The Benefits of Tendering for Government Contracts - Government Tenders UK

Although the procurement market is vast, government tenders (or 'public' tenders) in particular are often in high demand. There are several reasons for this. The UK Government is keen to encourage SMEs into government supply chains in order to improve value for money within the public sector.
Although tendering for government tenders is highly regulated, the advantage is that no matter how small your business, there is always an opportunity to supply the government. Their remit extends across all major industries and sectors.

Additionally, the Government has to be transparent in the way they are spending public money. This means there are no grey areas during both the tendering process and any time spent under contract.

Most importantly, public sector bodies have to pay accounts within 30-days of receiving a valid invoice / bill. This makes for positive Buyer/Supplier relationships.

What comes under 'Government Tenders'?

Broadly speaking, 'government tenders' includes work within the following:

Central civil government departments and agencies.
The NHS and its local trusts.
The MOD (Ministry of Defence).
Local Authorities / Local Government.
Universities and Colleges.
State-run Schools.

All of these sectors are funded by public money, which therefore makes them part of government expenditure.

Where can you find UK Government Tenders?

Government tenders (UK) can be found in several places. Within the UK there are multiple procurement portals and many departments have their own websites for department-specific tender opportunities.

Primarily, government tenders can be found on such places as:
Contract Finder
Sell2Wales
Public Contracts Scotland
ProContract

There are quite literally thousands of procurement portals. Knowing where to find tenders that suit your service offering can be impossible.
If you are looking for an accurate, time-saving tool then we recommend investigating our Hudson Discover offering. We source and collate thousands of public and private tender opportunities for our 11 sector-specific portals:

Creative Tenders
Technology Tenders
Healthcare Tenders
Facilities Tenders
Research Tenders
Consultancy Tenders
Construction Tenders
HR Tenders
Hospitality Tenders
Finance Tenders
Logistics Tenders

Where is a good place to start?

If you are starting out on your tendering journey and are interested in government tenders within the UK, then investigating public sector Frameworks is a really good place to start.

Frameworks provide the Buyer with an approved list of Suppliers. They can draw upon this list for individual services over a period of time. For example:

Framework Title: Construction Consultancy Services
Buyer: HPO (Hypothetical Procurement Organisation)
Contract Length: 4-years
Framework Value: £10,000,000
Framework Description: HPO are seeking 25 suppliers to deliver on the construction consultancy framework between 2020 and 2024 across 4 Lots:
1: Project Management
2: Building Surveying
3: Quantity Surveying
4: Contract Administration

In the above example, if you were a construction consultancy SME who offered two of the requested services, you could apply for two of the Lots.
Likewise, if your company offers all of the required services, you can apply for all Lots.

Individual Frameworks work slightly different. Broadly speaking you can expect to go through a tender process to be considered for the Framework. If successful you become one of the approved Suppliers.

Once you are on there, you will have the opportunity to apply for individual jobs/mini-tenders.

Many Local Authorities offer Frameworks, as well as other public sector members. Here are just a few that are worth investigating:

ESPO

East Shires Purchasing Organisation is a public sector owned professional buying organisation (PBO). It offers over 120 Frameworks and provides procurement services for six-member authority councils:
Leicestershire County Council
Lincolnshire County Council
Cambridgeshire County Council
Norfolk County Council
Warwickshire County Council
Peterborough City Council.

YPO

Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation is a publicly owned central purchasing body based in Wakefield, Yorkshire. It is owned and governed by a consortium of county, metropolitan and borough councils in Yorkshire and the North West England. It offers over 100 Frameworks and has partnerships with such organisations as:

BESAA
EduBuy
Crown Commercial Service
iNetwork
Institute of Customer Service
LACA
Institute of School Business Leadership
North Yorkshire Procurement Service

SUPC

Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium comprises of dozens of member Universities and other Higher Education bodies across the South of England. Together, the members have a considerable non-pay expenditure of over £3 billion. As a supplier to SUPC, companies have direct access to unique opportunities across a whole range of sectors.

NWUPC

North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium is a not-for-profit organisation owned by its Full members consisting of 23 Universities within the North West Region.

Framework Agreements are not mandated. Members make purchasing decisions based on their individual requirements and University guidelines. Frameworks currently cover:

Administration
Professional Services
Audio Visual
Catering
Computer
Domestic Supplies and Services
Estates
Furniture and Soft Furnishings
Laboratory Supplies
Stationary and Office Equipment
Telecommunications

NEUPC

North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium Ltd. (NEUPC) is one of six UK Higher Education purchasing consortia established to deliver and manage a wide range of collaborative framework agreements. These were designed to maximise third-party expenditure within the higher education sector.

Some of their members include:

University of Bradford
University of Derby
University of Leeds
Leeds Trinity University
Teesside University
York St John University

LUPC

London Universities Purchasing Consortium has over 100 members. This has resulted in multiple, diverse Framework opportunities across London and the surrounding environs.

Current Framework opportunities cover:

Audio Visual
Catering
Estates and Facilities Management
Furniture and Furnishing
ICT and Telecoms
Library
Office Supplies and Equipment
Professional Services
STEMED and Laboratories
Travel and Accommodation
Utilities

What next?

If you are dedicated to pursuing government tenders, then investigating which public sector Frameworks are suitable for you to apply for is certainly an advisable place to start.

It is important to remember that if you are tendering in the public sector, the buyers you will be dealing with will need to prove beyond doubt that they are spending public money in a responsible manner. Consequently, you will need to be prepared to evidence the following:

Relevant experience
Strong financial and economic standing
Appropriate insurance levels
An economically advantageous approach

For more information on how to go about this, check out our free, online learning resource Tender VLE where you will find short masterclasses on different tendering subjects.

Further Support

For more information on how to tackle government tenders, contact our bid management team at Hudson Succeed for a free consultation on how best to tackle your tendering ambitions.