Public Sector Procurement
As a business in the private sector you may not realise there is a vast untapped potential market - the public sector. This sector spends a huge amount every year and they are always looking for new suppliers. As a client they are generally honest, reliable, pay on time and can often be long term customers.
But selling to the public sector can seem like a paperwork nightmare. We can help you through the tendering process - from understanding the documentation involved, to ensuring you have the correct policies in place (particularly Equality and Diversity policies and prctices, which the public sector are increrasingly demanding). We also advise on preparing tenders and attending tender panel presentations.
Example Case Study
The challenge
Pathways Support Services is a private business. They work with local authorities to provide support and accommodation for young people, helping them to deal with their own personal care and managing their everyday life.
Because they deal with local authorities Pathways knew they would have to operate within the tendering and public sector procurement process. Although the two directors had worked in social work for many years they needed assistance in getting through the tendering process successfully. They first approached Diversity People when they were submitting a tender for a large piece of work with a local authority.
The solution
Tendering for work in the public sector can be incredibly lucrative for private companies, often resulting in long term clients that pay well and on time. But the paperwork and stages involved can seem daunting. The team at Diversity People have spent years successfully tendering for and winning large public sector contracts. We were able to use this knowledge to help Pathways understand what the public sector looks for when choosing suppliers and the correct way to structure a tender submission. We carefully explored what Pathways had to offer and matched this to the needs of the public sector organisation. And finally we took care of the details - proofreading the final draft before submission.
The results
In this, their first large scale public sector tendering exercise, Pathways were successful in being short listed and also in gaining the contract.
What they said...
"When you want to, or have to, work with the public sector it can be overwhelming. There is a lot of paperwork involved and it can be hard to identify what is and isn't important. Diversity People take away that worry - they know what matters to the public sector and how to win work. We couldn't be more pleased with the tendering service they have given us."
Mr Linton Shaw, Director
