By Jason Cooney on Small Business UK – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK, winning a public or private sector tender feels intimidating and unachievable. There’s a constant feeling of not being able to compete with larger more established players in the market, some of which are in-house bid writers and a process for bidding for nearly any and every opportunity.
Fortunately, the very attributes that define an SME – agility, local presence, and direct leadership – are precisely what can give you an edge in government tenders, and in particular, local government contracts. The government – and sometimes private sector – also has requirements and processes built into their procurement documentation that ensures small businesses are not disadvantaged in the tender or bidding process including for frameworks.
Here are some strategies small businesses can adopt to win.
Implementing a robust strategic ‘Bid/No Bid’ process
Before a single word is written for a tender submission, the most impactful strategic move an SME can make is the ‘bid/no bid’ decision. The temptation to chase every potential opportunity, fuelled by a fear of missing out, is a common pitfall for many small business owners