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The 4 Main Types of Computer Software Tenders

Posted on by John Hudson

Are you aware of all the different types of computer software tenders that are available to bid on?

If you are looking to source new computer software tenders, do you know what type of tender to bid on? In this blog, we go through the four main computer software tenders that businesses will outsource. Keep reading to find out more!

Why do businesses issue computer software tenders?

Without computer software, many basic business operations wouldn’t be performed. That being said, most businesses either don’t have a big IT Team, or don’t have one at all. Therefore, they require IT support for their systems.

What type of computer software tenders can you bid on?

There are various types of computer software tenders that you could bid on. The 10 most common types are:

  1. Application software
  2. System software
  3. Middleware
  4. Driver software
  5. Programming software
  6. Freeware
  7. Open-source software
  8. Proprietary software or closed software
  9. Shareware
  10. Utility software.

However, out of these 10, there are four computer software tenders that you will find are the most common.

The four most common types of computer software tenders

  1. Application software

One of the most common computer software tenders buyers procure is application software. This often involves creating an application to be used by end-users. In most cases, it is classed as non-essential software but is used by the majority of businesses for general operations. This includes:

  • Word processing apps
  • Spreadsheet apps
  • Databases
  • Application suites
  • Multimedia apps
  • Communication apps
  • Internet browsers
  • Email apps
  • CRM tools.
  1. System software

System software tenders will be issued by buyers who are needing support with the hardware systems they use. You will be supporting them with the function of their systems, ensuring they operate efficiently. For example, retailers will likely need to outsource this for their till operation systems and hardware.

  1. Driver software

Buyers will issue these computer software tenders when they are looking for help with their external devices. This could involve connecting the external devices to a central computer system and having them run smoothly using driver software. For example, devices could include:

  • Printers
  • A keyboard/mouse
  • Network devices
  • Hard drives
  • Cyber security
  1. Programming software

Unless a business has a strong IT team, they’re likely to outsource this type of computer programming software. Because of the complexity of coding, then it is unlikely a business would have a team in place for this. The tender opportunities could be small projects, to support with website development. Or larger projects stretched over a longer time period. Such as a full website mobile application.

Summary

The four main types of computer software tenders you can bid on are:

  1. Application software
  2. System software
  3. Driver software
  4. Programming software.

You will probably find that your services can crossover these four subsectors. But you need to ensure you can fully deliver the buyer’s needs. The reason for buyers outsourcing these services is because they are probably not equipped to do it themselves in-house.

The other types of computer software tenders you could come across are:

  1. Middleware
  2. Freeware
  3. Open-source software
  4. Proprietary software or closed software
  5. Shareware
  6. Utility software.

How to find new computer software tenders…

Technology Tenders can save you time trolling through hundreds of sites. We source tendering opportunities so that you can focus on running your business. Meaning you can find relevant computer software tenders that are perfect for you in just a few clicks!

What makes Technology Tenders different?

We use manual tracking

Other portals rely on Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes to categorise tenders. However, they have been known to be ambiguous and file tenders under the wrong codes. This means you could be missing out on opportunities to tender.

Instead of using CPV codes, our Opportunity Trackers manually tag contracts they find to ensure they reach the right businesses. You can filter live tenders using keywords, industry, location, and budget to find the best opportunities for your business.

Here are just five examples of past computer software tenders that we’ve sourced on our Technology Tenders portal:

Software Platform for Virtual Reality Experiences

Suffolk County Council – Eastern – Budget: £80,000

CWC20109 – E Procurement & Contract Management Solution

Wolverhampton City Council – West Midlands – Budget: £344,000

Legal Case Management System NCCT42393

Norfolk County Council – Eastern – Budget: £400,000

Digital Care Management System (DCMS) in PCC Homes

Portsmouth City Council – South East – Budget: £410,000

Completions Management System

Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd – London – Budget: £3,000,000

What does a subscription to Technology Tenders include?

A 12-month subscription to Technology Tenders will give you:

  • Unlimited portal access. You can browse the portal to your heart’s content. See hundreds of opportunities, intuitively categorised and easily accessible.
  • A dedicated Account Manager. They’ll handle any queries you may have about the portal. They can also answer any questions you may have about computer software tenders.
  • A free, 20-minute phone consultation with a Bid Writer at our Hudson Succeed Division. Our expert Consultants will chat to you for 20-minutes about anything tender related. This could be questions about the process or a requirement in a computer software tender that you don’t understand.
  • A daily email bulletin sent directly to your inbox. When you sign up to the portal, you will choose the specific areas in which you would like to tender. Then, a daily bulletin is created with all the relevant opportunities that have been posted to the portal that day. You’ve got unlimited portal access, but the daily bulletin makes things even easier, saving you even more time.

If you want to know more about how Technology Tenders could help your business, contact us today. Our team can provide a free, live trial, so you can try before you buy!

What else can we offer you?

So, you’ve found a tender that you want to go for but can’t find the right words. Our expert Bid Writers at Hudson Succeed can support you at every stage of your tender. They can answer any questions you may have about the process. From passing the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) to finalising your tender response.

Our Bid Writers have an 87% success rate and over 60 years of bid writing experience. We offer tender support through four Bid Writing services:

Tender Writing

Simply send the bid specification to our team and they’ll write the tender response for you. They’ll even submit the bid on your behalf.

This service is priced per bid, and we provide a full Tender Writing breakdown. You’ll know how long it’ll take, what we’ll need from you, and when you’ll see an initial and final draft.

Tender Improvement 

With Tender Improvement, our Bid Writers will assess your previous tender responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Tender Mentor

You might also be interested in Tender Mentor. Our team will analyse your content and check for any errors before you submit your tender response. 

Tender Ready

Tender Ready helps businesses that are completely new to the tendering process. We offer a three-stage process and a four-week programme.

Book a free, live demo to gain further insight into our services and see which opportunities can benefit your business.

On Technology Tenders, we post contracts for:

These are just a few categories in which we source technology tenders. We add new opportunities to our portal every day. The scope of buyers for whom you could deliver work is always expanding.

Now is the time for Technology Tenders – unlock your company’s potential by contacting us today

How to Win a CCTV Tender

Posted on by John Hudson

4 tips for securing a CCTV tender

Do you want to secure a CCTV tender for your business, but are not sure where to start? Tendering for contracts is a great way to grow your business and unlock new opportunities. However, if you’ve never tendered for work before, securing a CCTV tender might seem like a difficult task.

Luckily for you, Technology Tenders is here to offer some expert advice. In this blog, we’ll cover how you can find and win CCTV tenders for your business.

How can you win a CCTV tender? 

  1. Demonstrate your experience

Typically, the buyer will expect to see 2 – 3 case studies from the last 3 – 5 years. This is because they want to see evidence that you can deliver the work should you win the CCTV tender.

Your examples should be relevant in size, scope and complexity to the CCTV tender you’re bidding for. If it’s not relevant to the buyer’s project, you shouldn’t include it in your tender response.

  1. Stick to word counts and formatting instructions

Another tip for securing a CCTV tender is to stick to word counts, page limits and formatting instructions. If the buyer has specified a word count, try and get your response as close to this as possible. They’ve stated the word count for a reason, after all!

  1. Show added value

You’re more likely to win a CCTV tender if you demonstrate added value in your tender response. This is because every public sector contract must have a minimum weighting of 10% for social value.

When producing your tender response, you must consider the social, economic and environmental aspects of the contract. You should consider the following:

  • How you’ll support COVID-19 recovery
  • What you’ll do to encourage economic growth
  • How you’ll create new skills and jobs
  • What you’ll do to tackle climate change.

  1. Produce a high-quality, well-written response

To increase your chances of winning a CCTV tender, you need to produce a high-quality, well-written tender response. The buyer wants to read a clear, concise response that uses persuasive, engaging language. Even with impressive experience, you could lose marks if your tender response is of poor quality.

In summary

So, now you know how to win a CCTV tender for your business. Firstly, you should demonstrate your experience to the buyer. Show them why you’re the best possible business for their project.

It’s important that you stick to the buyer’s word count and formatting instructions. They’ve outlined them for a reason, after all!

You’ll also increase your chances of success by demonstrating added value in your tender response. To do this, consider social, economic and environmental factors when producing your bid.

Finally, it’s crucial that you produce a high-quality, well-written tender response. Even with relevant contract examples and added value, you’ll lose marks if your response is of low-quality. To make sure you win a CCTV tender for your business, you need to submit a persuasive and engaging bid.

Are you searching for a CCTV tender?

Technology Tenders can save you time on trolling through 1000s of sites. We source tendering opportunities so that you can focus on running your business.

What makes Technology Tenders different?

We use manual tracking

Other portals rely on the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes to categorise tenders. However, they have been known to be ambiguous and file tenders under the wrong codes. This means you could be missing out on opportunities to tender.

Instead of using CPV codes, our Opportunity Trackers manually tag contracts they find to ensure they reach the right businesses. You can filter all live tenders using keywords, industry, location and budget to find the best opportunities for your business. On our portal, you’ll find relevant tenders by simply filtering ‘CCTV’.

Here are 5 examples of past CCTV tenders that we’ve sourced on our portal:

GB-Rickmansworth: CCTV Installation – Three Rivers House

Three Rivers District Council – Eastern – Budget: £50k

Security Services (Access Control, CCTV, Panic Alarms, Lenel)

General Medical Council (GMC) – North West – Budget: £190k

Show Comms & CCTV

Birmingham Ceremonies Limited – West Midlands – Budget: Undisclosed

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Installation, Maintenance & Repair

Bury Council – North West – Budget: Undisclosed

2600 & 2800 DMU CCTV System

Iarnrod Eireann-Irish Rail – Republic of Ireland – Budget: Undisclosed

What we can offer you 

Bid writing support

So, you’ve found the cyber security tenders that you want to go for but can’t find the right words? Our expert bid writers at Hudson Succeed can support you at every stage of your cyber security tender. They can answer any questions you may have about the process. From passing the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) to finalising your response.

Our bid writers have an 87% success rate and over 40 years of bid writing experience. We offer tender support through four services:

Tender Writing

Simply send the bid specification to our team and they’ll write the cyber security tender response for you. They’ll even submit the bid on your behalf.

This service is priced per bid and we provide a full Tender Writing breakdown. You’ll know how long it’ll take, what we’ll need from you and when you’ll see an initial and final draft.

Tender Improvement 

Our bid writers will assess your previous tender responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Tender Mentor

Our team will analyse your content and check for any errors before you submit your tender response.

Tender Ready

Tender Ready helps businesses that are completely new to the tendering process. We offer a three-stage process and a 4-week programme.

Book a free, live demo to gain further insight into our services and see which opportunities can benefit your business.

On Technology Tenders, we post contracts for:

These are just a few categories in which we source technology tenders. We add new opportunities to our portal every day. The scope of buyers for whom you could deliver work is always expanding.

Now is the time for Technology Tenders – unlock your company’s potential.

A Guide to Photocopier Contracts

Posted on by John Hudson

Photocopier contracts explained

So, you may be interested in bidding for photocopier contracts as a viable way to grow your business. You aren’t alone. It’s important when writing your tender response for photocopier contracts that you stand out from your competitors.

Each buyer will have different requirements and needs. This is important to take into consideration when bidding for work. You should read the tender documents thoroughly, ensuring it’s the right opportunity for your business.

What to expect from photocopier contracts

You can expect photocopier contracts for the supply, delivery, lease, or maintenance of photocopiers. A buyer will likely detail the type/function requirements of the photocopier desired including, but not limited to:

  • Paper size
  • Orientation
  • Duplex
  • Colour
  • Number of copies
  • Composition
  • Storing
  • Stapling
  • Paper selection
  • Scanning
  • Custom settings
  • Secure printing
  • Toner
  • Multiple trays
  • Speed/processing
  • Display screen
  • Sheet capacity
  • Energy saving
  • Warm up time

The contract is awarded to the MEAT

If tendering for work in the public sector, photocopier contracts will be awarded to the MEAT. The MEAT stands for the most economically advantageous tender. It’s when the buyer is looking at more than just the price. Usually, the buyer will state in the specification what they are looking for. It’s typically a combination of factors that could be any of the following:

  • Quality
  • Delivery
  • Price
  • Innovation
  • Environmental factors
  • Accessibility
  • Technical ability

Expect to show added value

When tendering for photocopier contracts in the public sector, you will also need to demonstrate added value. This is because public sector organisations need to get the most value to taxpayer’s money. Every public sector contract must now have a minimum weighting of 10% on social value.

For social value, a supplier must consider the social, economic and environmental aspects of the contract. They should consider how, as a business when delivering the contract, they will:

  • Support COVID-19 recovery
  • Encourage economic growth
  • Create new skills and jobs
  • Tackle climate change

Tender formatting 

Every tender is different, and the format of your response will be detailed in the specification. For example, a buyer may require you to divide your tender into two sections as per the following:

  • Commercial:
  • Firm prices
  • Form of tender statement
  • Technical:
  • Information of your organisation
  • Quality responses

A quality response could require you to detail the following for photocopier contracts:

  • Transition plan
  • Community benefits
  • Invoicing
  • Invoice references
  • Fault correction
  • User-replaceable parts
  • Extended maintenance services
  • Network and administration security
  • MFD (multi-function devices) scanning ease of use
  • Failure contingency
  • Network printers and administration security

3 things to remember when writing a response for photocopier contracts

  1. Stick as close to word counts as possible

They are there for a reason. If a buyer notes that a question has a word/page/character count, try and get your response as close as possible to that. They will be expecting a response of that length. If they’re stating that a question has a 1,000-word response don’t write 200 words, it just isn’t enough. Additionally, don’t go over and write 2,000, as this will demonstrate to the buyer that you cannot follow instructions. Due to this, it may lead them to question if you will be the right business for the jobs. It’s simple really, just follow the instructions.

  1. Have references of previous contracts

 A buyer will likely require you to include 2 – 3 past case studies you’ve completed within the last 3 – 5 years. They want to see evidence that you’re capable of carrying out and delivering past contracts. Your examples should be similar in scope and style to the contract you’re applying for. For bonus points (if the word count permits) you could include what challenges you overcame. This will demonstrate your problem-solving skills and adaptability. Both of which will give the buyer confidence in your ability.

  1. Buyers care about the quality of your written response

At the end of the day, a buyer cares about the quality of your written response. Even if the price is weighted more than quality. Therefore, you should put your all into writing a top-quality written response. Your response should be clear and concise persuading the buyer that you’re the best business for the job.

Need assistance writing your next photocopier contracts?

We understand that not everyone has the time or resources to write a winning bid response in house. Outsourcing this can help optimise your success rate allowing you to get on with running your business.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. They offer four bid writing support services that can help you win your next photocopier contract.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for those who have never tendered before. A Bid Writers will work with you to make sure you have everything you need in place to tender successfully. The 4-week programme offers your business:

  • A 12-month subscription to Technology Tenders
  • Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding professionals
  • An organisation-wide Bid Library, including 3 case studies, 5 CV’s and 8 policies
  • Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing the results you want, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions. The Tender Improvement package also includes the above perks from Tender Ready.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect photocopier contract for your business, why not send it to Hudson Succeed? Our Bid Writers will let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your tender response and need someone to double-check it for errors, Tender Mentor can help. The Bid Team will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar or spelling mistakes. They’ll also ensure that it’s in line with the specification before you submit it.

Where can I find photocopier contracts for my business?

Searching for photocopier contracts can take a large amount of time out of your day. There are thousands of websites that post multi-industry opportunities all jumbled together. Trawling through the available tenders can be hard, even if using CPV codes. Luckily for you, we have a solution.

 Our Technology Tenders portal is updated daily with sector-specific exclusive, public and private sector opportunities. This time-saving tool combats the problem of trawling for technology leads. There’s no reliance on mislabelled and inaccurate CPV codes or algorithms.

Our Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload relevant opportunities from thousands of sites across the UK. You’re then able to filter and search the results by keyword, budget, location and more. This streamlines the process allowing you to focus on your business.

Below are previous photocopier contacts sourced on our portal:

Kerry ETB RFT for Supply of Mono and Colour Photocopiers

Kerry Education and Training Board- Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

Lease of Multi-function Photocopier, Scanner, Fax Machine for UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean

UN Women- Europe- Budget: Undisclosed

Photocopier Contracts

Bodmin Town Council- South West- Budget: £8,000

Supply and Maintenance of Multi-Function Devices and Photocopiers to the Education Authority

Education Authority NI- Northern Ireland- Budget: £11,500,000

Supply of Colour Photocopiers

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation- Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

A 12-month subscription to Technology Tenders offers your business:

  • Access to all exclusive, private and public sector opportunities across the technology industry.
  • An on-hand Account Manager to answer any queries you may have about photocopier contracts. They can help you understand the procurement process in general.
  • A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new technology tenders are uploaded.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants.

We actively source tenders for services including:

Upgrade to Discover Elite  

We understand that you’re very busy. Even with our intelligent tracking system in place, the pre-bid admin can stack up. That’s why we recently launched Discover Elite. This upgraded feature eliminates all the frustrating time-wasting elements of tendering. The feature is broken down into two packages.

Both contain access to a maximum of two Discover portals. This is handy if your services cross over into another sector.

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool

  • A dedicated Account Manager on-hand to track opportunities for you.
  • Up to five bid breakdowns to help you make your bid or no-bid decisions.
  • Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable opportunities.
  • Buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid/no-bid strategy.
  • Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.

Become a Pre-Bid Master

  • All of the above.
  • The development of a bid strategy delivered by our Senior Bid Manager and our Global Bid Director.
  • Up to seven bid breakdowns per month.

Contact us for more information.

BMS Tenders: What’s Required?

Posted on by John Hudson

BMS tenders explained

You may have come across some BMS tenders that you think would be perfect for your business. You may have not tendered for work before, or not seeing results from your current tendering efforts. If this is the case, you’ve come to the right place!

This blog about BMS tenders will include what’s generally required and tips to formulate your tender response.

What to expect from BMS tenders

To ensure the maintenance of a Building Management System (BMS) is in optimum condition businesses will release BMS tenders. They are used to procure BMS services when a buyer cannot do it themselves. It is essentially outsourcing a need to a supplier/contractor.

An outline of a servicing schedule

The responsibilities of supplying BMS services for a contract could include the following:

Checking:

  • Earthing to control systems
  • Security of all electrical connections
  • Power-down control systems and test battery back-up
  • Output command relays
  • Motor overload for setting and operation
  • Plant fire shut-down operation
  • Screening on out-going cables
  • Operation of all digital inputs and outputs
  • Floppy disk drive, USB and any other backup device

Testing:

  • Operation of all sensors, valve actuators and damper actuators
  • High-low limit thermostats
  • Pressure switches
  • Emergency stop button operation
  • Fire/smoke shut-down operation

You’ll likely have to include the following in your BMS tender response:

  • Risk assessment
  • Method statement
  • Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan (CPP)
  • Business Continuity Plan

It’s worth noting if you need to submit more than one copy of this. Sometimes buyers will require you to submit multiple copies of not only the above but your tender submission.  Therefore, you need to read the specification carefully to ensure you know what’s required. It’s important that you not only do this but also submit it in the format stated. Is this via email or tender portal? Are they hard copies or online? These are all things you need to note and ensure you adhere to.

Legislations

It’s likely that for BMS tenders, you’ll be required to work to and be in compliance with certain legislations. These vary from tender to tender depending on the work and buyers’ requirements. These are typically noted in the tender documents as a guide. They may include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

  • The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  • Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
  • Electricity at Word Regulations 1989
  • Construction and Design Management Regulations 2015
  • Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
  • Reporting of Injury, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
  • Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
  • Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
  • Provision & Use of Word Equipment Regulations 1998
  • Environmental Protection Act 1990
  • F-Gas Regulations 2015
  • The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
  • Working at Height Regulations 2005
  • BSRIA Guidance Note BG 4/2003 BMS Maintenance Guide
  • CIBSE Guide H Building Control Systems 2009
  • CIBSE Guide F Energy Efficiency in Buildings 2004
  • CIBSE Guide M Maintenance Engineering & Management 2008

Costs

You may or may not be required to include the following cost breakdowns for your BMS tenders:

  • Spares
  • Dayworks
  • Call out unit costs
  • Hourly rates
  • Travel time
  • Obtaining materials
  • Milage rate

3 tips for success

  1. Be prepared to demonstrate your experience

Buyers could ask for 2 – 3 case studies of contracts you’ve worked on within the last 3 – 5 years. They should be similar in scope, scale and complexity to the proposed contract. A positive testimonial from previous satisfied customers always strengthens a response the word count permits.

Demonstrating how you overcome any unexpected challenges is also a plus. This allows you to show problem-solving skills and adaptability. All of which are key skills buyers look for. Buyers want to be reassured that you have experience and make them feel at ease reiterating your capability.

  1. Partake in site visits

BMS tenders typically will offer the opportunity for a hopeful supplier to visit the site. These site visits are greatly beneficial to your response and it’s encouraged to participate if possible. They allow you to see the environment you’ll be working in with your own eyes. You may be able to pick up on information that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Site visits can enable you to produce more accurate pricing and gain some personal insight into the buyer. 

  1. Buyers care about the quality of your written response

You should put your all into writing a top-quality written response even if there is a greater weighting on price. Avoid overly technical jargon where possible and don’t assume that the buyer for BMS tenders know anything. Try and get your responses as close to the word/page/character count as possible. Your response should be clear and concise persuading the buyer that you’re the best business for the job.

Need help writing your next BMS tenders?

You may not have the time or resources to write a winning tender response in house. Bid responses can be time consuming and you’ve already got enough on your plate running a business. We can help take the pressure off.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. They offer four bid writing support services that can help you win your next bid.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for those who have never tendered before. A Bid Writers will work with you to make sure you have everything you need in place to tender successfully. The 4-week programme offers your business:

  • A 12-month subscription to Technology Tenders
  • Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding professionals
  • An organisation-wide Bid Library, including 3 case studies, 5 CV’s and 8 policies
  • Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing the results you want, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions. The Tender Improvement package also includes the above perks from Tender Ready.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect BMS tender for your business, why not send it to Hudson Succeed? Our Bid Writers will let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf. 

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your own tender response and need someone to double-check it for errors, Tender Mentor can help. The Bid Team will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, spelling or grammar mistakes. They’ll also ensure that it’s in line with the specification before you submit it.

Where can I find BMS tenders for my business?

Finding BMS tenders can turn into quite the challenge, taking hours out of your day. There are thousands of websites across the UK publishing multiple sector opportunities daily. Tracking down the right tender for your business can turn into a full-time job. Luckily for you, we have a solution.

Our Technology Tenders portal is updated daily with sector-specific exclusive, public and private sector opportunities. This time-saving tool combats the time-draining problem of trawling for technology leads. There’s no reliance on mislabelled CPV codes or algorithms.

Our Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload relevant opportunities from thousands of sites. You’re then able to filter and search the results by keyword, budget, location and more. This streamlines the process allowing you to focus on your business.

Below are previous BMS tenders sourced on our portal:

Bristol BMS Upgrade Phase 2

NHS South West – Acutes- South West- Budget: £300,000

Building Energy Management System (BMS) Maintenance

Newcastle University- North East- Budget: Undisclosed

GB-Bradford: BTHE2140 Maintenance Contract for BMS System

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust- Yorkshire and Humber- Budget: £25,000

GB-London: ST20 – P212 SLaM BMS Controls and Underfloor Heating to Monks Orchard House

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust- London- Budget: £100,000

HRFCA – Dumbarton ARC – Boiler and BMS Replacement

Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association- Scotland- Budget: Undisclosed

A 12-month subscription to Technology Tenders offers your business:

  • Access to all exclusive, private and public sector opportunities across the technology industry.
  • An on-hand Account Manager to answer any queries you may have about BMS tenders. They can help you understand the procurement process in general.
  • A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new technology tenders are uploaded.
  • Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
  • 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants.

On Technology Tenders, we source:

We actively source tenders for services including:

Upgrade to Discover Elite  

We understand that you’re very busy. Even with our intelligent tracking system in place, the pre-bid admin can stack up. That’s why we recently launched Discover Elite. This upgraded feature eliminates all the frustrating time-wasting elements of tendering. The feature is broken down into two packages.

Both contain access to a maximum of two Discover portals. This is handy if your services cross over into another sector.

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool

  • A dedicated Account Manager on-hand to track opportunities for you.
  • Up to five bid breakdowns to help you make your bid or no-bid decisions.
  • Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable opportunities.
  • Buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid/no-bid strategy.
  • Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.

Become a Pre-Bid Master

  • All of the above.
  • The development of a bid strategy delivered by our Senior Bid Manager and our Global Bid Director.
  • Up to seven bid breakdowns per month.

Contact us for more information.

The Spark DPS Explained

Posted on by John Hudson

What is the Spark DPS?

The Spark DPS holds the full title of Spark: The Technology Innovation Marketplace. The DPS was established by the Crown Commercial Service to allow public sector bodies access to new and emerging products. The DPS uses a filter system that helps buyers to find the relevant products and suppliers. Focussing on emerging technologies, the marketplace welcomes technology predicted to have the greatest impact over the next 2-5 years. Buyers can filter through the marketplace for the following:

  1. Internet of Things (IoT)
  2. Artificial Intelligence and Automation
  3. Simulated and enhanced environments
  4. Engineering/materials science
  5. Data
  6. Wearables
  7. Transport
  8. Security

What is a Dynamic Purchasing System? 

DPS stands for Dynamic Purchasing System. As the name suggests, it’s a process for buyers to purchase goods or services. The DPS agreement is set out by the buyer who oversees and establishes the procedure. In the agreement documents, the criteria to join the DPS will be stipulated. When applying to join a DPS, you will typically need to complete a tender response to demonstrate that you meet the criteria.

Once accepted, buyers will publish calls for competition for their individual service requirements.

Applying to Dynamic Purchasing Systems is a good option for new or smaller businesses. As you are not required to deliver all the requirements, the criterion will be different from a single-supplier contract. Often, DPS requirements don’t include the same high turnover thresholds as larger contracts. Delivering work through DPS’ is an effective way for a business to build their portfolio and work towards larger projects.

Who can participate?

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has chosen to run the Spark DPS under the restricted procedure. This means that anyone can submit a bid in response to the published notice. Bidders will then be accepted if they meet the required criteria.

The DPS will allow organisations to submit a bid as a single entity or as a Group of Economic Operators. If you opt for the latter, the CCS requires you choose a lead member who will represent the collective group. You will also need to identify the contributions that each party brings to the bid. This can be done in the Request to Participate.

Economic and financial standing requirements

As with the majority of public sector bids, your economic and financial standing will be assessed. This helps the buyer to determine if your business is eligible for delivering the products required. This stage will be evaluated as a pass or fail. A financial risk score will be obtained from Dun and Bradstreet. Your score must be 60 or above to pass. If you pass this check, the CCS will request to see two years of financial statements. However, if you don’t have this available, they will ask for:

  • Statement of turnover, profit and loss account/income sheet, balance sheet.
  • Statement of financial position and statement of cash flow for the most recent trading period.
  • Forecast financial statements and cash and a bank letter outlining your current cash and credit position.
  • If none of the above are possible, they will ask for an alternative way of demonstrating your financial status.

If you choose to name a guarantor instead, the CCS will repeat this process for them.

How to apply

If you provide any of the listed services and want to get involved, this is how to do it.

Please be aware that this information is correct at the time of publishing this blog. The deadline for requesting to participate is the 17th of April 2022.

Step 1:

You must first register on the Suppliers Registration Service (SRS) before submitting your bid. If you are not already registered, you can do so by:

  1. Creating an account
  2. Select ‘Supplier’
  3. Click on the DUNS number button to ensure the correct DUNS number is associated with your organisation.
  4. Complete the required information.

Step 2:

If you are already registered to the SRS, simply sign in to your account. You will also need to be registered on the CCS eSourcing tool. This will ensure that, if successful, you will be invited to the calls for competition.

Step 3:

From here, the application process takes the form of a Selection Questionnaire (SQ). Once you have completed the SQ and submitted the response, the CCS will determine if you are eligible. If successful, you should see your Spark DPS status change from ‘Assessing’ to ‘Agreeing’.

Step 4:

If your application progresses into the ‘Agreeing’ stage, you will need to re-submit your SQ on the SRS. You will be asked to agree to the terms and conditions electronically. Your status should now change to ‘Appointed’ and you will have joined the Spark DPS

Please note, you will be required to provide one contract example with your SQ. This will be assessed as part of your technical and professional capability. The contract example should also include a Letter of Confirmation of Works. This should be signed by the customer who you name in the case study.

What happens if you’re accepted?

If you are accepted and awarded a place on the DPS, this is certainly a cause for celebration. You are one step closer to securing new business contracts. Once you have signed the legally binding documents, you can look forward to calls for competition. Buyers can choose to invite relevant suppliers to bid. For example, if a public sector authority needs IoT, they will invite the suppliers who list IoT as a service. In accordance with the Spark DPS terms, you will be given a minimum of 10 days to return your bid.

Need support?

If you have read all of the above and still feel baffled by the process and requirements, fear not! Our Bid Writers at sister company, Hudson Succeed, excel in DPS applications and responding to calls for competitions. Simply get in touch to see how we can support you with your bid submission.

Our team have over 60 years of collective bid writing experience and proudly hold an 87% bid success rate. When it comes to the technology sector, we have a wealth of experience. From software to IoT and hardware to security, we are well-equipped to write and submit your technology bids.

For submitting a Spark DPS response, we would recommend our Tender Writing service. Tender Writing is the perfect solution when you’re short on time or resources. Our Bid Writers will write and submit the bid responses on your behalf. They will manage any clarification questions and make necessary amendments.

Get a free quote

If you have already written your responses, but need a second pair of eyes, Tender Mentor is ready and waiting. Our Bid Writers will assess the work you have already done, in line with the specification. They will check for any grammatical or spelling errors as well as ensuring that you have answered all the requirements. You can then submit the bid with confidence.

Upload your work

Where to find more opportunities like the Spark DPS

Finding technology contracts can seem like a daunting task. With thousands of buyers spread across the UK and thousands of sites publishing tenders, tracking them is a full-time job. We know this because that’s exactly what our team of Opportunity Trackers do.

To combat the time-draining problems with tender tracking, we created Technology Tenders. The sector-specific portal is updated daily by our Opportunity Trackers. We don’t rely on CPV codes or algorithms to collect our tenders. Our manual team source new opportunities from thousands of sites. They then upload each tender individually, tagging them with industry-driven keywords. This means that all you have to do is log in and search by filtering.

If you don’t have time to filter, you can tailor the portal to suit your business. Simply tell the system which keywords are relevant to you and only see these tenders.

If you don’t even have time to do this, don’t worry. We’ll send you a daily email alert, containing all the tenders that have been uploaded each day.

On Technology Tenders, we source:

  • DPS opportunities
  • Framework agreements
  • Single-supplier contracts
  • Pre-market engagement opportunities
  • PIN notices and more.

We actively source tenders for services including:

Upgrade to Discover Elite  

We understand that you’re very busy. Even with our intelligent tracking system in place, the pre-bid admin can stack up. That’s why we recently launched Discover Elite. This upgraded feature eliminates all the frustrating time-wasting elements of tendering. The feature is broken down into two packages.

Both contain access to a maximum of two Discover portals. This is handy if your services cross over into another sector.

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool

  • A dedicated Account Manager on-hand to track opportunities for you.
  • Up to five bid breakdowns to help you make your bid or no-bid decisions.
  • Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable opportunities.
  • Buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid/no-bid strategy.
  • Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.

Become a Pre-Bid Master

  • All of the above.
  • The development of a bid strategy delivered by our Senior Bid Manager and our Global Bid Director.
  • Up to seven bid breakdowns per month.

Contact us for more information.

Cyber Security Tenders: Everything You Need to Know

Posted on by John Hudson

A guide to winning cyber security tenders 

An increase in government spending for 2021 means there’s never been a better time to apply for cyber security tenders.

Increased Reliance on Technology

The Covid-19 pandemic saw an increase in businesses reliance on technology with the rise of employees working from home. This saw a significant rise in cyber-security attacks as online hackers sought to take advantage of this.

There is an increasing awareness of the importance of cyber security not just in the UK, but globally. The technology sector continues to grow almost daily, and public sector organisations have become increasingly aware of their vulnerability online. Funding has now seen a steep surge and the UK government is taking the time to invest in cyber security. The UK’s cyber security industry has increased by 44% since 2017 and is now worth £8.3bn according to the government.

Increased Cyber Attacks

The UK government reported that almost a quarter of charities (26%) and almost half of businesses (46%) reported cyber security breaches or attacks in 2020. Cyber-attacks have been ever more frequent over the past number of years, including hacking and data breaches. In order to prevent cyber security attacks, the government is making large investments into several areas of cyber security.

Cyber security tenders are released in public sectors in a number of different areas such as:

  • Network security
  • Application security
  • Critical infrastructure
  • Internet of things (IoT) security
  • Cloud security

Increased Government Spending

The public sector wants to prevent data breaches, protect their hardware and software from cyber-attacks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in November 2020 that he is increasing £16.5bn to the defence spending budget. A considerable chunk (£1.5bn) of this investment is to be placed in cyber security defences. It’s also going towards the set-up of a National Cyber Force. As a result, cyber security tenders are on the up, which is great news for the technology sector.

Here are some things to bear in mind when applying for cyber security tenders:

With the increase of defence spending for 2021, you can expect to see a rise in cyber security tenders.

The Minimum Cyber Security Standard (MCSS)

The MCCS was developed by the UK government in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The MCSS aims to combat the risks posed by poor cyber security. It is broken down into ten sections covering five main categories:

Identify

Departments shall:

  1. Put in place appropriate cyber security governance processes.
  2. Identify and catalogue the sensitive information they hold.
  3. Identify and catalogue the key operational services (KOS) they provide.
  4. Understand and continually manage the need for users to access sensitive information or KOS.

Protect

  1. Access to sensitive information and KOS shall only be provided to identified, authenticated and authorised users or systems.
  2. Systems which handle sensitive information or KOS shall be protected from exploitation of known vulnerabilities.
  3. Highly privileged accounts should not be vulnerable to common cyber-attacks.

Detect

  1. Departments shall take steps to detect common cyber-attacks.

Respond

  1. Departments should have a planned and tested response to cyber security incidents that impact sensitive information or KOS.

Recover

  1. Departments shall have defined tested processes in place to ensure KOS continuity in the event of failure or compromise.

Suppliers will need to demonstrate that they comply with all ten of these requirements when applying for cyber security tenders. They are needed in order to win any contacts from the UK local or central government.

Cyber Essential Certificate and ISO 27001

A valid Cyber Essentials certificate could act as confirmation of compliance to all sections when applying for cyber security tenders. However, a Cyber Essentials certificate is not always enough. This is when an ISO 27001 certificate is needed and will likely give you an advantage over your competitors. By achieving an ISO 27001, you are demonstrating to the buyer that you take security seriously.

Are you searching for cyber security tenders?

Technology Tenders can save you time on trolling through 1000s of sites. We source tendering opportunities so that you can focus on running your business.

What makes Technology Tenders different?

We use manual tracking

Other portals rely on the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes to categorise tenders. However, they have been known to be ambiguous and file tenders under the wrong codes. This means you could be missing out on opportunities to tender.

Instead of using CPV codes, our Opportunity Trackers manually tag contracts they find to ensure they reach the right businesses. You can filter all live tenders using keywords, industry, location and budget to find the best opportunities for your business. On our portal, you’ll find relevant tenders by simply filtering ‘cyber security’.

Here are some recent cyber security tenders:

Cyber Security Specialist

Scottish Enterprise- Scotland- Budget: £ 800 per day

13-07-2020 

Cyber Security: 321 Backup Solution

Birmingham Community Healthcare- West Midlands- Budget: Undisclosed

26-11-2020

Cyber Security: Critical & High Importance patching

Birmingham Community Healthcare- West Midlands- Budget: Undisclosed

17-11-2020

Cyber Security e-learning cloud based platform that educates and evaluates staff on cyber awareness

Galway City Council- International- Budget: Undisclosed

28-10-2020

What we can offer you 

Bid writing support

So, you’ve found the cyber security tenders that you want to go for but can’t find the right words? Our expert bid writers at Hudson Succeed can support you at every stage of your cyber security tender. They can answer any questions you may have about the process. From passing the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) to finalising your response.

Our bid writers have an 87% success rate and over 40 years of bid writing experience. We offer tender support through four services:

Tender Writing

Simply send the bid specification to our team and they’ll write the cyber security tender response for you. They’ll even submit the bid on your behalf.

This service is priced per bid and we provide a full Tender Writing breakdown. You’ll know how long it’ll take, what we’ll need from you and when you’ll see an initial and final draft.

Tender Improvement

Our bid writers will assess your previous tender responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Tender Mentor

Our team will analyse your content and check for any errors before you submit your tender response.

Tender Ready

Tender Ready helps businesses that are completely new to the tendering process. We offer a three-stage process and a 4-week programme.

Book a free, live demo to gain further insight into our services and see which opportunities can benefit your business.

On Technology Tenders, we post contracts for:

These are just a few categories in which we source technology tenders. We add new opportunities to our portal every day. The scope of buyers for whom you could deliver work is always expanding.

Now is the time for Technology Tenders – unlock your company’s potential.

TECHNOLOGY TENDERING OPPORTUNITIES | WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Posted on by John Hudson

TECHNOLOGY TENDERING OPPORTUNITIES – THAT’S WHAT WE DO! WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE, HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY! 

If you are a customer on one of our platforms, please help us by having your say and highlighting what does work for you and what doesn’t, when it comes to your subscription against one of our many platforms.

We take customer feedback very seriously and ensure that every business engaging with our services is treated with the utmost professionalism and care.

We welcome any comments and feedback continually and deliver the means by which to capture this data on a monthly basis.

Every month, we send a brief survey, which looks at various aspects of our offerings, with the aim of receiving as much feedback as possible to serve our continuous improvement measures.

We constantly work on ways to improve and how we can increase the accuracy and the amount of I.T Tenders we feature on our portal.  We rely heavily on our customer’s voice to ensure specific needs are met both efficiently and effectively.

The survey will only take a couple of minutes and features 5 questions to answer at your leisure.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE PART!

If you’re not a customer but want to experience first-hand how we can provide you with technology tendering opportunities, please click the following link to book a FREE demo with one of our dedicated Account Managers, who will guide you through the Professional Tenders Platform, specific to your provision.

 BOOK YOUR FREE DEMO FOR TECHNOLOGY TENDERS NOW!

Want to find out more about our overall services, please visit our group website HERE to find out more.

Below are some previous technology tenders sourced on our portal:

The Provision of IT Computer Support and Maintenance

Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (Offaly)- Ireland- Budget: £700,000

Provision and implementation of a Corporate Governance, Risk & Audit Management Solution for HIQA

Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)- International- Budget: £250,000

 Framework Agreement for Maintenance and Repairs to CCTV installations

Fife Council- Scotland- Budget: £700,000

Dynamic Purchasing System for Building Safety and Security Systems

Clarion Housing Group- South East- Budget: £10,800,000

Hwb Education Digital Learning Platform

Welsh Government- Wales- Budget: £5,062,500

Get in touch to view the latest Technology Tenders in various sub-sectors including:

I.T Tenders

IOT Tenders

Telecom Tenders

Cyber Security Tenders

IT Support Tenders

Network Tenders

Hardware Tenders

Software Tenders & many more

DON’T WORRY ABOUT DISTANCE: We live in a Digital World! – International Tendering

Posted on by John Hudson

DON’T WORRY ABOUT DISTANCE: We live in a Digital World – International Tendering

This is an age-old debate here at Hudson Procurement Group. We’re constantly telling our customers to spread their wings and commence an International Tendering strategy when it comes to bidding for I.T tenders and Contracts. .

Historically, we used to take as much business as we could from our doorstep, it was, after all, deemed easier to deliver logistically and support with brand recognition. It was a major achievement to be a leading regional vendor.

But, things have changed drastically over the years and the government throws hundreds of millions into helping us SMEs to trade internationally. The world and its major cities are so much more accessible and connected with daily direct flights from the UK to the US, Dubai, Australia, China etc., especially for service and product-based enterprises.

We encourage our clients to eliminate any geographical fear when looking for business. We advise you to look at where the work is, look at the logistics of delivery and if it deems possible then don’t put in place unnecessary barriers that will hinder your company growth.  An International Tendering and Business Development strategy should be a core activity for your executive/director team until you’ve established there isn’t any profit in trading overseas.

Here at Hudson Procurement Group, we have over 1,000 clients all over the world. None of which we’ve met face to face, but it’s not important to meet them, we speak with them daily over the telephone, Skype and email and we still deliver the same value-added service regardless if they’re UK based, operate in the US or have their headquarters in India.

Our advice when looking at which tendering opportunities are right for you is:

  1. Don’t eliminate any opportunity until you’ve assessed it properly.
  2. Ensure you can make a profit, taking into consideration traveling and shipping costs if this is a required part of the work.
  3. Take a risk – sometimes these risks pay huge dividends. Just because you’re not based on their doorstep, doesn’t mean you’re not the right provider.
  4. Don’t assume you won’t be chosen just because you can’t pop to their office for a cup of tea, you’ll find that more and more people try to eliminate the number of meetings they have, not increase them.
  5. Seek advice and guidance from your local Department of International Trade. We’ve found them super useful during our research phase of opening our US office.
  6. Give us a call, we’re happy to help and to answer any questions you may have about bidding for work overseas.

CLICK HERE to see our ‘TO BID OR NOT TO BID’ blog, providing you with additional points to consider when tendering.

 We’re here to help you discover, succeed, procure and invest.

Below are previous international technology tenders sourced on our portal:

Certified Email Services

United Nations- International- Budget: Undisclosed

New Infrastructure for Temporary Office of UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UN Women ROAP)

UN Women- International- Budget: Undisclosed

GoJ – COO – Request For Information (Rfi) Computer Aided Dispatch Systems Supporting Emergency Services

States of Jersey- International- Budget: Undisclosed

Provision of Unified Telephony System and Support Services

The Isle of Man Government- International- Budget: Undisclosed

Technology Solutions to Engage and Elevate the Voices of Women in Peace Processes

UN Women- International- Budget: Undisclosed

Get in touch to view the latest Technology Tenders in various sub-sectors including:

I.T Tenders

IOT Tenders

Telecom Tenders

Cyber Security Tenders

IT Support Tenders

Network Tenders

Hardware Tenders

Software Tenders & many more

GDPR – Understanding what’s expected!

Posted on by John Hudson

As I’m sure you’re well aware by now, May 25th sees the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR for short) which will be the new term used for the storing, processing and management of personal data. Basically, DPA and confidentiality processes have a new broader term to ensure all data is withheld in the most secure ways possible. GDPR is a vital update on what you currently do – (we are assuming that what you currently do is best practice and of course abides by current DPA law).

I know what you’re thinking ‘we always operate confidentially – what’s new?’.

What’s new are the heightened processes every organisation must undergo when handling data. With GDPR, there are more serious consequences if you are found to be using data incorrectly and with the majority of our subscribed clients on our various platforms all handling customer and/or public data in some form or another- it’s vital to understand the key points to this national legislation change and ensure this is adhered to fully.

Some of the key aspects your company must focus on is ensuring that all data is identified and assessed in line with new and specific protocols, processes are structured, data is mapped and constantly improved upon, as well as being stored electronically and in traditional filing systems.

With implementing data governance best practices, you’ll not only comply with the GDPR but you’ll now be able to create more business value with confidence and ensure success when contracting with future parties.

We have now found many public and private tenders are increasingly asking suppliers if they are GDPR compliant via the multiple processes above. Such questions have become apparent in a recent public tender within the creative sector (for e.g.):

  • Please confirm that you are GDPR compliant (detail relevant technical & organisational security measures)?
  • Are you maintaining Data Processing Records?
  • Do your standard contract terms include the new GDPR mandatory provisions?
  • Do you have a documented Breach Notification Process? Etc.

To maximise your scores, you would need to answer more than a simple YES!

Please see ICO’s brochure which provides further helpful information on preparing for and applying GDPR principles in your organisation[s].

We encourage all clients to take this information provided and use it to ensure any future tendering efforts aren’t spread thin merely by the lack of compliance against GDPR. Going forward, it is becoming quite clear that GDPR may soon become part of the normal questions asked in PQQs and ITTs.

Over the next few month, we will be analysing common requirements (as above) that are starting to come into effect with the changes and updates that GDPR will pose. Watch this space and remember to take a look at the brochure attached to begin what is needed for you to excel with upcoming tenders.

Get in touch to view the latest Technology Tenders in various sub-sectors including:

I.T Tenders

IOT Tenders

Telecom tenders

Cyber Security Tenders

IT Support Tenders

Network Tenders

Hardware Tenders

Software Tenders & many more

We’re here to help you grow, develop and standout!

SMEs – Catapult wants YOU at the ‘Engage 2018’ event!

Posted on by John Hudson

An exciting opportunity has arisen for SMEs that will potentially bring FANTASTIC opportunities and recognition to your company!

The Satellite Applications Catapult will be attending Engage 2018 by Digital Globe on 10–11 April 2018 and they published an opportunity stating they are on the lookout for innovative SMEs with products/services to showcase cutting-edge developments in the use of satellite data.

Engage 2018 is a two-day event designed for senior-level executives from government and private organisations leveraging geographical information to enable smarter decisions. This takes place at Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London.

By attending alongside SA Catapult, you will have your own exhibition stand with your company and logo on full display in this highly desired event, as well as dedicated spaces for marketing materials to promote your business.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get your product/service heard, along with promoting your business to your target audience!

If this applies to you – then get in touch for more information and to complete a few questions in order to apply.

If you are struggling to put this across in a concise and effective manner, then GET IN TOUCH – we can help!

BEST OF LUCK!

Get in touch to view the latest Technology Tenders in various sub-sectors including:

I.T Tenders

IOT Tenders

Telecom tenders

Cyber Security Tenders

IT Support Tenders

Network Tenders

Hardware Tenders

Software Tenders & many more