Advice on how to tender for council work

So, you may be wondering how to tender for council work. It can be a great opportunity for your business and tendering for contracts has many advantages. However, the tendering process can be a difficult and confusing one to navigate.

Some advantages include prompt payment and securing a pipeline of work for your business. Remember, when council tendering, you’ll likely need up to three case studies. This is something that people often overlook when considering how to tender for council work. They must be similar in scope and complexity to the contract you’re applying for. This gives the buyer confidence that you know what you’re doing and have successfully done it before.

How to tender for council work

Read the tender documents carefully

You can find most council tendering opportunities on their websites or on tender portals. Here, you can register your interest and gain access to the tender documents. Remember to read these documents carefully. They’ll state what qualifications and accreditations are needed and other important information.

Structure your response

If you’re wondering how to tender for council work, you could consider the structure of your tender response. Avoid overly technical jargon and be clear and concise with your language. The council likely won’t be experts in your area, hence why they’re outsourcing it.

Using bullet points can help you include vital information while saving on the word count. Subheadings can also help you break down the question and structure your response. They can help make sure you’re answering every aspect of the question, too.

Don’t skimp on social value

Social value is a critical aspect of any public sector tender response. The council, obviously, is no different. Public sector tenders have a minimum weighting of 10% on social value, therefore, it’s not something you should consider as an afterthought. Councils want to see value for money and innovation. They care about their local communities and the environment.

Take a look at their websites to see what initiatives they support. This can help strengthen your application, including how you can add value if you win this contract. After all, they want to get the most bang for the taxpayer’s buck.

Have strong policies and procedures

The council has to uphold quality assurance. They expect your business to do the same. Do you review your policies regularly and update them? If you’re wondering how to tender for council work, you should ensure you’re upholding best practice. Councils want to be assured that the work will be completed to the highest standards with minimal risk.

Can you demonstrate quality assurance and health and safety qualifications such as ISO9001? Do you have a safeguarding procedure, environmental or equality and diversity policy?

Proofread your response before you submit

You want to submit the best tender you can. Therefore, you should ensure you proofread your response before you submit it. A good way to make sure it’s error-free is by getting someone else to read it. They can then check it’s in line with the specification and you can make any adjustments you need before submission.

So, now you know how to tender for council work. If you follow our advice on structuring your tender, reading the tender documents carefully, you’ll be well on your way. Remember to not skimp on social value and give quality assurance. Having strong policies and procedures can also help as well as proofreading your response before you submit it.

Need assistance with your next tender?

Although you’re a bit more familiar with what’s required for council contracts, you might still be looking for some support with your tender. Writing isn’t everyone’s strong suit and that’s ok. Outsourcing to bid writing specialists can help you secure that next contract and grow your business.

Here at Hudson Succeed, we pride ourselves on being bid writing experts. We hold an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of collective bid writing experience.

We offer four levels of bid writing support to suit every business need. You may not need the whole tender written for you; you may simply need it proofread before you submit. We can help with that.