BWL supports construction contractor with significant framework
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A Welsh building contractor contacted BWL in August 2023 to ask for support with a large framework bid. Following the enquiry, one of our Bid Consultants liaised with their Managing Director to assess their requirements in detail and identify the best approach for the bid, ensuring they take the most cost-effective route and make the best use of time available for the bid.
Scope and Requirements
The tender consisted of 38 separate questions, with several questions being marked as pass/fail and the majority of the questions being scored. The quality element of the tender had an overall weighting of 70% and was designed to assess bidders’ approach to contract management, health and safety, quality management, risk management, BREEAM, BIM, life cycle costs analysis, and Net Zero.
The tender consisted of 7 lots based on project value bandings and commercial and domestic properties. We supported the contractor in finalising their decision to bid for 3 of the lots.
Our Approach
Due to the tender requirements being so extensive, it was agreed that BWL would use one of their previous tender responses as the basis for the responses and produce new responses where required.
Commencing a 2-week bid programme, our team held a meeting with our client’s Managing Director and Management Team to explain the bid requirements, highlight the priority responses that had the highest weightings, and provide advice on how to best spend the time available. A list of documents that we planned to submit with the responses was also provided for them to action. This was critical for the bid as the evaluation methodology for the tender stated that high scores would be awarded to responses that provided evidence of capability.
Our team reviewed and updated all relevant responses for the bid, taking into consideration the feedback from previous responses to ensure we mitigated perceived weaknesses and highlighted key strengths within the bid. Several bespoke responses were written for the questions with the highest weightings, including 3 case studies and 3 responses based on project scenarios. Our team produced detailed storyboards which gave the responses a basic structure and then reviewed the questions with the Managing Director to obtain more detailed technical information on specific items and elements.
Responses were handed over to their Managing Director and Management Team for review and comment before submission. The complete bid was successfully uploaded and submitted on the client’s procurement portal with 38 written responses and 80 supporting documents, including CVs, Organograms, Construction Phase Plans, Programmes, Risk Assessments, Training Records, and Toolbox Talks.
Added Value
Representing added value for the client, we continually advised on how to approach the bid, what to prioritise, what clarifications to post, as well as how to understand and complete the pricing schedules.
In particular, during the initial assessment of the tender requirements, our team identified a potential issue that could mean that the Contractor would not meet the pass/fail requirements for the tender. It was a requirement that all bidders have a Carbon Reduction Plan and submit a copy with the bid. This was raised as a clarification with the contracting authority for clarity on the exact requirements.
Like most SMEs in the construction industry, the Contractor’s business activities did not meet the threshold stated in PPN06/21. Therefore, the tender requirements were well over and above standard industry expectations. Our insight into government guidance meant that we could advise the Contractor on how to manage this element of the tender in a way that was proportionate to their business size and capabilities and ensure they met the pass/fail requirements as stated by the contracting authority.
We also developed new designs for the Contractor’s CVs and Organograms to present a consistent brand, and we completed a full review of their policy and procedure documents to identify any anomalies and elements that needed to be updated.
Outcome
Our client was successful in their bid submission and was awarded places on all 3 of the lots they bid for, demonstrating the effective approach we collaboratively took to respond to the questions and our significant positive impact on the bid.
If you’d like to know more about our bid services, please contact us, and we’ll be in touch. Alternatively, email us at enquiries@bwlgroup.co.uk