Every year, Waverley Borough Council places orders for thousands of pounds worth of work. Construction work, financial and insurance services and sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services are examples of the work most often put out to tender.
To ensure local businesses have a fair chance at benefiting from public sector contracts, Waverley and Guildford Borough Councils are jointly running a free bid and tender writing training programme worth £150. Government grant funding means the training can be offered free to businesses.
Councillor Liz Townsend, Waverley Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, says: “In recognition of the fact that businesses are likely to have different levels of tendering experience, we are offering two, two-day training sessions for beginners and one two-day session for those with an intermediate level of experience.
“The training is being delivered by Executive Compass which is a dedicated bid and tender writing consultancy that specialises in supporting organisations of all sizes to win public sector contracts in the UK. I encourage any local business that wants to benefit from the opportunities that public sector tendering presents to attend this free and highly practical training.”
The beginner’s course is suitable for organisations that are completely new to bidding and those with limited experience. Over two days, delegates will gain a detailed understanding of public sector tendering, how the bid process works, ways to identify potential opportunities, the requirements of selection questionnaires and the makings of a compliant and competitive bid.
Session one is on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 March and session two is on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 March.
The intermediate course is aimed at organisations with some experience of tendering. The training will cover how businesses can be more confident at creating winning themes, deconstructing tender questions, applying evidence to their responses and writing well-structured, persuasive responses to various tender questions. Delegates will also be prepared for the kinds of questions they will encounter time after time when bidding for contracts.
The intermediate session takes place on Thursday 31 March and Friday 1 April.
Anybody who is interested in finding out how to win more public sector business can book their place by emailing business.support@waverley.gov.uk or you can find out more by visiting our business website .