wales- Budget: £180,000

Training Services for Local Enterprise Offices – LEAN Business Programme

Fingal County Council- Northern Ireland- Budget: £640,000

GP Course Update – Health Education England

Health Education England- Yorkshire & Humber- Budget: £65,000

Individual Packages of Educational Support Framework Re-opening

Essex County Council- Eastern- Budget: £15,000,000

Want to start finding education contracts with Consultancy Tenders? Book a free live demo today.

Believe you can and you WILL, Believe you can’t and you WON’T

Posted on by John Hudson

Believe you can and you WILL, Believe you can’t and you WON’T

You know what they say – believers are achievers! Corny I know, but the principle DOES apply when tender writing. You can never just hit it and hope for the best – this isn’t snooker! Each piece of work you bid for should have been accurately assessed to make sure this is a good opportunity for your business (see our ‘to bid or not to bid’ blog for further information).

The point is, you have to go in fully prepped with the clear mindset of achieving this piece of work. If you are not fully confident that you can win the work, then don’t bid for it. Simple.

If you feel you are in with a good shot – then make sure any doubts or reservations are left at the door, as you don’t want these to be identified by the evaluator.

Remember to be descriptive, be assertive, but most importantly be positive!

You should:

  • use phrases like ‘We will …’ – no one cares you if you are attempting to do something – this is your piece of work – be confident and state you WILL deliver all that’s expected;
  • demonstrate your willingness to adapt, conform and collaborate with the buyer – always demonstrate further added value and what more you can do for the buyer – think of the positive effects this has socially and economically;
  • validate your company – describe not only what makes you different, but what makes you BETTER? Explain clearly why the buyer should choose you and not your competitors – why do YOU stand out?

You’ll find that if you’re below 80% sure to whether or not you should bid for the contract – this tends to show less confidence on paper. The better the opportunity that is right for you, the better your proposal will be projected. Unbeknownst to many, on a subconscious level, if we believe we are NOT destined to win the work, we will in many ways lag behind our competitors in that all-important tender.

Never go for any opportunity! Always go for the ones you believe in!

Get in touch. We can help you believe what’s best for you!