Tender & Bid Writing Jobs
Tender and Bid Writing Tips
Tender writing is a skill that all care agency providers want to have available to them.
If you want to become a tender writer as a way of work, making it your job you can do that.
Tender writing and bid writing is a skill that you can acquire over time by doing some learning and development.
It does entail hard work and diligence but once you have got the acquired skills for the work you put in to obtaining the knowledge, it is very rewarding.
You can start by doing a course on tender writing and by volunteering to do some tender writing or bid writing for a company you know.
Training
Courses are available online and person to person.
You can also make contact with an established tender writer and ask them to mentor and train you.
Types of commissioning and contract
To start getting an understanding of what companies are looking for from their tender writers get a familiar with the commissioning schemes that companies wish you to apply for on their behalf. You need to be very aware of what these tenders, schemes and systems that you will be writing.
1. Framework Agreements
A Framework Agreements sets the terms for an authority such as Adults or Children social care or the NHS to establish contracts to be awarded during a given period with regard to price, quantity and timescale with one or more providers.
2. Dynamic Purchasing Systems
Dynamic purchasing systems (DPS) is part of procurement. It is not like a traditional framework system, it is an electronic system that suppliers can apply to join at really anytime. You might be asked to write a bid or tender which is part of an open market solution.
This works well for the NHS or local authority because at any time they can dip into this pool of suppliers and contact them when they want something specific for example a supplier that can provide outreach support to young people who have a particular need based in a particular area.
The DPS is set up so that it is searchable, sometimes the local authority or NHS then runs a further competition. It is good for flexible services and it is good for smaller organisations as they can get on the DPS.
Suppliers can join at any time and it goes on for years with new suppliers joining all of the time. You will be helping suppliers to apply and join.
It is not an award, it is a list and is self-certifying, this is good news for you when starting your tender writing journey as DPS is easy to get onto if the company you are applying for meets the criteria.
3. Cost and volume contracts
A cost and volume contract is one which links price to activity, and combines some of the features of block and spot purchase contracts
4. One or two stage tenders
A one stage tender has a price and an outline, they are waiting for the provider to give additional information based on a competitive tendering process
A two-stage tender has a more collaborator process over the time.
5. Innovative Partnership
Innovative Partnership are public sector procurements with an added research and development contract
6. Competitive Dialogue
Competitive Dialogue is as it sounds, the ability to have a dialogue as part of the process of competition, usually at the end of the successful selection stage.
These are some tips and suggestions, please do your own research to gather information for your interview and let us know how you get on. If you need more help with coaching in interviewing skills get in touch.
For those of you who would like to know more about CQC and their standards why not take our free 5 hours video training workshop on Setting up a Supported Living Scheme Business where we go through all of the CQC regulations for care providers and registered managers.