Winning tenders and getting through PQQs

Most of the work in this industry goes to firms who are already on someone’s list. This guide covers how to get on those lists and how to win once you are there.

1. Get the basics in place before you need them

Nearly every prequalification questionnaire (PQQ) or supplier selection questionnaire asks for the same things. Have them ready in one folder:

• An SSIP health and safety accreditation such as CHAS, SMAS Worksafe or SafeContractor. One SSIP certificate should be accepted in place of another.
• Constructionline, Silver or Gold. Most tier 1 contractors use it to vet subcontractors, and Gold answers the standard PQQ questions once.
• Insurance certificates: public liability (£5m is common, £10m for larger contractors), employers liability and, if you design, professional indemnity.
• Your last two years of accounts and a recent bank or credit reference.
• Policies: health and safety, environmental, quality, equality, modern slavery (if you are large enough), GDPR and a carbon reduction plan if you bid for central government.
• Trade cards and qualifications: CSCS or LISS cards for everyone on site, plus pesticide (PA1/PA6), chainsaw, plant and first aid tickets.
• Three to five case studies with client, value, dates, a photo and a named referee who has agreed to be contacted.

2. Get onto supply chains

Main contractors and housebuilders only invite firms they have already approved. To get approved:

1. Pick ten to twenty contractors who build in your area and the sectors you want (schools, housing, healthcare, highways).
2. Use the supply chain finder to see how each one vets suppliers. Many use Constructionline and publish a sign-up code.
3. Complete their registration fully. Half-finished profiles are ignored.
4. Then get in touch with the regional buyer or commercial manager. Say which jobs you have seen them win nearby and what you could price.
5. Go to their meet the buyer days and supply chain events. Buyers put faces to names.
6. Price everything they send you at first, even small packages. Declining early invitations is the quickest way off a list.

The contractor wins on the leads page tell you who has just won what. That is the best moment to introduce yourself.

3. Decide which tenders to bid

Bidding takes time. Before you start, check:

• Can you meet every pass or fail requirement? Turnover, insurance levels, accreditations, years trading.
• Is the value right for you? A common rule is that the contract should not be more than about a quarter to a third of your annual turnover.
• Is it in your area, or can you price the travel and still be competitive?
• How is it scored? Look at the price and quality split. If quality is 60% or more, a well written bid can beat a cheaper one.
• Do you have time to do it properly before the deadline?

4. Write the bid to the scoring

• Answer the question that was asked, in the order the buyer set it out. Use their headings.
• Be specific to the job. Name the site, the client, the programme and the risks you can see. Generic text scores badly.
• Prove it. Every claim should have an example, a number or a document behind it.
• Watch the word or page limits. Anything over the limit is often not read.
• Social value is now scored on most public contracts. Local labour, apprentices, local spend, work with schools and charities, and biodiversity all count. Make commitments you can measure and keep.
• Ask clarification questions through the portal before the deadline if anything is unclear. Everyone sees the answers, and buyers notice who asked sensible questions.

5. Price to win, and to make money

• Price the specification as written. If you think something is wrong, price it as written and offer an alternative separately.
• Check the quantities. Errors in a bill of quantities are common and can work for or against you.
• Get real material prices, not last year’s. Members can send the plant and materials list to several suppliers at once with a price request and compare the quotes side by side.
• Allow for establishment and aftercare: watering, defects periods and plant replacements often catch landscapers out.
• Read the contract terms: retention, payment terms, liquidated damages and any design responsibility. Once you win, log the terms in the payment tracker so no deadline is missed.
• Submit early. Portals slow down in the last hour and late bids are rejected automatically.

6. Win or lose, ask for feedback

Public buyers must give you your scores and, usually, the winner’s. Read them. The gap between your score and the winner’s tells you exactly what to improve. Keep every bid in a library so the next one is quicker.