powered by

Tag: health & safety tenders

Topographical Survey Tenders Explained

Posted on by John Hudson

Topographical survey tenders and how to succeed

Any large-scale planning project will require a topographical surveying tender in order to procure a suitable surveyor. Even if you have submitted tenders in the past, you may have been unsuccessful. We understand that this can be disheartening. However, there are often a few simple improvements that can be made, which increase your chances of success.

The requirements for a topographical survey tender vary depending on the buyer’s needs or the reason for commissioning the survey. For example, they may publish topographical surveying tenders to procure a:

  • Survey to ascertain the boundary of a property
  • 3D mapped survey
  • General land survey
  • Construction project layout.

Each one is unique to the project at hand. So, you will need to read the tender documents carefully if you’re thinking about applying.

A typographical survey tender will typically detail the following as a bare minimum:

  • The purpose of the survey
  • A plan outlining the area of land to be surveyed
  • Scope of work and specification
  • How the survey will be presented
  • How the survey will be delivered
  • Mobility plan and other practicalities including access and security.

You will likely need to pass a pre-qualification stage to establish that you meet the minimum eligibility criteria. This could be referred to as a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ), a PAS91 or selection questionnaire (SQ). You will often need to disclose and attach your company’s:

How is a topographical survey tender evaluated?

A topographical survey tender is typically split into three sections (when tendering in the public sector). These are:

  • Quality

The quality of your response always matters. Buyers will be expecting a high-quality response when tendering for construction contracts in the UK. Persuasion is key here. You should be convincing the contractor that you’re the best surveyor for the job. Demonstrate how you are professional, qualified and able to perform the contract on time and within budget.

  • Price

Pricing your construction bid right is important, and you should keep it realistic. A contractor won’t be best pleased if you quote one price, then go significantly over budget. Don’t try to undercut your competitors, as it may lead to a buyer questioning your legitimacy. You will be expected to include both the direct and indirect costs of the project and your services.

  • Social value

Social value has become an ever-important aspect of tendering. You should consider the environmental, economic and social aspects while performing the contract. Remember that the promises you may at this stage is contractually binding. Buyers will be expecting you to make promises you can keep. These should have the aim of:

  • Creating new jobs and promoting skills
  • Supporting COVID-19 recovery
  • Encouraging economic growth
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Tackling unemployment
  • Reducing environmental impact
  • Levelling up the UK.

The weightings of these sections can vary. However, for public sector contracts, there will be a minimum mandatory weighting of 10% on social value. It’s important to remember that although the price might be weighted more, the quality of your response matters.

When formulating your tender response, you should remember to be:

  • Clear and concise
  • Hit as close to the word or page counts as possible
  • Avoid overly technical jargon
  • Don’t allow the buyer to make any assumptions about your business or anything in your answer. Leaving room for assumptions and allow for the wrong assumptions to be made.

Need assistance when writing your next topographical survey tenders?

If you’re still unsure about how to complete your tender response we can help. Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, offers four levels of bid writing support services. They boast an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of bid writing experience. Whether you’re completely new to tendering, or need your response proofread before you submit, we can help.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect topographical survey tender for your business, why not send it over to us? Our Bid Writers can take care of it all for you. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for those who have never tendered before. A Bid Writer will work with you to make sure you have everything you need in place to tender successfully. The 4-week programme offers your business:

  • A 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders
  • Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding professionals
  • An organisation-wide Bid Library, including 3 case studies, 5 CV’s and 8 policies
  • Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing the results you want, our Tender Improvement package can help. The Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders and additional tendering development services.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your own tender response and need someone to double-check it for errors, Tender Mentor can help. Our Bid Team will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar or spelling mistakes. They’ll also ensure that it’s in line with the specification before you submit.

Where can I find topographical survey tenders for my business?

It’s worth noting that when searching for topographical survey tenders that you should also search for groundworks tenders. This is because topographical survey services may be included within a groundworks framework.

Finding the right tender for your business can take a large amount of time out of your busy day. You already have enough on your plate to be trawling through thousands of websites a day looking for tendering opportunities. Keeping track of the various portals, logins and passwords can turn into a full-time job! Luckily for you, we have a solution.

Construction Tenders is one centralised and easy-to-navigate portal. It hosts exclusive, public and private construction leads and tendering opportunities from thousands of websites across the UK. Gone are the days of relying on inaccurate CPV Codes! Our Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload unique, public and private sector opportunities. You’re able to filter and search the results by budget, keyword, location and more, streamlining the process.

Below are previous topographical survey tenders and groundworks tenders sourced on our portal:

Wavendon SLA Ground Works and Natural Turf Sports Pitch

Milton Keynes Council- South East- Budget: Undisclosed

CHARM – Groundworks

Accord Housing Association Ltd- West Midlands- Budget: £197,281 

Multi Party Civil/Groundworks Framework for Projects from 100k up to €1m for AIT

Athlone Institute of Technology- Republic of Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

Ballinasloe Flood Relief Scheme Topographical Survey

Office of Public Works (OPW)- Republic of Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

Area 10 A56 Woodcliffe Cutting Topographical Survey

Highways England- North West- Budget: £11,000

A 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders offers your business all unique, public and private sector opportunities. A dedicated Account Manager will be on hand. They can answer any questions you may have about topographical survey tenders or the procurement process in general.

A daily email bulletin will be sent straight to your inbox when new tenders are uploaded that day. Moreover, you will receive discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division. You are also entitled to 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants each month.

The best way to venture into the tendering world is through booking a live demo of Construction Tenders.

We also source opportunities for services including;

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Upgrade to Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can save you even more time, helping you identify tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Our two time-saving tools can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. Each package can help save you even more time when searching for topographical survey 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.
  • A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid.
  • Weekly phone calls with your on-hand Account Manager to discuss viable construction 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.

Open Tendering in Construction

Posted on by John Hudson

Open tendering in construction: answering your FAQs

You may be wondering, what open tendering in construction is, and you wouldn’t be the only one. The procurement process, in general, can seem daunting if you’ve never tendered before. This blog will answer some frequently asked questions you may have about open tendering in construction.

What is open tendering in construction?

Open tendering in construction is a tendering procedure used within the public sector. Open tendering allows anyone to submit a tender to supply the goods, works or services that are required.

What is the open tendering procedure in construction?

The open tendering procedure in construction is a very simple, two-stage process:

  1. An ITT is released

A contractor will release their invitation to tender (ITT) when they want to procure something. An interested potential supplier can then respond to the specification with their tender response. Each tender response will be trying to persuade the buyer that they are the best business for the job. Their ITT response will detail how they intend to carry out the work at hand.

  1. The contract is awarded

After evaluating each bidder’s response, the buyer will then award the contract to the most economically advantageous tender. This is known as the MEAT and is the way in which the public sector award contracts. They seek the tenders that will provide the most value for money while performing the contract. MEAT evaluation means that the buyer is evaluating tender responses based on more than just cost. They will also be looking at a range of factors which can include:

  • Quality
  • Cost
  • Technical ability
  • Social value
  • Accessibility
  • Innovation
  • Sustainability
  • Environmental benefits
  • Customer service
  • Ability to deliver on time.

A contractor will note what each tender will be evaluated on within the tender documents and specification. Each aspect can be evaluated by the buyer on its own or combined, depending on the buyer’s needs. Open tendering can also be referred to as a single-stage tender process (discounting the contract award as a stage).

Why is open tendering used in construction?

Open tendering is used in construction in order for a buyer to procure simple goods or services. For more complex and larger projects, a pre-qualification process will likely be used. Pre-qualifications can come in a variety of forms such as pre-qualification questionnaires, selection questionnaires (SQ) or a PAS91.

What are the advantages of open tendering in construction?

Each tendering process has its own benefits and advantages. Open tendering in construction offers the greatest competition and allows smaller businesses to throw their hat in the ring. This encourages innovation and allows a buyer to view a greater range of proposals.

Need assistance when open tendering in construction?

If you’re still unsure about where to start with open tendering in construction, we can help. Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, offers four tender writing support packages. They have an 87% success rate and over 60 years of collective bid writing experience. Whether you’re completely new to tendering, or simply need your response proofread before you submit – we can help.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect construction contract for your business, why not send it over to us? Our Bid Writers can take care of it all for you. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for those who have never tendered before. A Bid Writer will work with you to make sure you have everything you need in place to tender successfully. The 4-week programme offers your business:

  • A 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders
  • Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding professionals
  • An organisation-wide Bid Library, including 3 case studies, 5 CV’s and 8 policies
  • Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing the results you want, our Tender Improvement package can help. The Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders and additional tendering development services.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your tender response and need someone to double-check it for errors, Tender Mentor can help. Our Bid Team will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar or spelling mistakes. They’ll also ensure that it’s in line with the specification before you submit.

Where can I find open tendering opportunities in construction?

Finding the right tender for your business can take hours out of your day. There are various portals and websites that require different login details and passwords. Keeping track of them all can turn into a full-time job! We have a time-saving tool that can optimise your tendering efforts allowing you time to focus on your business.

Construction Tenders is a portal that hosts all the live construction leads and tendering opportunities within the construction industry. Gone are the days of relying on inaccurate CPV codes! Our Opportunity Trackers source and upload exclusive, public and private sector opportunities from across the UK. You’re able to filter and search the results by keyword, budget, location and more, streamlining the process.

Below are previous construction tenders sourced on our portal:

GB-London: Refurbishment Works – Aston Street

Newlon Housing Trust- London- Budget: £500,000

Whole House Improvements – Beaumont Estate Lancaster

Lancaster City Council- North West- Budget: Undisclosed

Rothienorman Kinbroom New Build Housing – 12 Units

Bancon Construction Limited- Scotland- Budget: Undisclosed

CFT: SE3490532B – Refurbishment of Kelly House Phase 2, UHD

CPD – Construction Health Projects- Northern Ireland- Budget: £400,000

Northfield Park Renovations

Blaby Parish Council- East Midlands- Budget: £60,000

A subscription to Construction Tenders offers your business:

  • Access to all unique, private and public sector opportunities in the construction industry.
  • A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new tenders are uploaded that day.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants each month.

The best way to venture into the tendering world is through booking a live demo of Construction Tenders.

We also source opportunities for services including;

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Upgrade to Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can save you even more time, helping you identify tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Our two time-saving tools can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. Each package can help save you even more time when searching for construction 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.
  • A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid.
  • Weekly phone calls with your on-hand Account Manager to discuss viable construction 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.

3 Things to Expect from Refurbishment Tenders

Posted on by John Hudson

Refurbishment tenders and where to find them

Refurbishment tenders can be confusing if you’ve never tendered for construction contracts before. They are used by both private and public sector buyers when they require refurbishment works. Refurbishment tenders may be used for works in residential buildings, offices, village halls or conference centres to name a few.

The award criteria for refurbishment tenders varies from buyer to buyer as each will have different needs and requirements. An example award criterion for refurbishment tenders may look like:

  • Price 60% 
  • Quality 30% Comprising of:
  1. Method statement, site waste management plan and site setup
  2. Programme and completion timescales
  3. Quality management systems
  4. Health and safety
  5. Sustainability
  6. Company experience and capability
  7. Technical compliance
  8. Commercial compliance.

3 things you can expect from refurbishment tenders

  1. Site visits

Refurbishment tenders often offer an optional or mandatory site visit. This enables a potential supplier to go and view the worksite environment in person. If this is an option, it’s highly encouraged that you attend. This is because site visits can help with your tender response.

They allow you to be able to see the site with your own eyes. You may be able to pick up on something you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. They may even lead you to produce more accurate pricing for your services. Site visits for refurbishment tenders also allow you to gain insight into the buyer.

  1. Health and safety

Health and safety are important aspects of any tender. Buyers want to be reassured that you upkeep and hold best practice while performing a contract. They want to know that both your employees and any general public will be out of harm’s way. They’re also crucial due to the dangerous nature of construction jobs, accidents can happen, after all. Due to this, buyers will ask for a copy of your health and safety policies and regulations for refurbishment tenders. Some examples that are relevant are:

  • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
  • CDM Regulations 2015
  • Managing Contractors – Health and Safety Executive
  • CHAS
  • SafeContractor
  • ConstructionLine
  • RIDDOR.

  1. Previous contract examples

Refurbishment tenders will likely require you to provide previous contract examples you have completed. They should be similar in complexity and scope and style. You may be asked for up to three examples within the last five years. They are often referred to as case studies and can strengthen your bid.

Depending on the word count, positive testimonials from previous clients will result in gained trust from the buyer. You want to convey and assert yourself to the buyer, demonstrating the quality of your work. A glowing testimonial can also help you gain an edge over your competitors.

Case studies should:

  • Be relevant
  • Detail your experience of a project of a similar scale
  • Include the challenges you encountered and overcame, demonstrating problem-solving skills and flexibility
  • Note whether you completed the contract on time and in budget.

Need assistance writing your next refurbishment tenders?

If writing isn’t your strong suit that’s ok. There’s no denying that contractors for refurbishment tenders care about the quality of your written response. You may not have the resources, time or experience to write a winning response in-house. If that’s the case outsourcing to bid writing experts can help you win your next tender.

Our sister company Hudson Succeed, are bid writing experts. They have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. They offer four bid writing support services that can help you win your next refurbishment tenders. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or need your bid response proofread before you submit – they can help.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect refurbishment tender for your business, why not send it over to us? Our Bid Writers can take care of it all for you. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your own tender response and need someone to double-check it for errors, Tender Mentor can help. Our Bid Team will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar or spelling mistakes. They’ll also ensure that it’s in line with the specification before you submit.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for those who have never tendered before. A Bid Writer will work with you to make sure you have everything you need in place to tender successfully. The 4-week programme offers your business:

  • A 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders
  • Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding professionals
  • An organisation-wide Bid Library, including 3 case studies, 5 CV’s and 8 policies
  • Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing the results you want, our Tender Improvement package can help. The Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders and additional tendering development services.

Where can I find refurbishment tenders?

Sourcing the right refurbishment tenders for your business can take hours out of your busy day. There are thousands of sites posting multi-sector tendering opportunities daily. Keeping track of various logins, portals and passwords can turn into a full-time job. Luckily for you, we have a time-saving tool that can help simplify and optimise your search.

Construction Tenders is a portal that hosts all the live construction leads and tendering opportunities within the construction industry. Gone are the days of relying on inaccurate CPV codes! Our Opportunity Trackers source and upload exclusive, public and private sector opportunities from across the UK. You’re able to filter and search the results by keyword, budget, location and more. This streamlines the process, allowing you to find the perfect refurbishment tenders for your business.

Below are previous refurbishment tenders sourced on our portal:

Central Region Refurbishment Programme Projects

Ministry of Defence- Eastern- Budget: £4,500,000

Flat Roof Refurbishment Works to Scoil Padraig Naofa (Boys NS) & St. Joseph’s (GNS)

Scoil Phadraig Naofa BNS (Mountmellick)- Republic of Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

GoJ-HCS JGH – Maternity Refurbishment – Builders Work

States of Jersey- International- Budget: Undisclosed

Manipulator refurbishment for the area, WEP and MEP Reference number: 35/09712.30

Sellafield- North West- Budget: Undisclosed

Refurbishment of Existing School Building to Provide Community Facilities

Ceide Coast- Republic of Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

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.
  • An on-hand Account Manager to answer any questions you may have about refurbishment tenders or the tendering process in general.
  • A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new construction tenders are uploaded that day.

The best way to venture into the tendering world is through booking a live demo of Construction Tenders.

We also source opportunities for services including;

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Upgrade to Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can save you even more time, optimising your tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Our two time-saving tools can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. Each package can help save you even more time when searching for refurbishment 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.
  • A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid.
  • Weekly phone calls with your on-hand Account Manager to discuss viable refurbishment 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.

7 Things you can Expect in Construction Tenders in the UK

Posted on by John Hudson

Construction Tenders in the UK: 7 things to expect

Construction tenders in the UK are constant. That’s thanks to the billions of pounds that are invested in the construction industry across the UK. The UK government is focused on building the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently more businesses are turning towards tendering as a viable and lucrative way to grow their business. COVID-19 has changed the way many companies do business. Tendering is a contact-free way of growing your business, and you can do it from home. This has led to increased competition, so it’s best to be prepared when writing your response. You want to stand out from the crowd and persuade the buyer that you’re the best company for the job.

7 things you can expect to find in a PAS91 or PQQ for construction tenders in the UK

Below are seven things you can expect to find within the initial stages of construction tenders in the UK. They can often be found within the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) and PAS91 in construction. Below highlights the main areas that will be covered and what questions you can expect to answer. It is predominantly a box-ticking exercise to make sure you pass the minimum criteria for the work at hand.

  1. Supplier identity and contact information

  1. Financial standing

  • Accounts and financial statements
  • Insurance statements and certificates.

  1. Business and professional standing

  • Any criminal convictions.

  1. Health and safety

  • Health and Safety management policies
  • How you obtain health and safety advice
  • Health and safety workforce training
  • Workforce health and safety qualifications
  • RIDDOR
  • Health and safety implementation
  • Risk assessment
  • Suitable workforce welfare facilities
  • Arrangements for co-operation and or-ordination with suppliers and sub-contractors.
  • CDM co-ordinators and designers.

  1. Equal opportunity and diversity policies and procedures

  • Compliance with anti-discrimination legislation.
  • Any findings of unlawful discrimination.
  • How your company ensures equality and diversity within your organisation.
  • Actively promote good practice by eliminating discrimination.

  1. Environmental management policy and capability

  • Policy and management of construction-related environmental issues.
  • Arrangements to ensure your environmental management procedures effectively reduce and prevent significant impacts on the environment.
  • Check, review and improve your environmental management performance.

  1. Quality management

  • Policy and organisation for quality management.
  • Procedures to periodically review correct and improve quality performance.

Once you have passed the PQQ or PAS91 stage of construction tenders in the UK, you’ll be given an ITT. ITT stands for an invitation to tender and is the next round of the tendering procedure.

3 things you should include in an ITT for construction tenders in the UK

  1. Relevant accreditations and qualifications

Construction tenders in the UK will ask for proof of your business and employee’s relevant qualifications and accreditations. Construction sites can be hazardous environments, leaving plenty of opportunities for accidents to arise.

You should demonstrate your business is prepared, in keeping with relevant health and safety regulations and best practice. A buyer may ask what relevant accreditations and qualifications you have, asking you to attach proof to your tender documents. These could include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

  • OHSAS 18001:2007
  • CHAS
  • RIDDOR
  • ISO 9001; 14001; 18001; 45001:2018
  • CDM 2015
  • Constructionline
  • Subcontractor
  • SSIP
  • BIM
  • IOSH.

  1. Evidence of your professional capability

Carrying on from relevant accreditations and qualifications, you will need to demonstrate and evidence your professional capability. You can expect to be asked to provide up to three relevant case studies completed within the last five years.

They should be contracts you have completed similar in complexity and scope to the current contract. Positive testimonials from past clients are a bonus. They can help you assert yourself to the buyer of the quality of your services.

Preparing a selection of previous examples of your work can help strengthen your bid. Having a well-prepared bank of evidence can help save time with future submissions too.

When applying for construction tenders in the UK, it’s a good idea to prepare any:

  • CCS reports.
  • National awards and nominations.
  • Fully completed risk assessments and method statements.
  • Site audits and completed reports.
  • Before, during and after photos from previous contracts.
  • The contact information and testimonials from previous satisfied clients.

  1. Social Value

The updated government Construction Playbook has an emphasis on practising sustainable construction to the best of one’s ability. Public sector construction tenders in the UK have a mandatory minimum weighting of 10% on social value. Buyers want to see how your business will give back during the course of the contract.

Social value has an emphasis on the economic, social and environmental aspects within the community and across the UK. Your sustainable development goals should maximise social values such as:

  • COVID-19 recovery.
  • Environmental considerations such as reducing waste and encouraging recycling, practising sustainable construction.
  • Promoting and creating new skills and jobs, tackling unemployment.
  • The equal opportunity and diversity policies you implement.

Need assistance?

We understand that the tendering process can be quite confusing. If you’re feeling a little perplexed about bidding for construction contracts UK we can help.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% bid success rate. They have over 60 years of collective experience and are well versed in writing construction tender responses. They offer four levels of bid writing support that can cater to your bid writing response needs.

Tender Writing

Have you found the perfect construction tender for your business but don’t know where to start? You can send the specification over to our Bid Writers and they’ll take care of it all for you. They’ll write the response and even submit it on your behalf! They’ll also provide a full Tender Writing breakdown. This allows you time to focus on the more important things.

Tender Mentor

Our Tender Mentor service can make sure your response is free of grammar and spelling mistakes before you submit. Our Bid Writers will proofread your response, checking it’s in line with the specification.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is designed for businesses who have never tendered for work before. This programme works with you, ensuring you have everything in place to tender successfully. You’ll have access to an expert Bid Consultant who can help your business grow.

Tender Improvement

Have you been tendering for work, but aren’t seeing any success? Our Tender Improvement package can help. During the course of the programme, our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and supporting documents. They’ll provide you with guidance and improve literature where necessary.

Where can I find construction tenders in the UK?

Searching for the right construction tenders for your business can turn into a full-time job. We know this because that’s what our Opportunity Trackers do here at Hudson Discover!

 Thousands of websites across the UK post various opportunities for your business using unreliable CPV codes. If you’re solely relying on them, you could be missing out on the perfect opportunity for your organisation.

Our Opportunity Trackers manually scour and source construction leads from thousands of sources across the UK. They then upload them to our Construction Tenders portal. You are able to filter the results by budget, location, keyword and more. This streamlines the process, allowing you to find the perfect construction tendering opportunity.

Below are past construction tenders in the UK sourced on our portal: 

Building Repair Works Pertaining to The External Fabric of Seacombe Ferry Terminal & Spaceport Building 2020

Merseytravel- North West- Budget: Undisclosed

05-03-2021

Disabled Facilities Grant Property Extension (Great Row Grove)

Stoke-on-Trent City Council- West Midlands- Budget: Undisclosed

03-03-2021

External Works

North Star Housing Group LTD- North East- Budget: £2,700,000

02-03-2021

Retender External Door Replacement – St Stephens and St Bartholomew’s

North Tyneside Council- North East- Budget: Undisclosed

08-03-2021

Tipperary County Council – Extension & Refurbishment Works to Traveller Accommodation at No. 4, Wallers Lot, Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Tipperary County Council- Budget: Undisclosed

05-03-2021

A subscription to Construction Tenders offers your business:

  • Access to all unique, public and private sector construction bids from across the UK.
  • An on-hand Account Manager to answer any questions you may have about construction tenders in the UK.
  • A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new construction tenders are uploaded.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy each month with our Bid Experts.

Book a free live demo of Construction Tenders today.

We actively source tenders for the following sub-sectors:

Contact us today and allow us to help you grow your business with Construction Tenders.

Upgrading to Discover Elite can save you even more time

Discover Elite can help optimise your tendering opportunities – even when you’re busy! Our two upgraded packages can improve your bidding success rate and competitor awareness. They are the ultimate time-saving tools that can help your business search and apply for construction tenders in the UK.

The Ultimate Time Saver package offers your business:

  • 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 Facilities, for example.
  • A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Weekly phone calls with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss the viable tendering opportunities in your industry.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package also 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.

Steel Work Tenders: 6 Tips for Success

Posted on by John Hudson

Steel Work Tenders in the Public Sector

Steel work tenders can help your steel company secure a pipeline of construction contracts. There are buyers in both the public and private sectors. Within the public sector, local councils are often commissioning steel work tenders and services. Such services could range from a multitude of buildings including residential, educational and commercial.

Steel work tenders can be released by buyers to procure:

  • Primary Framing
  • Secondary Framing
  • Structural steel work
  • Maintenance painting of steel work
  • Steel work for major projects.

6 tips to succeed when writing your responses for steel work tenders

  1. Plan

You should always plan your response for steel work tenders. Adequate planning can help you avoid any silly errors such as misjudging deadlines, formats and word counts.

Remember to note down all the important dates listed in the tender specification, these are likely to include:

  1. Attend on-site visits 

Site visits can be a great opportunity to strengthen your written responses. It’s strongly advised that you undertake a site visit where possible. Attending one may help you gain an insight into the buyer and help you achieve more accurate pricing.

They also allow prospective suppliers to see the environment they will be working in. This allows you to see things with your own eyes. You might just pick up on something that you otherwise wouldn’t be aware of.

  1. Demonstrate value for money

Steel work tenders in the public sector will award responses that produce the best value for money. Public sector contracts will be looking to award the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, known as the MEAT. The MEAT means the buyer is looking at more than just price. It is important to note that the cheapest bid does not always win.

You should price your services sensibly. Under-pricing your services won’t give you an edge over your competitors in this case. In the most commonly used tendering procedures, negotiating isn’t permitted further down the line. Some steel work tenders will put a larger weighting on price than quality, and visa versa. However, to ensure value for money, you should consider the following, for example:

  • Quality costs and benefits of products
  • Any additional economic benefit that may result from your project
  • Energy and water management
  • Full costs associated with transport and delivery
  • Insurance
  • Maintenance
  • After sale support
  • Waste disposal and reduction of waste
  • Sustainability
  • Supply chain management
  • Ability to deliver on time
  • The costs and benefits to society as a whole.

  1. Don’t gloss over social value

It’s essential for any successful bid, that your business considers the social economic and environmental impacts of fulfilling the contract. Social value now has a mandatory minimum weighting of 10% within government contracts.

It is not something that should be glossed over or treated as an afterthought. The government takes this part seriously and wants to see you making commitments that you can keep. There are qualifications that are relevant for this, such as ISO 14001.

The social value model has the aim of:

  • Encouraging economic growth.
  • Tackling economic and diversity inequality.
  • Creating new jobs.
  • Tackling climate change.

Within your steel work tenders response, you should note how your business is:

  • Supporting COVID-19 recovery.
  • Providing skills and development training, supporting the local community and long term unemployed.
  • Sustainably sourcing.
  • Considering environmental issues and helping to fight climate change.
  • Upholding equal opportunity and diversity policies. 

  1. A high-quality written response

The quality of your written response for steel work tenders is always going to matter. Buyers expect a strong written response, even if there is a larger weighting on price. Your written response is what can help separate you from your competitors.

Your written response is should be persuasive to the buyer. Why should they pick your business? Why are you the best business for the job? What do you offer that your competitors don’t? Sell yourself and your company to the buyer and give them a reason to pick you.

Remember to keep your response clear and concise, writing as close to the word count as possible. Avoid rambling on with overly technical jargon.

  1. Provide evidence

Make sure that you have relevant past experiences that you can evidence in your response.

You will likely be required to provide up to three case studies of previous contracts you have carried out. They should be similar in calibre, scope, scale and tailored to demonstrate your abilities. They should be contracts that you have completed within the last five years.

Need help writing your next steel work tenders?

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% bid success rate. They have over 60 years of collective experience and are well versed in writing construction industry tender responses. They offer four levels of bid writing support.

Tender Ready

The Tender Ready 4-week programme is designed for businesses who are completely new to tendering. Our Bid Writers will work with you to ensure you have everything you need to produce a winning bid.

Tender Improvement

Our Tender Improvement package can help if you aren’t seeing success from your current tendering efforts. Our Bid Team will assess your previous steel work tender responses and tender documents. They’ll then give you guidance and feedback, working with you to improve for future submissions.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect steel work tenders for your business, why not send it over to our team? They’ll provide you with a full Tender Writing breakdown, letting you know what they need from you. Our Bid Writers will take care of everything for you – they’ll even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Mentor

Our Tender Mentor service can make sure your response is free of grammar and spelling mistakes before you submit. One of our Bid Writers will proofread your response, checking it’s in line with the specification.

How can I find the right steel work tenders for my business?

Use a sector specific portal

Finding the right steel work tenders for your business is half the battle. Often tender websites host tenders across multiple sectors and industries which are updated daily. It can take a large amount of time out of your day trying to find suitable tenders. Relying on CPV codes can result in missed opportunities. This is because they are often mislabelled, meaning you could be missing out on the right tenders for your company.

You should use a sector-specific portal to save you time when searching for your next steel work tenders. One that uses keyword tracking and provides good customer service is a plus. Construction Tenders focuses on opportunities in construction. Our Opportunity Trackers manually source contracts for clients who can then filter the results by keyword, location, budget and more.

Below are previous steel work tenders sourced on our portal:

Civil Ground Works & Site Preparation, Including Structural Steel Works and Relocation of Site Offices

Mayo County Council- International- Budget: Undisclosed

Gable Grade11* Listed Prep & Repainting High Level Steel Work

Manchester City Council- North West- Budget: Undisclosed

Mezzanine Steel Works for The Zepher Building Harwell Science & Innovation Campus

Satellite Applications Catapult Limited- South East- Budget: £50,000

Whiffens Avenue, Chatham – Primary Steel Works – Secured Project

Medway Council- South East- Budget: Undisclosed

The best way to venture into the tendering world is through booking a live demo of Construction Tenders. We source opportunities for services including;

A 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders offers your business:

  • A team of Opportunity Trackers sourcing steel work tenders from thousands of websites.
  • Access to unique, private and public construction bids from across the UK.
  • An on-hand Account Manager to answer any questions or queries you may have about steel work tenders.
  • The ability to filter search results by keyword, budget, location and more.
  • A daily email bulletin notifying you of all relevant construction leads uploaded that day.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our Bid Writing division.
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy each month with our Bid Experts.

Want to save even more time?

Discover Elite can help optimise your tendering opportunities – even when you’re busy! Our two upgraded packages can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. Each package can help save you even more time when searching for steel work 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.
  • A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid
  • Weekly phone calls with your on-hand Account Manager to discuss viable tendering opportunities.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package offers your business:

  • 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.

Safety Tenders in Construction

Posted on by John Hudson

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;

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.

CDM Tenders: The Fundamentals

Posted on by John Hudson

Answers to your CDM tenders FAQ’s

CDM tenders are published to ensure construction projects are upholding best practice from a health and safety perspective.

CDM are also the main set of regulations for managing the health, safety and welfare of construction projects. The CDM Regulations can have their own weighting and section within construction tenders.

Often, CDM tenders are looking for a:

  • A CDM Coordinator
  • CDM Coordinator Services
  • A CDM Consultant
  • Or a CDM Advisor.

What is a CDM Coordinator?

A CDM Coordinator is typically required to support the Project Manager. However, most recently they are now often transferred to a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor. The Principal Designer (PD) is responsible for the pre-construction phase. The Principal Contractor is responsible for the construction phase.

They often must provide cost advice and cost management for the project from inception to completion. They may be required to attend client, design, project, site and other meetings while on the project. Depending on the project, they may be expected to review documents including:

  • Drawings
  • Specifications
  • Cost plans
  • Provide a new and updated Health and Safety Plan
  • RIBA Outline Plan of Work.

Some examples of a CDM coordinator’s role could be:

  • Assist and advise the client regarding competence and resource allocation of designers and contractors.
  • Advise the client on matters relating to health and safety during the design process and planning phases of the project.
  • Plan the work, mitigating the risks involved from start to completion of the project.
  • Manage the right people for the right job at the right time.
  • Have the right information about the risks and how they’re being managed.
  • Notify when there are any subsequent changes to the construction phase plan.
  • Facilitate good communication between all those involved on the project.

What Associations and Institutions are related to CDM tenders?

CDM tenders often mention the Royal Institute of Charted Surveyors (RICS) and RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architecture). Another association that is commonly used with CDM tenders is The Association for Project Safety (APS). Construction project and contract work often use the RIBA Outline Plan of Work. This is used as a type of project management and planning.

What type of questions can I expect in CDM tenders?

CDM tenders looking for a CDM Coordinator may ask the following questions:

Example one – Designers may be asked to:

“Please demonstrate that you have, and implement, arrangements for meeting your duties under regulation 11 of CDM2015.”

Example two – a CDM Coordinator may be asked:

“Please demonstrate how you encourage cooperation, coordination and communication between designers (and anyone else). You should be able to demonstrate how you go about encouraging co-operation, co-ordination and communication between designers.”

Who commissions CDM tenders?

CDM tenders can be commissioned by either the public sector or the private sector. Both are constantly looking to invest money into the construction sector, and a CDM Coordinator is essential. If they don’t have one in-house then they will release a tender to procure the service. Within the public sector, it is often Local Councils that are releasing CDM tenders.

They are needed across the construction industry for a multitude of projects such as commercial, residential and public construction.

Social value in CDM tenders

Demonstrating social value within public sector tendering now has a mandatory minimum weighting of 10%. It is increasingly important within the construction industry that your business has a focus on sustainable development. You must consider the social, environmental, economic aspects you intend to meet while carrying out the contract. The new social value model was launched to encourage:

  • The creation of new jobs and promoting skills
  • COVID-19 recovery
  • Tackling climate change
  • Economic growth
  • Equality and diversity within the workplace.

Contractors will be looking for potential suppliers to make promises and pledges that they can actually keep. The introduction of social value helps level the playing field within public procurement. It allows SMEs to be in the running with larger multi-nationals.

Need help writing your CDM tenders?

The quality of your written response matters no matter the industry you’re in when tendering for work. Contractors want to see clear and concise answers that meet word counts and are void of overly technical jargon. We understand that writing isn’t everyone’s strong suit and bidding for a construction contract can be tricky. We also understand that you don’t always have the time and resources to write a high-quality written response in-house.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts an 87% success rate and has over 60 years of collective bid writing experience. They can help you write a quality response that will outshine your competitors. They offer four bid writing support services. Whether you’re new to tendering or have written a response that needs to be proofed before you submit. There’s tendering writing support that can help you secure pipelines of work for your business.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve already written your CDM tender response and just want someone to look over it – send it our way. Our Bid Writers will proofread it checking it’s in line with the specification. As part of Tender Mentor, they’ll also double-check for grammar and spelling errors before you submit.

Tender Writing

Perhaps you’ve found the perfect tender for your business, but don’t have the time or resources to complete it in-house. You can send it to our Bid Writing Team and they’ll provide you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll write the whole bid for you and even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for businesses who have never tendered before. We’ll work with you to create an organisation bid library, making sure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who aren’t seeing any success from their current tendering efforts. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve on future submissions.

Where can I find CDM tenders?

Half the challenge is finding the right CDM tenders for your business. Searching for the right opportunities can take a considerable chunk out of your working day. Searching hundreds of sites that host multi-industry tenders can turn into a bit of a headache. Wouldn’t it be great if there was one, central industry-specific portal that hosts construction leads from across the UK?

Enter – our Construction Tenders portal!

Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload construction tender opportunities from across the UK to our Construction Tenders portal. This means no more missed opportunities due to unreliable CPV codes. You can search for CDM tenders filtered by location, keyword, budget and more. This streamlines the process, allowing you to find the perfect CDM tenders for your business.

A subscription to Construction Tenders offers your business:

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

Below are previous CDM tenders sourced on our portal:

CDM coordinator services

East Midlands Housing Group- East Midlands- Budget: £630,000

Cost & CDM Consultant – Cyclical Painting Contract

Port of Leith Housing Association Ltd- Scotland- Budget: Undisclosed

DBC (AL) Principal Designer & CDM Advisor Services for the Council’s New Homes Programme

Supply Hertfordshire- Eastern- Budget: £150,000

Framework Agreement for CDMA and Principal Designer Services

The Guinness Partnership Ltd- London- Budget: Undisclosed

Health, Safety and CDM Services Framework

Bath and North East Somerset Council- South West- Budget: Undisclosed

We source tendering opportunities for services including;

Book a free live demo.

Want to save even more time?

Upgrade to Discover Elite to optimise your tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. The Ultimate Time Saver and Become a Pre-Bid Master packages can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. They can help save you even more time when searching for CDM tenders.

The Ultimate Time Saver package offers:

  • 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.
  • A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
  • Weekly phone calls with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss viable tendering opportunities.
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package offers your business:

  • 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.

Cable Laying Tenders: The Fundamentals

Posted on by John Hudson

How to succeed with cable laying tenders

Cable laying tenders can seem daunting if you have never completed one before. Those who have tendered for construction contracts in the UK before know what a minefield it can be. Cable laying tenders are often released by businesses that are looking for the supply, replacement, and installation of cables. They could be required for residential properties, office buildings or hospitals to name a few.

COVID-19 has led to a steep increase in businesses across the board turning to tendering to secure a pipeline of work. While social distancing is still in play, tendering allows you to grow your business without the need for face-to-face meetings.

There are multiple benefits for choosing tendering as a route for your business to go down. Bidding for cable laying tenders in the public sector, there can offer multiple advantages. For example, if successful, you are guaranteed pay due to the regulations public sector organisations are bound by. The Prompt Payment Code must be adhered to which can give businesses a steady form of income. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the private sector is not bound by these rules.

Open tendering procedure

More often than not, cable laying tenders will be an open tendering procedure. An open tendering procedure is often used within the public sector. It’s a process that’s commonly used as it is fairly straightforward.

ITT

Typically, a buyer will release an invitation to tender, known as an ITT. In an open tendering procedure, when an ITT is released, any prospective suppler can respond. Each supplier should aim to convey and persuade the buyer that they are the best business for the job.

MEAT

Once all bids have been submitted, the buyer reviews all the responses and will make their decision. The tender will then be awarded to the most economically advantageous tender, known as the MEAT. A buyer will have evaluated both the price and quality of each of the cable laying tenders. For MEAT, the buyer is looking at more than just price. It’s important to note the cheapest bid does not always win. A buyer assesses multiple aspects of a bid, this could include the following:

  • Environmental factors
  • Accessibility
  • Quality management
  • Ability to deliver on time
  • Innovation
  • Technical Ability
  • Experience.

Experience

Demonstrating that you have relevant experience is important for all cable laying tenders. Buyers will want to know that you are experienced and will be able to deliver the contract. Most contacts will require you to include past case studies of completed works of similar scope. If you have completed works in a similar geographical location, that’s a plus.

Often, three previous case studies within the last five years are required. You want to make sure that when providing your examples, that you keep them relevant to the specification. Case studies should demonstrate your business’ capabilities. Some tenders may ask for testimonials and the contact information of past clients.

The word count will suggest the amount of detail you should go into. It may be worth including how you overcame any unexpected logistical challenges, if any. This will exhibit your problem-solving skills and flexibility that are constantly needed within the construction industry.

Site Visits

The construction industry often offers the chance for prospective suppliers to complete a site visit. This should be detailed within the specification or tender documentation. If this is the case, it’s strongly encouraged that you undertake a site visit where possible.

Site visits allow prospective buyers to actually see the environment that they will be working in, if successful. They are a great opportunity to strengthen your cable laying tenders. They may be able to help you achieve more accurate pricing, better quality responses and gain insight into the buyer. This is a chance to gather more information that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

Buyers care about the quality of your writing

Buyers care about the quality of your written response. They have high expectations that will be met by suppliers that have a strong written response. Even if the quality response is weighted less than the price, it’s still important to score well. That is what could distinguish you from your competitors.

Your response should be clear and concise showing attention to detail. However, it should not leave room for the buyer to make assumptions, nor should it ramble on with technical jargon. You want to respond to questions as close to the word or page counts as possible. The buyer included them for a reason. If they give 500 words for a response, a couple of sentences simply will not suffice.

If writing isn’t your strong suit – we can help.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, boasts over 60 years of collective bid writing experience. They have an 87% success rate and are well versed in writing construction bids. Whether you’ve never tendered before or aren’t seeing success from your current efforts, they offer four levels of support.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect cable laying tenders for your business, why not send it over to our team? We know how busy you can be while running a business. You don’t always have the time or resources to write a winning bid in-house. Our Bid Team will provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and will even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Ready

Tender Ready offers a 4-week programme that’s perfectly designed for businesses who are completely new to tendering. Hudson Succeed’s Bid Writers work with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully. This includes creating a bid library and a 12-month subscription to Construction Tenders.

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help if you aren’t seeing success from your current responses for cable laying tenders. Our Bid Writers will look over your past submissions and supporting documents. They’ll then give you feedback and guidance on how to improve on future submissions.

Tender Mentor 

Tender Mentor can double-check your bid response for errors before you submit. Our Bid Writers will proofread, checking for any grammatical or spelling mistakes and ensure it’s in line with the specification.

Where can I find cable laying tenders?

Now you know how to get the most out of your cable laying tenders. Now, you may be wondering where to find them.

You likely don’t have the spare time to trawl the internet looking for the right opportunity for your business. Luckily for you, our Construction Tenders portal can help. We source construction leads from thousands of sources daily. Our Opportunity Trackers manually upload them meaning no more missed opportunities due to unreliable CPV codes.

Searches can be filtered by budget, location, keyword and more – streamlining the process. A subscription to Construction Tenders includes a dedicated Account Manager. They can answer any questions or queries you may have about cable laying tenders or the bidding process in general. You’ll even get a daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new tenders are uploaded.

Below are past cable laying tenders we’ve sourced on our portal:

Excavation, Cable Laying and Reinstatement

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks- Northern Ireland- Budget: £36,500,000

Supply and Install New Cables at Solihull Hospital

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust- West Midlands- Budget: Undisclosed

Data Cabling and Extra Low Voltage Control Cabling

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust- East Midlands- Budget: Undisclosed

Pressurise HV Cables

South Tees Site Company- North East- Budget: £45,000

Replacement of Electrical Cabling at the NORA Mainland Tankfarm, Tarbert, Co. Kerry

National Oil Reserves Agency- Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

Cable Pulling Services

Hastoe HA- London- Budget: Undisclosed

Supply of Inline Cable Joint

Iarnród Eireann-Irish Rail- Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

The best way to venture into the tendering world is through booking a live demo of Construction Tenders. We source opportunities for services including;

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Upgrade to Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can help optimise your tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Our two packages can save you even more time when searching for cable laying tenders. The Ultimate Time Saver and Become and Pre-Bid Master packages can improve your bidding success rate and competitor awareness.

The Ultimate Time Saver package offers:

  • A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
  • 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.
  • Weekly phone calls with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss viable tendering opportunities.
  • Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
  • Buyer portal management including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package offers your business:

  • 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.

Road Safety Contracts: What to Expect & Where to Find Them

Posted on by John Hudson

A guide to road safety contracts and where to find them

Road safety contracts are constantly being released and large projects can be worth millions. The majority of road safety contracts are released by the public sector. They allow businesses to maintain and improve roads and transport links across the country.

Road safety contracts are great opportunities for SMEs as the government are actively awarding contracts to small businesses.

Road safety contacts, schemes, funds and grants

There are numerous schemes and grants released by the Department for Transport (DfT), Road Safety Trust and Highways England annually. These contracts can run for years at a time and provide lucrative opportunities for your business.

It isn’t just road safety contracts and schemes being awarded. The Road Safety Trust and Safer Roads Fund (SRF) often provide opportunities for grants and funding. The Road Safety Trust is re-opening their major themed grants programme on 25th February 2021. The objective questions how technology can be used to reduce road offences and improve road safety. Innovative and environmentally sustainable admissions are encouraged.

Highways England are always seeking to improve and repair hundreds of miles of England’s roads. They have a £400 million commitment to a Road Investment Strategy to specifically improve the quality of concrete roads. Most of England’s concrete roads were built in the 1960s and 70s. They have now stretched beyond their original design life, carrying up to 25% more traffic than intended.

Obviously, road safety is of the highest priority when carrying out expansions, repair works and maintenance. Over £10 billion was spent in the public sector on roads in the UK in 2019/20. As the UK’s roads are in constant need of updating, it can be assumed that there is a steady stream of road safety contracts. 

Framework agreements

Road safety contracts will often be in the form of framework agreements and schemes. They are released to procure a range of goods, works and services within construction. Traditionally, a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) will be released. This allows potential suppliers to submit a bid to provide their services. If they meet and pass the minimum eligibility criteria, they will then be sent an invitation to tender (ITT).

For framework agreements, multiple suppliers if successful, are awarded a place on the framework. Any time the buyer has a project, they can release a mini competition to those on the framework. Suppliers don’t have to submit another PQQ and can go straight to their ITT response. This saves both time and money for the supplier and buyer.

Framework agreements often include ‘Lots’. Lots can be a specific service, product or even locations. Some examples of framework lots that cover the supply of activities, materials, plant and labour are:

  • Accident Investigation
  • Land agent services
  • Infrastructure technical design
  • Road lighting
  • Risk assessments
  • Traffic signals
  • Anti-skid systems
  • Traffic regulation Order Drafting services
  • Waste management
  • Traffic surveys
  • Welfare facilities
  • Deliver incident response (rapid response)

Typically, for road safety contracts, potential suppliers can go for up to three lots at a time. Three is also the maximum number of lots that can be award to a supplier on a framework.

MEAT

As with any public sector tender, the construction contract is awarded to the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). You must bear in mind that buyers look at more than just cost. The cheapest bid does not win here. The public sector is looking to get the most value for money when accepting a supplier. They will look at certain aspects individually or combined such as:

  • Environmental benefits
  • Quality
  • Innovation
  • Technical ability

Social Value

It’s worth noting that for any public sector contract, there is a mandatory 10% weighting on social value. This means when completing your response for road safety contracts, you have to consider the social, economic and environmental aspects. You must note how your organisation plans to address these, making commitments you can keep.

Within construction bids it is particularly important to note how you will achieve sustainable development. You must demonstrate how you will deliver:

  • Cleaner, more efficient production processes.
  • Reduce environmental impacts.
  • Effectively and sustainably manage waste and encourage recycling.
  • Shift towards works, goods and services with lower impacts.
  • The wellbeing of people and communities.
  • New jobs or skills to tackle economic equality.
  • Support of the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your road safety contract response will likely need to have focus points on:

  • Quality Management System requirements with a focus on contract management.
  • Scope for innovation
  • Technological solutions
  • Health and safety
  • Equal opportunities
  • Relevant qualifications and accreditations
  • Staff and subcontractors contact information
  • Case studies of past work

Where can I find road safety contracts?

It is important that you are able to find the right road safety contracts for your business. It can take a large chunk out of your day searching hundreds of websites hosting a variety of sector opportunities.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have one central industry-specific portal that manually tracks and uploads relevant construction leads?

Enter – Construction Tenders!

Our Construction Tenders portal doesn’t rely on inaccurate CPV codes. Our Opportunity Trackers manually upload hundreds of sources daily. You are able to filter the results by keyword, budget, location and more. This saves you a great deal of time so you can focus on running your business.

Here are some previous road safety contracts sourced on our portal:

Area 10 M65 Junction 2 Safety Scheme GPR, Trial Pits, Asbestos and Lighting

Highways England- North West- Budget: £25,000

24-07-2020

C1545 – Staple Lodge Road Local Safety Scheme – West Heath

Birmingham City Council- west Midlands- Budget: Undisclosed

30-10-2020

Pavement and Safety Improvement Scheme

Kerry County Council- International- Budget: Undisclosed

12-10-2020

N56 Four Lane Road – N56 Four Lane Road Safety Improvement Scheme

Donegal County Council- International- Budget: Undisclosed

06-10-2020

Local Safety Schemes 20/21

Swindon Borough Council- South West- Budget: Undisclosed

16-12-2020

A subscription with Construction Tenders offers your business:

  • Access both private and public sector opportunities in the UK.
  • The ability to filter hundreds of road safety contracts by keyword, budget, location and more.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy every month with our bid experts.

At Construction Tenders, we source opportunities for;

Do you need help writing your road safety contract response?

Do you need some support with construction bids? Our sister company Hudson Succeed offers bid writing services. They have over 60 years of bidding experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re brand new to the tendering process, or you’ve tendered before – they have a service tailored for every need:

  1. A Tender Ready
  2. The Tender Improvement
  3. Tender Writing
  4. Tender Mentor

How Easy is it to Secure Quantity Surveying Tenders?

Posted on by John Hudson

Quantity surveying tenders – the importance of securing a pipeline

Quantity surveying tenders are a great way to secure new business opportunities and contacts. Making sure that structures meet both quality, compliance and legal standards is an essential part of the construction process. Now more than ever there is a need for cost control and estimation within the construction sector.

But how easy is it to access these new opportunities? What is the importance of securing a pipeline? In order to know more about this, it would make sense to start with the basics.

What is a quantity surveying tender?

The most obvious question to start with is “what is a quantity surveying tender”. In a nutshell, tendering is one of the best ways to win new construction contracts and secure a pipeline of work. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find new contacts and keep current clients interested. Quantity surveying tenders offer a convenient solution to this common problem.

A tender is an invitation to submit a bid in an attempt to be part of a project. Buyers often have projects to complete where they need to outsource a quantity surveying role. Perhaps they don’t have the capacity to complete this in-house or have had to cut costs. Either way, there is a role which needs to be filled. Quantity surveying tenders are an effective way to go about this.

There is often a document released which details the needs of the buyer from the supplier.

These details can include:

  • Scope of Work– this contains the work required from the supplier and which areas they need to specialise in. It can also contain some background information about the buyer and their goals for the project.
  • Budget– an overview of what the buyer expects to spend on your services.
  • Financial Threshold– a guidance figure for what the supplier’s minimum turnover should be.
  • Location– where the project is located.
  • Timescales– the duration of the project and how long the supplier will be required. This can also include any potential extensions to the project.
  • Evaluative Methods– often shown as price vs quality in the form of a percentage. This will give an idea as to how much the buyer values cost vs detailed response and evidence of experience.
  • Selection Questionnaire– this provides an idea of the supplier’s level of experience, capacity and financial standing. There can also be additional quality/technical questions added onto this where a more substantial answer is needed. Case study examples of previous work may also be needed.
  • Pricing Schedule– enables buyers to assess the supplier’s idea of cost efficiency and where their money will be spent.
  • Submission Guidance– where to submit these documents and who to contact for advice.
  • Terms and Conditions– any legal assurances and contracts the buyer and supplier will need to have in place.

From here, suppliers will be expected to provide the information required for the buyer to assess their suitability. Buyers can then evaluate all the bids they have received and decide on a preferred supplier.

Why should I tender for work?

There are so many benefits to tendering, it’s hard to know where to start. So, here are our top 3 benefits of tendering for work:

  1. New Business Contacts

Arguably, the biggest reason why businesses turn to tendering is to secure new contracts. As every business owner will know, the key to a successful business is building relationships. Similarly, as a quantity surveyor, liaising with clients to identify their needs will be second nature. Without having access to these vital connections, you may not get a steady stream of work. This can ultimately result in your organisation’s decline.

We are living in a world where face to face meetings and word of mouth business is on the decrease. So, how are we, as businesses, expected to grow and secure new contracts?

Quantity surveying tenders pose an ideal solution. Having access to tenders can help build relationships with new clients. Even better, these clients are likely people who you would otherwise not have had access to. From here, there is an opportunity for inter-trading and collaborations. This will ultimately create an even more mutually beneficial relationship between yourself, as the supplier, and the buyer.

Continuing from this, many quantity surveying tenders call for a certain level of experience and case studies. Once you have worked with one buyer, and then have access to their contacts, the process will become significantly easier. From here you will have ample case studies and contract examples. This will result in a level of ease when securing contracts to build your pipeline of work.

  1. A Fair Process

The idea of a fair process is perhaps a more underrated benefit of tendering for work. Public sector tendering is well known for its structured process. This in itself has a range of benefits. Having a contract with terms and conditions, and a clear scope of work makes the process a lot easier for suppliers. In order to release a tender, buyers have to do a lot of prior research. Start and end dates need to be clarified, budgets need to be signed off etc… Automatically suppliers will know if they are suitable for the work.

Public sector buyers, and private buyers with higher budgets, are required by law to issue an “invitation to tender“. This is because tendering creates a fairer process. Buyers have to be clear about their value of price vs quality. There is no chance of a buyer spending their budget inappropriately. Similarly, there is a decreased risk of nepotism when awarding contracts. The evaluation criteria ensures the most suitable business will secure the contract. Public sector buyers have to be even more transparent as they are dealing with tax-payers funding. Ultimately the tendering process has to be fair and transparent as this information will be released to the public.

  1. Control Over Your Pipeline

Now onto the all-important pipeline. Tendering allows you to filter projects based on your preferences. Often when businesses rely on word of mouth, you can end up accepting contracts that aren’t suitable for your business. This can be out of fear there won’t be another opportunity that comes up. It can also be to keep a strong relationship with that business. With tendering this isn’t a concern. You will find a whole range of quantity surveying tenders at your disposal.

It’s important to note we aren’t suggesting you will win every contract you bid for. However, by having more choice you can effectively build a pipeline of work.

What we mean by “a pipeline of work” is that you will have a steady stream of work coming in. It may be very tempting to go for all the contracts which will have immediate benefits. Perhaps contracts with shorter durations where you will receive the money relatively soon seem more appealing. However, it is vital you know when one contract finishes, you have another waiting in the pipeline.

Here are some things to consider when building your pipeline:

  • Consider smaller contracts for interim periods.
  • Set time aside to review your pipeline.
  • Use Prior Information Notices (PIN) to get an idea of what is going to be released.
  • Plan ahead for proposals. It’s never a good idea to submit a rushed bid.
  • Hold planning meetings with your team to discuss your pipeline.
  • Establish relationships with buyers. This can give you an advantage through knowing their bidding cycle and potential future projects.

Did you know? – a top tip for SME’s 

Tendering for work as a smaller business can sometimes feel daunting. It may seem as though contracting authorities are only interested in big suppliers with years of contract examples. However, this is certainly not the case. The UK government has a target to help SME’s. Their target is to spend £1 in every £3 on SME businesses. This means that public sector buyers are actively seeking out smaller organisations to work and establish relationships with. Don’t price yourself out of the public sector market!

Where can I find quantity surveying tenders?

The next logical question to ask is “where can I find tenders?”. Like most businesses, you probably don’t have the time to go through 1000+ sites every day. It can be hard work knowing where to find quantity surveying tenders. Well, luckily for you we have a solution.

Construction Tenders is an opportunity tracking platform. We source all the tenders from across the UK and upload them in one central place.

A subscription with Construction Tenders offers you:

  • A team of opportunity trackers sourcing quantity surveying tenders from 1000’s of sites.
  • Access to all private and public sector construction bids across the UK.
  • The ability to filter opportunities by keyword, budget, location etc…
  • A daily email alert to let you know about the latest quantity surveying tenders.
  • No reliance on CPV codes or algorithms. Our team manually upload each tender, making sure you have access to 100% of quantity surveying tenders.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
  • 20 minutes of free consultancy every month with our bid experts.

How can I secure quantity surveying tenders?

Once you’ve found the perfect quantity surveying tender, how can you secure it?

Look no further than Hudson Succeed. Our team hold an 87% bid success rate. Last year alone, they secured direct contract wins totalling over £300million for our clients. They thrive in creating bespoke packages to suit your business needs.

Here are some examples of the services they offer:

Book a Demo with Construction Tenders

The best way to venture into the tendering world is through booking a free live demo of Construction Tenders.

We actively source construction leads and tenders for the following sub-sectors:

Contact us today to find out more about how Construction Tenders can help your business.

Good News for Roofing Tenders: How to Make the Most of the New Green Scheme.

Posted on by John Hudson

Roofing Tenders Set to Soar Under PM’s Green Scheme – Here’s How to Make the Most of Investments.

There’s good news for roofing tenders! On 18th November, the government announced that the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme will be extended by a year. The scheme was previously set to end in early 2021. Now, however, vouchers can be redeemed for a further year, as long as work is completed by 31st March 2022.

Simple Energy Advice states 25% of heat is lost through roofs, and the Green Homes Scheme aims to tackle this. It provides homeowners and landlords with vouchers to encourage the installation of energy-efficient improvements to their homes. The vouchers cover two-thirds of the costs for improvements, up to a maximum government contribution of £5,000. (Or up to £10,000 through the low-income support scheme.)

This includes roofing procedures such as:

  • flat roof insulation
  • pitched roof insulation
  • room in roof insulation
  • insulating a park home

The previous time scale for the scheme proved highly inconvenient for many roofing contractors, so an extension is great news. Chief Executive of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NRFC), James Talman, summarised how this extension benefits the roofing industry. He said:

“The decision to extend the Green Homes Grant by a further year is a welcome relief for the industry. The previous timescale was completely unrealistic when many firms needed time to get the relevant accreditations. And most contractors and suppliers were already operating at full capacity. The government should now set out its future intentions on retrofit, beyond the next year, to give longer-term certainty to the market.”

Now, roofing contractors who’ve obtained the relevant accreditations can benefit from the scheme for the next 16 months. If not, there is still time to get the accreditations and take part in the scheme.

So, what are the relevant accreditations?

The government states that at the time of installing for the Green Homes Grant, the contractor must:

  • Be a TrustMark-registered installer;
  • Be registered for the Green Homes Grant scheme;
  • Meet Publicly Available Specification (PAS) standards, such as
  • PAS 2030:2017
  • PAS 2030:2019
  • PAS 2035:2019 (for park homes, high rise buildings and buildings that are both traditionally constructed and protected)
  • Meet Microgeneration Installation Standard (MCS) standards, and;
  • Be certified by a body that has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

Green Homes Grant installers can continue to work in homes through the second national lockdown, following the COVID-19 Secure guidelines.

And that’s not all!

The government’s announcement also outlines a £1 billion investment into making new and existing homes and public buildings more efficient. This presents a broad scope of opportunities for roofing tenders in the public sector.

This welcome news comes as part of PM Boris Johnson’s ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution. The green plan will create and support up to 250,000 British jobs. Point seven of the ten-point plan refers to greener homes and buildings. It contains the following objectives:

Point 7 – Homes and public buildings:

  • Making our homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient;
  • Creating 50,000 jobs by 2030, and a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028;
  • Extending the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme by a year;
  • Making public sector buildings greener, and;
  • Cutting bills for hospitals and schools, as part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

These objectives put public sector roofing tenders in great stead for 2021. After all, greener buildings all need greener roofing to reduce 25% of their heat loss. The government’s energy-saving efforts, therefore, rely heavily on the adjustment of existing roofing and the installation of new roofing systems. All in all, roofing tenders are set to be readily available as this £1 billion investment rolls out.

How to secure work on future roofing tenders.

With roofing opportunities set to rise, it will pay to have a solid tendering strategy going forward. This will ensure you make the most of the surge in opportunity and win relevant roofing tenders. Our tendering experts at Hudson are here to help you succeed and grow your business! Here’s some up-to-date advice on finding and winning roofing tenders as we head into 2021.

  1. Find tenders via a sector-specific portal.

As roofing becomes a keen focus of government investment, make sure you’re using an effective tendering portal. You don’t want to miss out on valuable opportunities due to inaccurate CPV codes. So, first things first, make sure you’re using a portal that is optimised for your sector and uses manual tracking.

Construction Tenders offers a fully streamlined route to roofing tenders via manual tracking and keyword filtering. Our Opportunity Trackers manually search for the latest public and private sector roofing tender opportunities daily. This allows contractors to search for roofing tenders easily, using multiple filters to suit their needs. When you sign up to the portal, you’ll start receiving roofing tender opportunities straight to your inbox.

Book a free live demo to find out how Construction Tenders can benefit your business.

  1. Prepare for the two-step tendering process.

Roofing tenders, like most tenders in the construction industry, are made up of a two-stage process.

Stage 1: Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)

The PQQ is a questionnaire to determine if a contractor can deliver the quality standards that the client requires. This reduces a large number of bidders down to a few suppliers who are clearly capable of delivering the project.

The construction sector’s answer to the PQQ is the PAS91, a standardised test for construction workers. You must provide policies and answer questions regarding quality assurance, health and safety, equal opportunities and diversity, and more. If you are a Constructionline member, you are automatically PAS91 compliant.

With any PQQ, you essentially need to prove that the following aspects of your business are up to scratch:

  • Your level of experience;
  • Your ability to complete the works successfully and assure quality;
  • and your financial stability.

Stage 2: Invitation to Tender

Roofing contractors who pass the PQQ and are shortlisted will then receive an Invitation to Tender (ITT).

An ITT for a roofing tender will likely include the following information:

  • Letter of Invitation
  • Invitation to Tender document
  • Form of Tender
  • Preliminaries
  • Details on the Form of Contract and Contract Conditions
  • Specifications
  • Design Drawings
  • Tender Pricing Document
  • Associated Appendices

This is your opportunity to fully demonstrate your company’s capability and capacity to deliver the required roofing works.

  1. Consider tendering for work on larger contracts.

An added benefit of using a tendering portal is that it opens up doors to larger projects. This could include work on a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) or a framework agreement. SMEs or sole traders in the roofing industry wouldn’t access these opportunities organically.

For example, Swindon Borough Council put out a two-stage tender for qualified contractors to undertake the Roofing Renewal Programme. This applies to many housing properties, and the overall contract period estimated value is £4.8 million over 4 years.

A large roofing contract like this is a good opportunity for suppliers who can provide multiple services. For instance, Swindon Borough Council requires roofing contractors to undertake a range of works, including:

  • the removal of existing roof coverings as required,
  • the supply and installation of new roof covering as required,
  • the renewal of associated items at roof level and below,
  • the provision of scaffolding required to carry out the works,
  • making good to the structure and finishing’s as required,
  • flat to pitch conversions,
  • gas flue safety check procedure.

With any tendering opportunity which requires scaffolding provision, you must also provide accreditations and case studies unique to providing scaffolding. Our advice on compliance for scaffolding tenders and insulation tenders may be helpful if you provide multiple services.

  1. Ensure your roofing tender stands out.

Often, a highly detailed specification requires a highly detailed tender response. Creating a fully compliant roofing tender response can feel overwhelming, but there are options for tender support. Hudson Succeed provides writing support and professional consultation to soften the burden and maximise your chances of success when tendering for construction contracts.

Our bid writing experts have extensive experience – and an 87% success rate at winning bids for clients. Whether you’re tendering for the first time or simply need advice on improving your success rate, there’s a service for you. Our four-levels of tender support are:

Here are some recommendations from our bid-writing experts on how to make your roofing tender stand out. We’ve highlighted some areas where you should ensure you’re taking extra steps to succeed.

  • Site visits.

Visiting the site is an opportunity to gain insight and strengthen your roofing tender response in several ways. You can assess the roofing work required, scout out competition, and gain further understanding of the buyer’s requirements.

Assessing a site first-hand allows a roofing contractor to quote their costs, materials and scope of work much more accurately. To make the most of your site visit and ensure your tender response stands out, be sure to:

  • Read all the specified requirements before deciding whether this is the right contract for you.
  • Make a list of all the information you need to learn and take it with you.
  • Be confident and ask clarification questions to show engagement with the buyer.
  • Look for visual clues relating to the buyer and their work culture.

  • Case studies.

Case studies hold great importance in a tender response. Proving to the buyer that you’ve successfully completed similar roofing work – with high client satisfaction – is essential. The PQQs usually require contractors to demonstrate 3 previous contract examples.

Our bid writing experts advise you to create at least three case studies for every service you offer. This will further strengthen your tender response. For instance, if you provide roofing, scaffolding, and insulation services, you should develop at least nine case studies.

Both our Tender Ready and Improvement programmes include creating effective case studies for your business. Our free Tender VLE masterclass also covers the essentials of case studies, with an easy to follow 4-step structure.

  • Health and safety.

Roofing is one of the most hazardous areas of construction because it involves work at height. In fact, roof work accounts for 25% of all deaths in the construction industry. Having a compliant Health & Safety manual is absolutely essential and it will likely be required during the tendering process. This may be required during the PQQ stage, or as part of your quality response.

Make your tender response stand out by creating a company-branded manual. This will give a great first impression of your brand to buyers. The Tender Ready programme can provide support with this. If you provide the relevant information, our bid writers can create a well-designed and clearly structured manual, guaranteed to impress.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offers an extensive range of advice and reading on safety regulations for roofing work. You should familiarise yourself with as much relevant information as possible. HSE advises that the principle elements of law relevant to roof work health and safety are:

  • the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974;
  • Work at Height Regulations 2005;
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999;
  • Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015;
  • Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998; and
  • the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Always make sure you’re fully compliant with the health and safety regulations specific to the roofing tender.

  • COVID-19 secure guidelines.

Consider how you’ll effectively manage coronavirus and adhere to the most up to date guidelines in your tender response. This will likely depend on the site-specific assessment you complete via your site visit. This could pertain to:

  • Risk management of your workforce (i.e. alternating shift patterns, social distancing measures on-site)
  • Delivery of materials (i.e. reducing frequency to maintain regulations)

Providing supplementary supporting evidence to prove this can strengthen your tender further, such as a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) register. Make sure you’ve covered all bases!

Need any further support with the tendering process? Get in touch with Hudson Succeed to see how we can increase your chances of success.

Get in touch with Construction Tenders

Sign up to Construction Tenders today and receive a daily construction leads bulletin straight to your inbox. The bulletin contains all the relevant small, and larger, construction tenders that we have uploaded that day.

This includes the following:

And if you have any questions, your dedicated account manager will be on hand to help. What opportunities will you find? Contact us today, for a free live demo and find out how our exclusive member’s site help find and win construction bids.

What Really Matters in Commercial Building Tenders?

Posted on by John Hudson

How to Focus Your Commercial Building Tender on What Matters

What is a commercial building tender?

Commercial building tenders are the most common way in which buyers find suppliers to construct buildings for commercial purposes. The term covers a wide range of building projects that are, quite often, large contracts. For instance, a commercial building tender could seek suppliers to construct office towers, warehouses, or shopping centres.

Put simply, a buyer will go to the external market with a commercial building tender. This could be part of a specification for building a new leisure centre. This buyer then collects, analyses and nominate bids from suppliers, and the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) wins.

What are the best practices when writing commercial building tenders?

Writing commercial building tenders requires a lot of industry-specific knowledge and skill. Large construction contracts, like commercial building tenders, often involve multiple suppliers operating collaboratively under a framework agreement. Watch our free Tender VLE masterclass on Framework Agreements for more information on how this works. Commercial building work itself is highly technical and costly, therefore the tender needs to be exhaustive. In order to respond effectively to the tender specifications, you need in-depth knowledge of the regulations and legislative examples.

Read our advice on the best practices for general bid writing and creating a water-tight argument for your business. We also have a successful bid writing division, Hudson Succeed. If your business needs to outsource the writing and submission of technical tenders, or simply needs advice, get in touch.

This blog will focus on, arguably, the most important aspect of your commercial building tender. This is its social value, i.e. how you consider the wider community impact of the project. We’ll explain why demonstrating social value can make a BIG difference in whether or not you win a bid.

Public opinion on commercial building tenders

Despite the breadth of commercial building, it is a less recognised sub-sector of construction.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) reported that the British public underestimates the importance of commercial building tenders. When quizzed on what they think is the most important element of the construction industry, the public emphasised roadwork. Roadwork is the defining sub-sector of construction in the public imagination. Significantly, roadwork also came top when the public was asked where the government should spend more money in construction.

However, roadwork accounts for a relatively small proportion of activity compared to commercial building, educational building and leisure construction projects.

Why does public perception matter?

Well, firstly, it’s important that the construction industry – and those who make policy decisions – take public opinion into consideration. To do this more effectively, they need to know where the public lacks understanding of construction and correct these misconceptions. Otherwise, much-needed budgets for commercial building tenders could be slashed due to misconception. In short – more budget for commercial building tenders, please, not roadworks!

Also, commercial builds can often get a negative reception when they are made public. A commercial building tender for a large warehouse nearby could upset local people if they’re worried about the natural landscape. Opinions could change, however, if the build provided social value by hiring locally and offering work experience to young people.

An example of this is seen as plans to build a 12,500-capacity Gateshead Arena on Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s quayside has caused pushback. Some residents have complained over the obtrusive design of a hotel proposed in the plan. The project, however, is planning to work with local partners and add over 1,000 jobs to the regional economy. Ultimately, this will make the area more attractive to residents, visitors and investors.

Public tensions make it especially important to emphasise positive social value in your commercial building tenders. Getting the local community on your side is a great way to increase funding and your chances of winning.

Where exactly can social value come into a commercial building tender?

Social value has become a much more prominent aspect of commercial building tenders in recent years.

Demonstrating social value in construction bids is essentially detailing the contribution your work will make to society and local communities. This can be boiled down to the following:

  • reducing inequality;
  • promoting wellbeing;
  • decreasing the impact on the environment.

With each aspect of social value, there’s a variety of ways to prove how you can positively impact the local community. For example, will you employ local people? Great. This can demonstrate social value in each of the following ways:

  • It could create fiscal saving for the Government if these people were previously unemployed.
  • You could improve these people’s livelihoods and future prospects.
  • It could increase public health by reducing dependence on public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdowns.
  • It could positively impact local education if you have apprentices in your supply chain.
  • You could boost local trade if your procurement process prioritises local suppliers.

See? You can showcase social value in a multitude of ways in commercial building tenders, once you know what to consider!

Make sure to always use figures to back up your claims. How many local people will you employ, in how many miles radius of the site? It’s important to be realistic and specific with any assertions in your commercial building tender. Watch our free Tender VLE masterclass, Evidence is Key, for more insight on adding evidence to your tender.

Why does social value matter more in commercial building tenders?

It’s particularly beneficial to consider social value when pitching for a commercial building tender rather than, say, excavation tenders.

Why? Well, in short, commercial builds create public spaces. Once completed, most commercial projects will see large public footfall in their lifetime, whether this is staff or customers. For instance, commercial builds like leisure centres and local shopping centres will form community ‘hubs’. Lots of people use them and they can become a regular part of local life. (This extends to pubs, bars, even bingo halls!)

Therefore, the winning suppliers of commercial building tenders will often end up having indirect, yet significant, impacts on local life. It’s very important to consider the bigger picture and wider community carefully when tendering for commercial work.

Using social value to improve public opinion in a commercial building tender doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a good example that does so simply and effectively.

  • Willmott Dixon’s build of The Evolution Centre at Oaklands College in St Albans. The site team emphasised Willmott Dixon’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2030. To do this, they created electrical connections to the grid. This meant diesel generators were not needed for the tower crane, site and welfare facilities. The project also publicised its use of local community wood recycling to ensure any surplus timber was reused rather than wasted.

Future prospects for commercial building tenders

It’s an uncertain time for business, as we find ourselves in national lockdown again heading towards 2021. One thing is truer now, more than ever, for commercial building tenders. Companies that prioritise local economic and social value are in the best stead to see investment and continue operating successfully.

You will see increased success with this in mind.

Looking forward, the CITB’s Construction Skills Network (CSN) sees a bounce back in commercial construction growth. It predicts an annual average growth rate of 1.2% until 2023, with the number employed rising over the period. It also forecasts new construction activity in London to expand by an annual average of 2.1%. New commercial building will play a part.

So, are you looking to secure commercial building tenders right now? If so, we can increase your chances of finding relevant tenders with our sector-specific portal, Construction Tenders. Our Opportunity Trackers ensure much higher accuracy than CPV codes used on other portals.

And if you need help writing a commercial building tender, we have 4 levels of support to fit your needs.

Get in touch with Construction Tenders

Book a free live demo of Construction Tenders today. As a client, you’ll receive a daily bulletin straight to your inbox when new tenders are uploaded. The bulletin contains all the relevant construction leads that we have sourced that day.

We actively source tenders for the following sub-sectors:

Contact us today and allow us to help you grow your business with Construction Tenders.

The Future of Carpentry Tenders

Posted on by John Hudson

What Will Brexit Mean for Carpentry Tenders?

Securing work through carpentry tenders is a great way to get diverse experience in a specialised trade. If your business specialises in a sub-sector of construction, you need to consider the implications of Brexit while tendering. Do you import materials from countries in the European Union (EU), or employ EU nationals? Or are you simply concerned about business prospects post-Brexit, and going forward into 2021?

Here’s a guide on what you should be doing (right now!) to secure carpentry tenders as we head towards Brexit.

When is Brexit?

You’re likely aware that Brexit is fast approaching. But when actually is it?

Currently, the UK is in a transition period until the end of the year while we negotiate new arrangements with the European Union (EU). January 1st, 2021 is the official date that the transition period ends. This is regardless of whether we reach a trade deal with the EU. Businesses must prepare for changes as we leave the customs union and single market.

Over the past month, business secretary, Alok Sharma, has urged businesses to prepare. He advised: “Businesses must act now to ensure they are ready for the UK’s new start come January … There will be no extension to the transition period, so there is no time to waste. Businesses have a crucial role to play in ensuring a smooth transition, and we will be there to support them.”

It’s understandable to be concerned as a business owner as we head towards the uncertainties of Brexit. Not to mention we’re in the middle of a second national lockdown. But, thankfully, we have some reassuring news regarding carpentry tenders.

Is now a good time to find carpentry tenders?

As long as you’re up to date on changing regulations – yes!

Construction will stay open for business during the second national lockdown and over the threshold of Brexit into 2021. The Construction Leadership Council has advised that construction sites should remain in operation. Sites should review their social distancing measures and remind their workforce to comply with Site Operating Procedures at all times. This means new carpentry tenders will be available.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) also confirmed that training courses will continue, and test centres will remain open. Should they need to, workers can still undertake their Health, Safety and Environment assessments, for instance.

Looking beyond Brexit, the CITB also announced a detailed strategic plan to invest in and incentivise the construction industry. Going forward, the CITB will fund ‘hubs’ to train and develop new labourers. This will help relieve the immediate problem of replacing labourers who previously came from the EU.

What are the figures?

As of November 2020, the number and value of construction contracts overall are increasing. Here’s how carpentry tenders are bouncing back after the devastating closures of Spring 2020:

  • October 2020 saw 482 construction contracts awarded, worth £6.8 billion. This is a 10% increase from September 2020 and the highest figures since April 2020.
  • Construction tender opportunities in October were spread more widely across the UK in comparison to September. While a third of expenditure was in London (£2.3 billion), regions right across the nation saw large spends. For example, Scotland (£635 million), West Midlands (£534 million) and the South West (£515 million).

So, as we head into a post-Brexit 2021, it’s a promising time to seek carpentry tenders and secure business opportunities.

How do I find carpentry tenders?

To speed up the process of finding relevant carpentry tenders that can grow your business, try our Construction Tenders portal. We source construction contract opportunities on a daily basis, from thousands of buyers. We manually search for business opportunities in the public and private sector, across the UK, so you don’t have to. All you need to do is filter by relevant keywords, budgets, industry sectors and locations.

You’ll receive daily alerts when tenders are released for relevant services. Private buyers also post projects direct to our portal to source suitable suppliers from our subscribers. Book a free live demo today and see how we can help you find and secure carpentry tenders.

Will I need to adjust my business to win carpentry tenders post-Brexit?

Potentially, yes. And the sooner the better.

On January 1st, changes will be made to the way businesses do the following:

  • Import and export goods
  • Hire workers from the EU
  • Provide services in EU markets.

But don’t fret. We’ve compiled the main points highlighted by the latest government advice and the latest weekly industry report from Build UK. The following points should be relevant to your business if you’re interested in carpentry tenders. You should, however, also seek personalised advice on how your business will be affected by Brexit. To do this, use the governments ‘Check, Change, Go’ tool on www.gov.uk.

You may need to reconsider the following things to meet regulations and secure future carpentry tenders.

  1. Importing goods

Your business risks not being able to bring or receive goods or materials from EU countries if you don’t prepare. You should take the following steps to prepare for 1st January:

  • Check the new rules on importing and exporting goods from the EU. For example, timber imported into the UK is currently governed by the European Timber Regulations (EUTR). From 1st January 2021, it will be governed by the UK Timber Regulations (UKTR) in England, Scotland and Wales. If your carpentry business imports timber from the EU, it will incur the responsibilities of an ‘Operator’ under the new regulations. In 2021, your company will have to undertake due diligence to show that there is ‘negligible risk’ that the timber was illegally harvested.
  • Get an EORI number that starts with GB to move your goods into or out of the EU. This can take up to a week to receive. It is essential for moving goods, going forward.
  • Check the UK Global Tariff that will apply to imported goods and decide how you will make customs declarations. Will you need to get someone to deal with customs for you?
  • Check the rules for reporting unfair trade practices using the UK’s new trade remedies service.

  1. Employing workers from the EU

You risk not being able to employ workers from outside the UK if you do not take the following steps:

  • If you plan to recruit workers from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you will need to obtain a sponsor licence, which can take up to eight weeks. (This does not apply to workers from Ireland or people with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.)
  • Encourage your employees to check if they need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
  • If you have workers from the EU who wish to continue living and working in the UK after 30 June 2021, advise them to apply for settled and pre‐settled status.
  • If you have workers who travel to the EU for work purposes, they may need to apply for a visa or work permit from 1 January.
  • Familiarise yourself with the new points‐based immigration system.

How can I increase my chances of securing carpentry tenders?

When tendering, it’s very important to keep up to date with changing regulations in regard to Brexit and COVID-19. Carpentry tender opportunities may be more difficult to secure in a changing climate. |t’s therefore important that you put your best foot forward with all tenders that are available and suitable for you!

A successful carpentry bid requires in-depth knowledge about tendering and procurement processes. Alongside our Construction Tenders portal, we also offer dedicated bid writing support via Hudson Succeed. The Succeed team has supported and secured construction bids for many clients in the industry. They’re on hand to help you complete carpentry tenders if you don’t have in-house the resources to do so.

There are four levels of tender writing support depending on your needs:

Send the tender specification to our bid writers. They will write the carpentry tender response and submit the bid on your behalf.

Our bid writers will assess your previous tender responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Our team will analyse your content and check for any errors before you submit your tender response.

The 4-week programme consists of creating and branding your corporate literature and helping you to identify opportunities.

Get in touch with Construction Tenders

Book a free live demo of Construction Tenders today. Clients receive a daily bulletin straight to their inbox when new tenders are uploaded. The bulletin contains all the relevant construction leads that we have sourced that day.

We actively source tenders for the following sub-sectors:

Contact us today and allow us to help you grow your business with Construction Tenders.