Why trade with the Public Sector?
The UK public sector spends over £284 billion buying goods and services from suppliers. Clients of mine are always surprised by who exactly makes up the public sector.
What makes up the Public Sector?
It is made up of numerous organisations, including:
Central Government – Departments and their Agencies
NHS – Hospitals Trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Ambulance Trusts, GP Surgeries and all other state run/funded health bodies
Local Government – Councils, Police, Fire and other Local Authority Services
Further and Higher Education – Colleges and Universities (post-16 Education)
Schools – Local Authority, Independent and Academy Nurseries, Primary and Secondary
Private/Charity Run Public Services– Community Interest Companies, Care Homes, Housing Associations, Health and Social Care
Why trade with the Public Sector?
As a supplier there are several reasons that make the public sector an attractive customer:
Guaranteed payment
They’re required by law to pay their invoices within 30 days.
Stability
The public sector isn’t going to go out of business.
Transparency
As publicly funded organisations, they have to adhere to strict guidelines surrounding fairness and transparency. All bids have to be assessed to the same published criteria irrespective of who the supplier is. Bidders have the legal right to their score, feedback and an understanding of how close they were to competitors.
Fairness
Your bid remains confidential between you and the buying organisation.
Long-term contracts
Contracts are often put in place for 2, 3, 4, even 5 years. A contracting authority doesn’t undertake the tendering process lightly, they will have to have justified the process internally so there will be a commitment to the contract.
Reputation
Public sector contracts make great case studies to quote, and give both private and public organisations confidence in your capabilities.
SME Friendly
In recent years there’s been a drive for public sector organisations to award contracts to SMEs, with the UK government targeting that at least £1 in every £3 should be spent with SMEs. The government recognises that SMEs bring diversity and innovation to their supply base.
How do I help clients secure public sector contracts?
In a few different ways:
Strategy and business development
Understanding the landscape, positioning your business, and building relationships.
Frameworks and opportunities
Identifying the right routes to market beyond just open tenders.
Bid writing
Drafting your bid response and ensuring it scores highly against the stated evaluation criteria.
Planning, editing and reviewing bids
Helping to plan your bid response.
Suggesting content for each question.
Advising how to structure your answers to maximise your score against the evaluation criteria.
Review and edit your application to strengthen it before you submit it.
Training
I-2-1 and group training covering all aspects of finding, applying for and winning public sector contracts.
If you are interested in finding out more about how I can support you with public sector bids for your organisation contact me on hannah@whiteraft.co.uk.
