1. “Enabling the right outcomes for citizens through commissioning”
Our vision
“Enabling the right outcomes for citizens through commissioning”
Developing a Diverse Local Supply Market
How To Tender And Win Business
Issue Date: 29th August 2017
wolverhampton.gov.uk

2. Aims For potential tenderers:
to understand the Council’s objectives and approach in order to submit a great bid
To know where to look for future projects and live adverts
To see what’s been awarded and which companies have been awarded contracts
To develop opportunities to network and collaborate more in consortia bids
To know where to get further help and support

3. Sections 1: Purpose 2: Advertising 3: Bidding 4: Evaluation/Award
5: Contract Management and Transparency
6: Checklist
7: Contacts

4. 1: Purpose

5. Our Council Vision and Priorities
The Council’s Vision is for Birmingham to be a city of growth where every child, citizen and place matters
We have identified 4 clear priorities for Birmingham and our citizens that we expect to achieve through our contracts
Children – a great place to grow up
Housing – a great place to live
Jobs and Skills – a great place to succeed in
Health – a great place to grow old in

6. The Council’s Procurement Objectives
To achieve the desired outcomes for citizens
Delivering the Council’s vision and priorities
To deliver value for money
Procuring in a fair, transparent, open and impartial way
Improved service delivery now and in the future

7. 2: Advertising

8. Competitive Tendering
Contracts are advertised and any interested companies can tender for them.
The Council seeks at least 3 tenders for any contract
The Council use other organisations’ Frameworks such as YPO*, ESPO* and Crown Commercial Service to procure standard and non-standard goods and services, we buy on a regular basis.
Note*: YPO = Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation
ESPO = Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation

9. Tender & Procurement Opportunities
We want our procurement (buying) processes to be as user friendly as possible and we advertise any contract opportunities for goods, services and works:
worth more than £10,000 on
worth more than £25,000 also on
Worth more than the EU Threshold (£164, 176) for goods and (£4.2m) for works also on TED (OJEU tenders)
We make sure that everything we do supports our policies. This helps to make things better for Birmingham’s citizens.

10. 3: Bidding

11. Getting started - How to Write a Good Tender
Comply with the Invitation to Tender Instructions
Understand the Specification and make sure you can meet the requirements in the Specification
Read the Evaluation and scoring criteria
Staff / TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment))
Ask any queries during the allotted Tender period
Submit by the deadline we cannot accept late tenders

12. Following Tendering Instructions
Top Tips
Read the documentation carefully and understand what is required
Plan your submission to complete and return in time
Ensure your responses answer the relevant questions
Use only our electronic tendering system to submit your tender
Understand us – read the Specification to understand our priorities and what is required
Read any Council feedback – if you are unsuccessful, it will help you to understand how you can improve future tender applications
Keep up to date with the Councils tendering opportunities
Upload your tender response early – not at 11:45
If you are unsure, please ask

13. The Specification This explains what the Council wants:
A description of the service
What outcomes or outputs are expected - e.g. Social Value outcomes
Monitoring and reporting processes
There are different types of specifications:
Input or process specifications - tenderers are clear on the inputs required by the Council
Output or performance specifications – tenderers have greater opportunity for innovation, as they are free to offer solutions that in their view best meets the specification
Technical Specifications - prescriptive specifications, there is little scope for misunderstanding

14. Evaluation Criteria – Stage 1 Assessment 1 of 6
The Council uses the following criteria;
Pass or Fail – these are yes/no questions which can also ask for supporting info. The key criteria on which the applicant’s submission may be evaluated on include:
STAGE 1
Scoring
Section 2A – Part 1
Supplier Information & Lot Selection
Pass/Fail
Section 2A – Part 2
Grounds for Mandatory Exclusion
Section 2A – Part 3
Grounds for Discretionary Exclusion Section 1
Section 2A – Part 4
Grounds for Discretionary Exclusion Section 2
Section 2A – Part 5
Economic & Financial Standing
Section 2A – Part 6
Technical & Professional Ability
Section 2A – Part 7
Additional ITT Questions
Environmental Management
Insurance
Compliance with Equalities Duties
Health & Safety
BBC4SR & Living Wage
Section 2A – Part 8
Tender Statement

15. Evaluation Criteria – Stage 1 Assessment 2 of 6
These need to be answered and if a ‘Fail’ your tender will be rejected.
If supporting information is asked this has to be uploaded. Examples; Financial info, Insurance etc.
2) Financial Risk Assessment are graded high, medium or low.
The rule of thumb being
- None / Low Risk: no check of financial standing.
- Moderate / High Risk: light-touch check of financial standing
- Very High: in-depth check of financial standing.
Please remember - we don’t ask for info we won’t look at

16. Evaluation Criteria - Stage 2 Assessment 3 of 6
2) Scored Questions – Quality/Social Value/Price/% Weighting
Be aware that each opportunity will be different and the criteria and evaluation will be project specific.
Each of these questions asks for a written answer
The questions will be about how you propose to deliver the service
All information must be included in the question response – ensure its relevant.
We usually have a word count or page limit on sections and we won't consider any information that exceeds this.
The highest weighted questions are most important - spend most time on them
Answer the question
Please note: Detailed instructions are provided in section 1 of the tender documentation – it would be useful to read this along with the 3 sections of the tender: section 1 instruction, section 2 quality response and section 3 - additional documents and information.

17. Evaluation Criteria - Stage 2 Assessment 4 of 5
3) Scored Questions – Social Value (% weighting)
Definition
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires all public bodies in England and Wales to consider how the services they commission over the EU threshold might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area.
How Birmingham City Council considers Social Value
Social Value outcomes are identified at the early stages of commissioning and these projects and our priorities are expressed in our tenders. In turn, tenderers develop an action plan which is evaluated and implemented if the contract is awarded. More information on our Social Value priorities and measures can be found on and

18. Evaluation Criteria - Stage 2 Assessment 5 of 6
Social Value - Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility
What is the Charter?
The Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility (the Charter) is a set of guiding principles which the Council follows and invites all organisations to adopt to manage how they deliver social value.
It is a compulsory requirement of BCC that all contractors including grant recipients must sign up to the Charter (subject to thresholds below), however any organisation can sign up to the Charter voluntarily.
Often organisations sign up to the Charter to help them manage their Corporate Social Responsibility activity.
 The following thresholds for contracted organisations are minimum requirements and any organisation contracted or otherwise can become a Charter signatory.
More information can be found on

19. Evaluation Criteria - Stage 2 Assessment 6 of 6
3) Price
It is important that you take into consideration the price /quality /social value/% weightings
The lowest price will get all the marks for price eg 50%
Other prices will be scored ‘pro-rata’ eg; if price 50% weighting
Lowest price = £50,000 gets 50%
Other price £75,000 gets (50000/75000*50) = 20%
Price will usually be completed by filling in a Pricing Schedule which will be excel spreadsheet or word document.
Instructions will be provided on how to complete the Pricing Schedule.

20. Scoring criteria Standard of Response Score
Exceptional standard of response supported by robust evidence, with detailed plans and methodologies. 
Demonstrates clearly and convincingly how all the Council’s requirements in the area being evaluated will be delivered in accordance with the contract documents so as to deliver the works/services in an excellent way 5
Very good standard of response supported by a very good level of credible and detailed evidence, with detailed plans and methodologies.
Demonstrates how all the Council’s requirements in the area being evaluated will be delivered in accordance with the contract documents so as to deliver the works/services very well 4
Good standard of response supported by a good level of comprehensive evidence showing full understanding of the requirements with plans and methodologies.
Gives the Council confidence the requirements of the Specification will be met. 3
Basic response that achieves reasonable standards in most respects but unsatisfactory in others and/or has a number of omissions.
Gives the Council concerns around the Bidder’s ability to meet some of the Specification requirements. 2
Inadequate response that is unsatisfactory and/or has significant omissions.
Gives the Council many concerns about the Bidder’s ability to provide the services in accordance with the requirements of the Specification. 1
Very poor response. Insufficient information provided.
Gives the Council very low confidence/serious concerns in the Bidder’s ability to provide the services in accordance with the Specification.

21. Making it Real Example of good and bad response to a question
Q Please describe your mobilisation plan timescales from award to the end of the first year of the contract
Good Response Example Detailed plan covering the transition from the existing service and implementation of the new service over the period from the contract commencement date to the end of the first year of contract. e.g. handover meeting with current provider, TUPE plans, roles and responsibilities, purchase of equipment need to fulfil contract etc. Extract from Plan.
Poor Response Example Very basic plan (only 11 lines) with no detail provided of “how” the mobilisation would be implemented.
Tenderer
details removed
Tenderer
details removed

22. Queries during the Tender
You can ask questions during the tender period through our electronic tendering system
Always - the questions and the answers will be shared with every bidder so everyone is treated equally, unless you consider the question to be commercially confidential – the Council to decide if they consider it confidential
Questions are collated with responses and sent out intermittently during the tender period.
Don’t be afraid to ask a question, even if you think its trivial. All questions are relevant.

23. Submission Deadline
Give yourself plenty of time. Plan to complete before the deadline
Late tenders will not be accepted
Don’t start uploading at 11.30am
If you ring us just before deadline, there is nothing we can do to help you

24. 4: Evaluation/Award

25. Evaluation Process What happens after I submit my tender?
An evaluation process will then be undertaken which will be completed in line with the evaluation timetable we have shared with you. This may involve interviews
Decision meeting held and an “Award Report Approval” is agreed
Decision is notified to bidders
Standstill period of a minimum of 10 days, which provides time during which the suppliers can challenge the decision.
Once the standstill period has expired the contract/s will be awarded - The contract award will be to the 1st ranked tenderer or in accordance with the tender specification

26. Evaluation Matrix - example

27. Risk Assessment
When the Council awards a contract to a supplier to deliver any goods, works or services, this automatically creates an element of risk regarding the ability of that supplier to remain in business during the life of the contract and their financial capacity to deliver the contract.
Ratio Analysis (e.g. turnover, paying suppliers, cash flow, liquidity, assets etc) must be undertaken for contracts that have a total contract value reaching the EU Threshold.
An assessment should also be undertaken for quotations under the threshold where it has been identified as a critical service. The level of detail requested from a bidder however will be different dependant of the assessed risk of the contract.

28. 5: Contract Management and Transparency

29. Contract signed by successful Tenderer and Contract Monitoring
Once the Contract have been signed by the successful tenderer and the Council, work can commence on an agreed date
The successful organisation will become accredited to the Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility
From then on the contract will be monitored against pre-defined performance criteria and any key performance indicators that have been agreed with the successful bidder, when the contract was awarded
The Council is continuously striving to improve its performance and will work in partnership with the successful bidder to support the delivery of the councils aims and objectives

30. Transparency
The Council want to be open about the payments we’ve made and contracts we award to suppliers for goods, services and works.
One of the ways that we do this is by publishing information about our contract payments on the Birmingham Data Factory website.
Please see the site for information on our spend, contracts awarded and names of successful organisations etc

31. 6: Checklist - How to do Business with Birmingham City Council
Register with FindItInBirmingham and come to a breakfast event
Review current contract opportunities
Contracts Finder
finditinbirmingham
and future projects in the Planned Procurement Activity Report
Register with InTEND if you want to bid.
Subscribe to Tenders Electronic Daily and receive notifications of contracts within your specified field of interest
For larger contracts, understand our Social Value Policy and Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility

32. Checklist - How to do Business with Birmingham City Council
A comprehensive guide to Selling to Government is available on It offers practical advice on the procurement process and procurement regulations - helping suppliers understand the tendering process for public contracts.
As some of the contracts we let are via 3rd party frameworks, check out how to become a supplier to other Public Sector Buying Organisations: YPO, ESPO, NEPO, CCS

33. 7:Contacts
If you have any questions or need advice, please
For more details on procurement please go to