Safety tenders: answering your FAQs

Safety tenders can cover a wide array of services across various industries. For example, health and safety in construction and fire and gas in facilities management. Safety tenders are often published within the construction industry due to the high-risk nature of the work.

If you’re new to the tendering process, you may have some questions. This blog aims to tackle some of your FAQs.

Has COVID-19 impacted safety tenders in construction?

There’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to businesses reassessing their safety. That could be safety in the workplace for their staff or safety for their clients and customers. The pandemic has resulted in companies reviewing the safety and welfare of their business. Due to this, it’s not surprising that health and safety is top priorities for businesses across the board.

Businesses that improve their safety policies could help:

• Lower insurance costs
• Increase staff morale
• Improve staff confidence and retention in the workplace
• Lead to a reduction in overall risks.

Why are safety tenders published?

Buyers could release safety tenders for a number of reasons:

• To ensure and optimise the safety and wellbeing of staff, customers and clients.
• In order to keep up to date with current legislation and best practise.
• To establish better management systems and structures.

How are safety tenders used?

Buyers often structure Safety tenders within Framework Agreements. You may be wondering what a framework agreement is. A framework agreement is a multi-supplier arrangement that’s often used within the public sector. They are used to procure multiple suppliers to deliver one or more specific goods or services. Buyers will sometimes split framework agreements into lots for multiple locations too. This means you need only apply to the specific location you can work in, or the specific goods or service. They allow businesses to still tender for work even if they can’t fulfil the whole contract.

The length of safety tenders on framework agreements can range from months to years with the possibility of extension.

Framework agreements are often split into Lots. Lots are used to represent specific goods, services or locations. Depending on the contract, businesses are able to apply for a maximum of three Lots at a time. If applying to multiple Lots, you will need substantial evidence that you can deliver the contract.

How do framework agreements work?

Typically, the initial stage will involve either a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), Selection Questionnaire (SQ) or a PAS91. These are used to gauge whether your business is eligible via assessing your financial standing, for example. Other questions and information will often be required depending on the tender and the buyer’s requirements. Once you pass the initial stage, you will then be sent an Invitation to Tender (ITT).

If you are successful and win a place on the framework, it will save you and the buyer time going forward. When they require goods or service, they’ll host a mini competition, known as call off contracts. Businesses on the agreement won’t have to re-do the PQQ, SQ or PAS91, saving time at both ends.

What are Dynamic Purchasing Systems?

While you’re searching for safety tenders, you may come across Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS). A DPS is relatively similar to a framework agreement and just another tendering procedure. However, the main difference is that suppliers can join at any time. This also means you are able to apply in the future if you have been unsuccessful the first time around. Moreover, they often last for years at a time.

Securing a place on a DPS or framework agreement can be a lucrative opportunity for your business. They can be great ways to secure a pipeline of work and can guarantee pay.

How to make your safety tenders stand out

The pandemic has forced organisations to look at alternative ways of doing business. Unable to meet prospective clients in person, tendering as a viable option for new business has never been more important.

There can be many lucrative opportunities for your business if you secure a place on a DPS, for example. This can lead to oversaturation and a competitive landscape when bidding for work.

It’s important that you stand out from your competitors with your written response and buyers care about the quality.

Our top 5 tips to impress the buyer:

• Meet the word or page count in your response – they’re there for a reason.
• Keep things clear and concise with attention to detail.
• Avoid overly technical jargon.
• Don’t allow the buyer to make any assumptions.
• Be persuasive, not descriptive.

You want to be confident that you have the time and resources to write a winning response for a construction contract. If you aren’t, then it might be worth looking into outsourcing this.

How can we help?

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% success rate and over 60 years of collective bid writing experience. They can help you write a stellar response giving you an edge over your competitors. There are four bid writing support services that can help you win your next safety tender.

Tender Writing

Have you found the perfect tender for your business, but don’t have the time to complete a winning response in-house? Don’t give up! You can send it to our Bid Writing Team and they’ll provide you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll take care of everything for you – they’ll even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Ready

Are you completely new to tendering and have no idea where to start? That’s ok, bid writing can be tricky to understand at the best of times. Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for businesses that have never tendered before. Our Bid Writers work with you to make sure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Have you been submitting tender responses, but aren’t seeing success from your efforts? Our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve already written a safety tender response and need it double-checked for errors, send it over to us. Our Bid Writers will proof it, checking it’s in line with the specification. Our Tender Mentor service can make sure your response is free of grammar and spelling mistakes before you submit.

Where can I find safety tenders?

We understand that not every business has the resources or time to produce a winning safety tender response. Even searching for one can take a large amount of time out of your busy day. Luckily for you, we have a solution.

Construction Tenders saves you time when searching for the right safety tenders for your business. Our Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload construction leads from thousands of sources across the UK.

By manually uploading each tender opportunity, you’ll never miss a tender again due to unreliable CPV codes. You are able to filter and search for safety tenders by keyword, location, budget and more. This allows you to find the perfect opportunity, fit for your business.

What’s included in a subscription to Construction Tenders?

A subscription to our Construction Tenders portal offers your business:

• Access to all unique, public and private sector opportunities across the Construction sector.
• Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
• A dedicated Account Manager to answer any questions you may have about safety tenders or the tendering process in general.
• A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new construction tenders are uploaded that day.

Below are previous safety tenders sourced on our Construction Tenders portal:

Authorising Engineer Services for Fire Safety

Bath and Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire STP- South West- Budget: Undisclosed

Health and Safety Consultancy

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames- South East- Budget: £12,000

Establishment of a Single Source Framework of Health & Safety Consultancy Services for Buildings & Estates Office, UCC

University College Cork (UCC)- International- Budget: Undisclosed

We also source opportunities for services including;

• Health & Safety Tenders
• Cable Laying Tenders
• Structural Engineering Tenders
• Electrical Tenders
• Building Works
• Joinery Tenders
• Architectural Tenders
• Refurbishment Tenders
• Brickwork Tenders
• Small Construction Tenders
• Civil Engineering Tenders
• Surveying Tenders
• Demolition Tenders
• Flooring Tenders
• Glass Tenders
• M&E
• Cost Consultancy
• Painting Contracts
• Decorating Tenders
• Masonry and many more.

The best way to venture into the tendering world is through booking a live demo of Construction Tenders. Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Want to save even more time?

Upgrade to Discover Elite to optimise your tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Our two upgraded packages can improve your bidding success rate and competitor awareness. Each package can help save you even more time when searching for safety tenders.

The Ultimate Time Saver package includes:

• An annual subscription to a maximum of two Hudson Discover sector-specific portals. This option best suits a business that overlaps two industries such as Construction and Logistics for example.
• Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
• Buyer portal management. This is including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid
• A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
• Weekly phone calls with your on-hand Account Manager to discuss viable tendering opportunities.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package includes:

• All of the above.
• Up to seven tender breakdowns per month.
• A Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager with a minimum of 5 years of experience. It will also be managed by our Global Bid Director.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business grow.