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An IT support contract acts as a crucial cog in the machine of IT procurement. According to Statista, it’s estimated that the IT services industry will generate revenue upwards of £82 billion in 2022. So, it’s no wonder people find it daunting to bid in this sector. Well, you’ve found just the right people. In this blog, we’ll answer some commonly asked questions and walk you through sourcing and winning IT support contracts.
An IT support contract validates agreements between two parties, where one provides technical support to the other. For mutual benefit, the contract terms must be concrete, without room for misinterpretation.
Details in an IT support contract can be vastly unique, ensuring that no two are the same. It should go without saying, but without IT support, a company’s efficiency and working capabilities are seriously hindered.
Having IT support offers several outstanding benefits to a buyer. Competent technical support ensures daily operations run smoothly. Some of these benefits could be included in your bid to further entice the buyer. The benefits of IT support include the following:
IT support impacts positively on your overhead costs and profits. In-house IT specialists may cost more if you consider the yearly salary and allowances. Outsourcing offers you access to a team of highly experienced experts in providing both remote and onsite IT support.
As a result, you get high-end, professional IT services at a reduced cost. Training your IT staff on specialist skills may be a great idea. However, having an entire team of experts at your disposal will help you save more money.
IT support services provide payment flexibility for business owners or company executives. They can select the best IT support contract that suits their business operation. In addition, buyers may choose a 24/7 IT support plan if they require minimal downtime and high continuity.
An IT support contract offers packages that may contain several services. It allows employees to have a single port of call when experiencing technical issues. It provides centralisation for all applications. Buyers can easily manage all their applications and servers within one access space and improve staff productivity.
A disaster recovery process is an integral component of an IT support contract. It also helps prevent future disasters.
One benefit of an IT support contract is that it provides efficient IT management. It also offers improved data protection and security. Buyers can get a secure and safer digital infrastructure by contracting a professional IT Support Team.
An IT support contract ensures disaster recovery and cyber security details by ensuring all software is updated. Buyers can get access to future-proofed and backed up data which is an effective plan for data recovery.
When you’re searching for the right contracts, there are key components that showcase a valuable buyer. These include the following:
An IT support contract should contain all the expectations from the buyer. It should also contain all hardware and software covered by the contract. There are different tiers of support, and the contract should specify which IT support level you’re expected to offer.
Aside from knowing what is expected in the IT support contract, knowing what services are excluded is also critical. The buyer may exclude some services from the contract agreement due to different uncontrollable circumstances. For example, theft, unauthorised modifications, or damage caused by fire or natural occurrences may be excluded.
So, a good sign of a well-thought-out contract includes the buyer’s contingency plans. How they minimise system downtime when faced with desperate situations. Ultimately, when the buyer contacts you, you shouldn’t be the first, second and last line of defence.
One of the buyer’s primary obligations as the outsourcing party is to provide a payment schedule. In essence, the payment schedule should spell out all payment terms. In addition, it should contain information on the payment date, payment method, and actual payment to be made.
It is vital that a contact link is provided to liaise with the buyer. The middleman should be accessible at all times to prevent communication breaches.
Response and resolution time are two critical quality markers when you’re delivering an IT support contract. Response time is how long it takes for you to confirm receipt of the buyer’s concerns. However, resolution time is the duration for fixing the issue.
The resolution time may vary because it depends on the complexity or severity of the issue. You should include a well-defined timeline or breakdown of the expected resolution time for multiple issues. The more issues you showcase, the more confident the buyer will be in your abilities.
A Service Level Agreement is also called the Master Service Agreement. Although they’re both part of the tendering process it differs from an IT support contract. The IT support contract is a legally binding agreement between the buyer and you. The SLA, however, outlines the specific details of the responsibility of each party.
It also shows the expected and acceptable service. Finally, the SLA outlines the consequences of not meeting each detailed requirement. Both parties can revise the SLA without revising the contract.
We’ve reached the conclusion to this blog on tackling tenders for IT support contracts!
Now you’ve got a solid idea of what to expect when it comes to bidding for these contracts.
We’ve covered quite a lot of material, and now you know:
The tendering process is long and complex but the team are here to assist you in writing bids. You can outsource the role to our dedicated Hudson Succeed Team. They have 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Their team have secured contract wins totalling over £3billion for our clients.
Tender Ready
Their Tender Ready programme is designed for those who have never tendered before. This 4-week programme works with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully.
Tender Improvement
Tender Improvement can help if you’re already tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts. Their Bid Writers will assess your previous submissions and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance on how to improve, helping you to secure your next IT support contract.
Tender Mentor
If you’ve written an IT support tender and need someone to proofread it – Tender Mentor is for you. A Bid Writer will double-check it’s in line with the specification and free of any grammar or spelling mistakes.
Tender Writing
If you’ve found the perfect tender but don’t know where to start – They can help. Send the specification over to us and our Bid Team will do the rest. They’ll let you know what they need from you and provide you with a full breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your business.
Want to save even more time?
Upgrading to Discover Elite will ensure you never miss a tendering opportunity, even when you’re busy!
The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool offers your business:
We source technology tenders on a daily basis, manually searching through hundreds of sites across the UK. We know how important it is to source the right tender for your business.
You can sign up to our Technology Tenders portal and start receiving business leads today. Our Opportunity Trackers manually upload new live tenders daily. You’re able to filter the results by keyword, location, budget and more. You no longer have to rely on inaccurate CPV codes to find the right opportunity for your business.
Below are previous IT support tenders sourced on our portal:
Dev Ops Engineer 1
Disclosure Scotland – Scotland – Budget: £7K
DWP Place – Senior Service Now Developer
DWP – DWP Place – North West – Budget: £7K
Connexus Tender for ICT Help Desk Service Software
Connexus Homes Limited – West Midlands – Budget: £30k
UREGNI – MMU IT Support 2022-25
Utility Regulator – Northern Ireland – Budget: £189,000
Digital Portfolio Operations Support
Ministry of Justice, Digital & Technology, Prisons Digital – London – Budget: £3,000,000
Get in touch to find out more information.