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When you registered as an approved
supplier with the organisations you want to
work with, you'll have had to have submitted
your accounts and trading record. This is to
make sure that you're big enough and
financially stable enough to carry out the
work they are putting out the contract for.
You'll be asked to fill out a
pre-qualification questionnaire before
submitting a bid - the public sector body
will use this to decide whether they'll
consider your proposal. As well as
financial, it will cover your technical
capability to deliver and whether you are
matched to the procurement values of the
public sector body.
The PQQ gives them a general rounded view of
your business. On this page, find out four
more areas in which you can put yourself
ahead of your competition. |
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The very last
thing a public sector body or
the people within them want to
do is to award a contract to a
company who then messes it up.
It's the type of thing that
keeps buyers and purchasers
awake at night because of
embarrassment it might cause the
organisation.
On most contracts, you'll need
to prove, in some way, that
you're as good as you say you
are. You know you are, but how
do they?
We're in the marketing game, and
we pick up work from the public
sector because of the company's
financial stability and its
corporate membership of the
Direct Marketing Association
(DMA). DMA guidelines means that
there are all sorts of hoops we
have to jump through to stay
members. The DMA also police
their members through spot
checks, annual visits and by
members being answerable, in
case of complaints, to the
Direct Marketing Commission.
The NICEIC is a kitemark
standard for the electrical
contracting industry. If this is
your trade, make sure you're a
member. Likewise the TrustMark
scheme for construction related
companies.
Other things that will work in
your favour are ISO 9000 system
qualification - this is a signal
that your back-end office is as
efficient and reliable as your
actual trade. |
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If you employ
five or more people with your
company, you need to have a
written health and safety policy
which is visible and can be read
by all staff. You also need to
have a health and safety
representative and, ideally, a
first-aider on your team.
You'll need to show your public
sector customers that you
understand and implement the
legal requirement you have to
work to, as well as having the
appropriate procedures in place
according to your company's
size.
They will probably want you to
attach documents showing the
following...
• The procedures to be followed
in the event of an emergency,
• The procedures for reporting
and recording of accidents and
dangerous occurrences,
• First Aid and welfare
provisions,
• Provision of protective
clothing and equipment,
• The name and position of your
safety officer,
• Your actual health and safety
policy (including for
sub-contractors),
• The way your health and safety
policy is disseminated to staff
and
• How staff are trained in
health and safety |
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Public sector
organisations are keen to award
contracts to business whose
owners and/or staff reflect the
community the service will be
delivered into. For example,
public authorities, by law, must
take account of racial equality
when awarding contracts.
The laws covering how contracts
are awarded are as follows in
terms of community diversity -
Race Relations Act 1976 [as
amended by the Race Relations
(Amendment) Act 2000], the
Commission for Racial Equality's
Code of Practice for Employment
1983, the Sex Discrimination Act
1975 and 1986, the Equal Pay Act
1970, the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995 and as
amended by the Disability
Discrimination Act 2005 and the
Equality Act 2006.
Your company needs to be seen to
be fair and inclusive of the
entire community, reflecting the
diversity of gender, ethnicity
and disability. You must treat
all staff and customers fairly
and equally.
Public sector bodies will expect
you to have an equal
opportunities policy and some
will aspect you for a breakdown
of staff by gender, ethnicity
and background. You will also be
asked to submit job
advertisements from your
company's past to show your
commitment to diversity and
equal opportunities. |
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Public sector
bodies are now motivated to
reduce the environmental impact
of their activities, present and
future. This offers your
business a wide range of
opportunities to give itself a
competitive advantage when
you're up against other
companies for the business.
Sustainability is about a better
quality of life for now and in
the future. Public sector bodies
will ask you to send them
details of your own
sustainability policy - try to
match your company's activities
as closely as possible to
central government's policies at
the time.
You'll be expected to let the
public sector body know the
following...
• What effects does your
business's work have on the
environment and how significant
they area,
• A report on the effects of
your business on the
environment, and
• What your current
environmental management systems
are.
A couple of recognised
environmental and sustainability
standards are ISO4001 and EMAS
(Eco-Management and Audit
Scheme). |
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