1. Tips for tenderers Liz Frizi: Head of Procurement
Alexis de Vere: Qualifications Manager

2. The Procurement Process
The approach that we used for Health and Social Care:
Pre-tender engagement
Financial standing and viability
Outline solutions
Dialogue
Final bids and presentations
Award and feedback

3. Timeline

4. Pre-tender engagement
Prior to formal procurement process
Discuss our requirements and any proposed lots (groups of qualifications)
Potential bidder – contribute to our thinking and viability of lots
No commitment to participate in formal process
Allows potential bidders to start thinking about consortia

5. Financial standing and viability
Review of current financial strength
Kept under review during the process
Estimated costs and revenue to confirm viability of lot
Open book contract management

6. Outline solutions
Draft contract specification and terms and conditions of contract
Bidders able to provide comments on draft contract specification and terms and conditions of contract
Evaluated using published criteria and weighting (Assessment strategy, Capacity, Change Management and Value for Money)
Bidders achieving minimum scores invited to dialogue
Scores and feedback provided to bidders not achieving minimum scores

7. Dialogue One face to face meeting - 3 hours
One meeting by conference call to follow up on queries
Multi-functional teams from both sides:
QW – Development & Commissioning, Finance, Procurement
Bidder - no limit on participants
QW areas for dialogue provided in advance to allow for planning

8. Final bids and presentations
Revised contract specification, terms and conditions of contract and evaluation sub-criteria and sub-weightings
Written submission - response to weighted evaluation criteria
If achieved minimum scores, invited to present
Presentations scored and contribute to overall score to include scores from written bid
Highest scoring bidder for each lot awarded contract

9. Award and feedback Intention to award
Scores and feedback to unsuccessful bidders and relative advantages of the successful bidder
Ten calendar day standstill to allow for questions on scores and feedback before confirming contract with successful bidder

10. Evaluation criteria & scoring model
Evaluating bids
Evaluation criteria & scoring model
Aims and objectives
Requirements

11. First steps to a strong response
Follow the instructions
Word count
Consistency
Information in other responses or appendices
Answer all parts of the question
e.g. are we asking you to explain how you might go about a task or how you have done something similar before (not the same question)
e.g. do we want to know about your existing qualifications or do we want something different (it depends)

12. Evidence Level of detail
Evidence that demonstrates you meet the criteria
Link experience to delivery of the contract
Avoid superfluous or irrelevant information

13. Scoring model Six points from 0% - 100% (or 0-5)
“meets requirements” = 60%
The Bidder has demonstrated understanding of our requirements and has answered the question, although there may be some gaps in the evidence provided.  Some evidence may not be convincing and the bid may not directly address some of the issues identified in the Sector Review. 
“minor concerns” = 40%
The Bidder has provided information that is relevant and has attempted to answer the question, however there are either gaps in the response and/or a misunderstanding of some aspects.

14. An excellent response
“The Bidder has demonstrated an excellent understanding of our requirements and has fully engaged with the issues identified in the Report. The evidence provided is comprehensive, relevant and convincingly addresses all aspects of the question asked.”
Responds to all parts of the question
Relates evidence specifically to the requirements
Demonstrates an understanding of the reasons for the project
Avoids generic information

15. Example: change management
Explain how you will communicate and promote the new suite of qualifications to a wider audience and inspire confidence in their introduction.
Poor response
Excellent/good response
Limited detail (e.g. doesn’t cover all stakeholders and channels)
Provided a communications plan but didn’t link the plan to inspiring confidence
Detailed comms plan – work streams and timelines
Early engagement
Examples of success in other projects
Bilingual nature of communications

16. Example: Assessment strategy
Explain how you would ensure consistency between assessments taken in Welsh and English both during the development of assessment materials and through quality assurance during delivery.
Poor response
Excellent/good response
Processes relating to assessment but not quality assurance
Unclear
Unconvincing approach
Information relating to assessment generally
Comprehensive
Clear
Evidence of established and tested systems
Understanding

17. Lots Group qualifications or other products together
To meet the specific needs of different types of qualification
Bidders can bid for one, some or all lots
Evaluated separately
Simultaneous evaluation and award

18. Bidding for multiple lots
Take note of different evaluation criteria
It’s ok to copy responses from one lot to another if the criteria are the same…
But at least change direct references to the qualification titles
Acknowledge and respond to differences, e.g. types of centre or learner, even if the response is otherwise the same
Don’t rely on evidence you have given for other lots
It’s also ok to write a response that covers all lots, e.g. to describe capacity or processes to provide Welsh language qualifications