NEPO Supplier Partnership Programme: Our Workshops

In late 2023, we successfully tendered for a contract for North East purchasing organisation NEPO to deliver a wide variety of bid writing and introduction to tendering workshops, sessions and masterclasses. Our Training Services Manager Stephen Murray and Managing Director Matthew Walker have designed and delivered courses aimed at suppliers with all levels of expertise – from first-time bidders to those tendering for larger contracts.

Results across the first year included:

• Participants’ average confidence in the bid process increasing from 31% to 91%
• 75% of session participants going on to tender for work, with 58% of participants successful in securing new contracts
• £7.5 million in new business achieved for organisations participating in NEPO’s programme

As we enter our second year as NEPO’s trusted partner, we reflect on how we have supported local organisations to build confidence in bidding for public sector contracts, and how we will support them to navigate changes in the wider world of procurement.

Bid writing courses – what’s on offer

Since 2023, we have delivered over 50 training sessions to approximately 350 local, North East suppliers and prospective bidders. The sessions cover a broad range of topics, as outlined below:

Introduction to public sector tendering

Our introductory session is for organisations who are completely new to public sector procurement, and need support in sourcing the right opportunities and making the ‘bid/no-bid’ decision. Equally, introductory sessions will cover the legislation which governs public sector procurement – including the Procurement Act 2023 – and the bid evaluation process which contracting authorities must adhere to.

Other topics covered include:

• How to source the right opportunities from the public sector, using the government’s Find a Tender website
• Developing your approaches on whether or not a tender opportunity is right for your organisation by reading and understanding the requirements
• Understanding what documents must be returned for your tender submission to be considered, including the pricing schedule, quality questions, pre-qualifying documents and any appendices or attachments
• How to complete the documentation compliantly and avoid your bid being disqualified.

Bid writing masterclasses

Structured around producing a high-quality, competitive submission, our masterclass sessions cover:

• The public sector bid writing process, including how to structure a high-quality tender response and stylistic preferences for content
• Learn the principles of a strong submission that is persuasive, credible and tailored to the opportunity
• Build upon existing strengths to develop ‘win themes’ within tender submissions
• Writing tender responses to strict word limits, maximising the available space to incorporate features and benefits
• Increase your bid success rates through refining your bid strategy and reviewing feedback from submissions.

Bid writing masterclasses are organised into two strands – one for suppliers with limited experience in procurement, and another for those with some experience and success in bidding for contracts, looking to build on their existing skills to compete for larger opportunities.

Social value – building it into your organisation

Many organisations struggle with social value, including measuring social value as part of your submission. Our dedicated social value course covers:

• Relevant legislation around social value, including the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, and PPN 06/20
• Social, economic and environmental benefits which form the core initiatives of social value
• Rationale behind the inclusion of social value – how it represents value for money in procurement from the authority
• Determining social value commitments in accordance with priority areas for contracting authorities, ensuring these are targeted, tangible and proportionate with the overall value of the contract.

Drop-in surgeries

Suppliers can also book dedicated surgery slots – a one-to-one meeting with a dedicated bid consultant for up to one hour of free tender support, advice and guidance. Support can be in relation to specific opportunities or more broad enquiries around the tender process, including:

• Further tips and advice on finding suitable contract opportunities in your region or sector
• Making an informed bid/no-bid decision on a particular opportunity, laying out the opportunities and potential risk
• Bid planning and preparations to maximise time available, determine efficiencies from previous submissions and increase chances of success
• Discussing specialist topics relevant to a live tender – including social value.

Drop-in surgeries can be booked online directly at a time and date convenient to your representative.

What’s next for 2025?

As with our other services, we will continue to update our training courses in accordance with industry changes, including:

• Highlighting changes introduced by the Procurement Act 2023, including greater scrutiny on supplier performance
• Explaining the new Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) and support bidders in completing a compliant submission
• Registering on the new Central Digital Platform (CDP) which has been integrated into the government’s Find a Tender service as a central register for all bidder organisations.

Additional changes, such as the release of new procurement policy notes, will also be incorporated into our training courses with NEPO.

Other bid writing training courses

In addition to our NEPO partnership, we have also delivered bid writing training on behalf of RTC North and St Helens Borough Council and offer bespoke bid writing training courses for individual organisations, upskilling existing bid teams.

Our Training Services Manager Stephen Murray will review your previous bid activity and design a course specific to your needs, including:

• Advanced techniques for bidding, including advanced bid writing strategies such as developing ‘win themes’
• Social value in tendering training, securing a competitive advantage in tender submissions
• Bid writing induction and skills training for organisations onboarding a new member of their bid team.

To find out more about our training offerings, contact us today at info@executivecompass.co.uk or via telephone 0800 612 5563.