How to win business

All criteria are assessed objectively by a cross-functional team including experts and specialists. Throughout the process, there are checks and balances with regular meetings to ensure that the entire team is confident the assessment is a fair reflection of each bidder’s proposal. All questions are scored according to a transparent scoring scheme and the highest scoring bidders win.

We have contracts and framework agreements for all our major areas of spend. Contracts and framework agreements are awarded in compliance with UK national and European law including the Competition Act 1998, the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (UCR2016) and the Bribery Act 2010. These regulations establish a set of rules that govern how certain value contracts must be advertised and awarded. We use either the Achilles vendor database (UVDB) or a Contract Notice to communicate our tendering opportunities. Where appropriate, applicants will be invited to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire to satisfy us that we are working with the most suitable suppliers. These questionnaires are then evaluated to establish a short list of applicants that will be invited to submit a compliant bid, probably as a response to an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN.) We need to assure ourselves that a supplier is still capable of delivering during a crisis such as a flood, we therefore encourage our suppliers to write and test their Business Continuity (BC) plans. If a supplier’s provision is considered critical to our operations, then their BC plan will be reviewed with us to ensure that they are compatible with our expectations.

Bids can be quotations, Request for Prices or responses to Invitations to Negotiate (ITN.) In all cases, we use formal assessment models to find the best solution. Bid documents are issued to suppliers along with a full specification detailing our requirements; where necessary, we stipulate the award criteria we will be using so that suppliers can understand what is important to us. We insist on suppliers providing a compliant bid and will be to our standard terms and conditions unless there is clear benefit to amending/deviating. We use electronic methods to conduct the bid process e.g. online tendering. In some cases, particularly where the supplier is new to us, we may want to visit their offices or other clients. This is not onerous and is a chance for suppliers to represent themselves and fully explain their products, services and capabilities.

Following bid assessment, the highest scoring supplier(s) are recommended to receive the award and this receives a further internal review and sign-off. Only after this sign-off are contracts awarded and suppliers notified. For contracts above UCR2016 thresholds we will also use the required standstill period before committing to contract.

Once a contract is awarded, we measure supplier and contract performance. In some cases, we have formal Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which are measured frequently and the results are shared with the supplier. Over the life of the contract, we form a relationship with our key suppliers to continually improve performance and develop our working relationship, helping to deliver mutual benefits.

We have a number of strategic partnerships as listed below, and this is another opportunity for suppliers to win business. We can redirect your enquiries to our partners:

C2V+, Advance JV, Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd, Mott Macdonald Bentley Ltd

We are looking for ideas that can help us overcome some of our biggest challenges as well as ideas which can help us achieve our in sector strategy themes. Do you have an idea or product that will help with our sector’s challenges? We want to hear your ideas and have designed a process to make it easier for you and more consistent for us. Find out more about the idea proposal process.