Are you a small business that wants to tap into the public sector? Public tenders can provide you with a multitude of opportunities for your business.
Tenders can be extremely beneficial to businesses and can result in a variety of advantages. It's not difficult to get tender leads if you know where to seek them. For fair access and openness, government and public sector tenders are frequently required to be advertised in the press. Private and corporate tenders are difficult to come by, and not-for-profit groups employ a variety of methods to find vendors.
What are public tenders?
Public bidding is a regulated procedure by which a public body opens a contracting process for the execution of a work or the provision of a supply or service. It is an open selection process therefore big corporations, SMEs or freelancers can participate.
How do public tenders work?
Public tenders are publicized and all qualified bidders are able to participate. Those that issue contract notifications in the public sector have a well-defined tendering process in place to ensure a fair and transparent selection process.
A tender is the actual bid that a business submits to win work, but it is used more loosely in the public sector procurement context to describe the entire process from the publication of the contract notice to the actual bidding on the contract.
The public tendering process begins with the publication of a public tender by a public sector organization to generate competitive offers to match the contract notice's specified specifications.
What are the types of tender?
Since the early 2000s, competitive tenders have been on the rise and have become a regular occurrence for contractors of all sizes. Tenders have piled up over time, making it difficult to sort through the inconsistencies and benefits of the various forms.
Here are different types of tenders you might come across:
Restricted
This is the most popular type of tender since it benefits both parties: it allows the client to narrow down a shortlist of qualified bidders, simplifying the second stage. It also gives bidders early feedback so that if they are successful, they can build on it and plan for the main tender, and if they are not, they won't have to wait until the conclusion of a long process to find out.
Bidders from all countries are welcome to participate, but they must first pass a pre-qualification evaluation (more on that later) before being asked to tender. Negotiations are not permitted throughout the restricted tender procedure.
Open
This is frequently used by both private and public sector clients, and it allows any company to seek a tender – most commonly involving the simultaneous submission of a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) and a more comprehensive tender response.
The concept behind open tendering is that everyone has an equal chance, and as parties compete for the best deal, prices are likely to be kept low. However, as previously stated, the timescales for analyzing and awarding these types of contracts are generally substantially lengthier, and the sheer quantity of applications – particularly for public sector bids – can make winning difficult.
Selective
The client might invite a contractor to participate in these tenders based on their specific project experience, or an existing partnership and past project performance. This skips the pre-qualification steps and directs you straight to the main tender; however, if your company is new and still growing, you may miss out on selection.
Frameworks
These are useful for securing long-term job supplies and use a unique selection procedure. The customer or developer uses the framework tender to choose a group of dependable contractors with whom they will collaborate for a set length of time, with the possibility of an extension if the partnership is successful.
Where can I find tender opportunities in Canada?
Tender opportunities in Canada are now increasingly easier to find thanks to the Internet. Bidding invitations arise on a number of websites on a daily basis. Aloha Tenders detects all relevant public tenders for your business and leverages artificial intelligence to specify your research and make sure you seize every opportunity.
What documents are required to apply for a tender?
Here are some common tender documents:
- A letter of invitation to tender
- The form of tender
- A tender pricing document
- The form of contract, contract conditions and amendments
- Design drawings, and perhaps an existing building information model.
- Specifications
- Tender return slip
So you've read the tender, understand the requirements, and are confident that your company can meet them – the next step is to prepare your answer. To acquire additional information, the buyer should send out a Selection Questionnaire/Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). Since you were given the criteria ahead of time, make sure you consider the weightings assigned to each area when drafting your response.
When a buyer receives a PQQ from a supplier, the buying authority assesses, evaluates, and scores it against their weighted scoring criteria. If a supplier is chosen at this stage, they will be added to the buyer's shortlist and sent an Invitation to Tender (ITT). This is a formal invitation from a purchasing organization to submit a complete tender answer.
It's now time for you to submit your tender response. Spend time composing and sending your complete tender response; it could mean the difference between winning and losing. A reputable supplier will put together a bid team to assist them in putting up a full and comprehensive bid. After you've submitted your response, it will be graded by the purchasing organization, which will determine whether your company is the best fit for the services they need.
How do I start applying for tenders?
Is this the appropriate tender for you?
It's pointless to apply for a tender that isn't relevant to your company.
Before you invest time preparing and writing your bid, consider whether you can meet the tender's requirements. There are numerous factors that your company should examine in this regard:
- The requisite technical skills and experience
- The tender specification's stated strategy and positioning
- The amount of time and resources needed to submit a proposal
- The weightings and assessment criteria that will be used to grade replies
Express Interest
It's time to get started if your company can meet the contract's terms. Any company bidding on a government contract must respond to the buyer in writing. This is called an expression of interest.
This is a straightforward stage. Previously, a supplier would contact the purchasing authority to request the complete documentation; nowadays, this should be available for electronic download.
Your business is searching for public tenders?
Aloha Tenders notifies you of any relevant public tenders for your business. Our platform provides your organization with multiple benefits and features:
- Access to Canadian public tenders
We make it simple for you to find the most relevant Canadian and American prime contractors' public tenders.
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
This is where our core expertise comes into play: our efficient algorithms are always refining the precision of your search to make sure you prioritize the best opportunities!
- Simple to use and centralized
Our platform will save you time by allowing you to navigate in a centralized and intuitive manner. You'll choose a selection of keywords, and we'll set up the platform so that only the most relevant results appear. Finding the best chances has never been easier!
- Emails including regular rundowns.
In addition to an elegant and productive platform, you will receive a regular email overview of bids and tenders Canada has to offer. If you'd like to learn more about how Aloha Tenders can help you maximize your chances, please contact us!