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Guides worth reading before your next bid.

11 guides for providers bidding for UK public contracts, and 3 for the digital side of any small business. Pick a topic or search for what you need.

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14 guides

Tender basics

Start here if you are new to public tenders, or deciding whether one is worth your time.

Tender basics5 min read Bid or no bid: how to decide in 30 minutesA minute-by-minute way to read a tender pack, check the pass/fail gates and score the opportunity, with clear signs it is time to walk away.For: any provider deciding whether a tender is worth bidding Tender basics5 min read Lot selection is a strategy, not a formalityHow to choose which lots to bid for: reading lot caps and award rules, knowing if you can join later, with a worked lot decision.For: operations directors deciding which framework lots to bid Tender basics5 min read Social value in public tenders: how to score without overpromisingThe rules behind social value weightings, including PPN 002 and the new PPN 026, how councils use TOMs, and how to write commitments you can deliver.For: providers answering social value questions in public tenders

Care tenders

For home care, supported living and other care providers writing quality answers.

Care tenders6 min read How to answer a continuity of care question and score full marksHow to answer the continuity of care question with numbers, named roles, timescales and records, covering planned and unplanned absence, with measures and follow-up questions.For: registered managers writing domiciliary care tenders Care tenders5 min read Why your CQC rating decides the bid before you write a wordHow your Care Quality Commission rating affects which tenders you can win, what evaluators check, handling rating reviews, Wales and Scotland ratings, and upcoming framework changes.For: registered managers and directors deciding whether to bid

Rules & feedback

Which rules a tender runs under, which form you are filling in, and how to use the result.

Rules & feedback6 min read What changed when the Procurement Act 2023 replaced PCR 2015What the Procurement Act 2023 changed for care providers: which rules apply, assessment summaries, standstill for light touch contracts, supplier registration, notices and 30-day payment.For: care providers bidding for council and public contracts Rules & feedback6 min read SQ, PSQ or PQQ: which one are you actually filling in?Which selection questionnaire you are completing, how to tell from the notice, what the Central Digital Platform changes, and the evidence pack to keep ready.For: anyone completing selection stages for care tenders Rules & feedback6 min read Reading a scoring feedback letter properlyHow to read tender feedback: what an assessment summary must contain, turning a rationale into fixes, which standstill clock applies, and what to ask at a debrief.For: providers reviewing won or lost tender results

Cleaning & FM

Staff transfers, priced hours and mobilisation for cleaning and facilities contracts.

Cleaning & FM6 min read Winning cleaning and FM tenders: TUPE, priced hours and mobilisationWhat TUPE means when a cleaning contract changes hands, how to make priced hours match the specification, and how to write a mobilisation plan evaluators believe.For: cleaning and soft FM contractors bidding for public contracts

Construction & repairs

The accreditations and safety evidence buyers check before they read a method statement.

Construction & repairs6 min read Construction and maintenance tenders: the accreditations that decide the selection stageWhat SSIP, the Common Assessment Standard, PAS 91, Gas Safe and NICEIC mean at selection, plus CDM 2015 method statements and repairs targets you can hold.For: building, repairs and maintenance contractors

Security

Licensing, vetting and response times: what security buyers ask you to prove.

Security5 min read Security tenders: SIA licensing, ACS approval and what evaluators scoreWhich SIA licences each role needs, what ACS approval involves, BS 7858 screening, and how to evidence response times, assignment instructions and TUPE.For: guarding, patrol, keyholding and CCTV monitoring companies

Websites, social & email

For any small business: a faster website, fewer social accounts, and email that lands.

Digital6 min read Why your website is slow, and why it costs you enquiriesWhy small business websites load slowly on phones, how to read Google's speed scores, and a simple checklist to fix the usual causes.For: small business owners with a slow or ageing website Digital5 min read Choosing two platforms and retiring the restHow to pick the two social platforms that bring you enquiries, retire the rest tidily, and measure what matters over your first 90 days.For: small businesses stretched across too many social accounts Digital6 min read Setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC without an IT departmentHow to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC so your emails reach the inbox, meet Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook rules, and stop others faking your address.For: small businesses sending email without an IT team

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