MD Blog

PQQ Advice I know many SME that refuse to compete for public sector work because, they say, the PQQ (pre-qualification questionnaire) process is “fixed” or that they have “tried it before” and it did not work. Invariably, once you dig a little deeper you find that they think it is fixed because they failed miserably an...

PAS 91:2010 (publicly available specification) PAS 91 friend or foe? Well the idea is a sound one. However, now that I have seen it the only good thing I can see is that you have to complete it once. While it is not as cumbersome, taken in the SME context, it is much more in depth than some I have seen. Additionally, I think it is still very muc...

Green Tender writing and Grounds Maintenance   With the silly season for grounds maintenance tenders almost complete, now could be a good time to reflect on how to improve your processes and ideas for the next tender. It’s all very well leaving the things you need to write a good tender until next year but you should do it now, while ...

Easier access to public sector contracts should ease the impact of spending cuts on small firms, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). At a recent summit for small business, the Government outlined plans to simplify the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) that suppliers have to fill in to apply for public sector contracts. The...

PAS 2010 Pre qualification in Construction I think that PAS 91  is a good idea but I am not sure it will help everyone. It will help some because they will potentially be excluded early on, others will just need to complete it once and so save on time and money. However, I think it may simply mean that the questions ar...

Tender Writing and Spotting the Difference I wrote this about a year ago but a recent conversation has prompted me to give it a second airing. Making yourself look different and exciting in your tender is sometimes the only way you have of winning. It is a risky strategy to attempt to be too different but if you really thing you do not have a ch...

Tender Writing for the Care Sectors Writing a tender for the care sector is very different from most other professional services and industries. We have found that we need to take a slightly different approach when writing tenders for the care sector and that the writing must be sharper, more persuasive and compelling and must deal with the...

Tendering to Win Is it worth writing a tender even when you think the contract may have already been unofficially awarded is a question I am often asked. The truth is that it depends. No matter how strongly you may feel that a tender is going to be awarded to the incumbent or one of your competitors, you must think carefully before deciding not...

Writing a PPQ for Construction When it comes to bidding for Council construction contracts, the recession has made competition fiercer than ever. There is still work available but it is just being more hotly contested. To win their business you have to be invited to tender – which means passing the PQQ stage. Here are some tips to help ...

PQQ Writing Training can make all the difference   If you often apply for contracts with public sector companies you’ll be familiar with the application process, which involves completion of a PQQ – Pre Qualification Questionnaire – and, if successful, submission of a tender. PQQs are essential nowadays as they save compani...