How to win telecom tenders

Telecom tenders can be quite daunting if you’re new to the procurement process. The telecommunications industry itself is a giant industry that has seen an increase in funding over the last year. It’s an industry that is ever-expanding due to the demand for digitisation, increased internet speeds and security.

Last year, the topic of telecommunications was in the news quite frequently. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in employees working from home. This certainly stretched the telecoms and broadband providers to their limit. Broadband speeds got notably slower as providers struggled with an increase in users.

What 5G means for telecom tenders

5G is the newest generation of mobile telecommunications infrastructure. The UK government has ambitions to have the majority of the population covered by 5G by 2027. The National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS) assessed the use of high-risk vendors (HRVs) regarding the instillment of 5G.

A new Telecommunications Security Bill came into place to protect the UK from cyber threats. This is because the government is focused on the security of the UK’s telecoms networks. The government decided to undertake a comprehensive review of the supply arrangements. This was done by the UK telecoms Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) in 2019. They identified the need to alleviate a number of risks from high-risk vendors. They sought to solve this by introducing a new robust telecoms security framework.

New Telecoms Security Requirements (TSR)

The government has rolled out their new Telecoms Security Requirements (TSR). These focus on the importance of having a sustainable, diverse and competitive supply chain. This helps drive innovation in the marketplace and reduces the risk of dependency on individual vendors. It will also explore new opportunities in the research and development subsectors. These have been created to ensure a secure ecosystem for delivering premium telecom products and services.

Telecoms Diversification Strategy

The Telecoms Diversification Strategy has a set a targeted plan backed by £250 million. It focuses on three core strands:

1. Supporting incumbent suppliers.
2. Attracting new suppliers into the UK market.
3. Accelerate the development and deployment of open-interface solutions.

The funding is to help implement priority measures and build momentum to achieve all three. This is so they are no longer dependant on a small number of suppliers. This is great news, particularly if you’re on the lookout for more telecom tenders.

Digital Secretary, Oliver Dowden said:

We are investing billions to roll out 5G and gigabit broadband across the country. But the benefits can only be realised if we have full confidence in the security and resilience of our networks.

“This ground-breaking bill will give the UK one of the toughest telecoms security regimes in the world. It allows us to take the action necessary to protect our networks.”

Such activity is likely to mean increased telecom tender opportunities for network operators, telecoms suppliers and international governments. All to achieve a shared goal of a vibrant and competitive telecoms supply market.

What’s does the telecom tender process typically look like?

The Request for Proposal (RFP) process

An RFP is typically used for a project that will have a lot of technical information. An RFP is frequently used within telecom tenders. They are notoriously tricky when you consider how complex the many systems and processes can be.

Applying for telecom tenders can be a lengthy process. If you’re struggling over where to even begin, we can help!

Bid Writing Support

Our Bid Writers have an 87% success rate. They have over 40 years’ experience across numerous sectors and are happy to support you with your telecom tender. Whether you’re tendering for the first time, or simply need advice on improving your success rate, we can help. We offer four packages:

• The Tender Ready programme

A 4-week programme for those who are completely new to the tendering process. The programme consists of creating and branding your corporate literature and helping you to identify opportunities. 

• The Tender Improvement package

This package is for businesses who aren’t seeing success from their own tendering applications. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous tenders and work with you to develop improved content.

• Tender Writing

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

• Tender Mentor

The Bid Writing team will analyse your telecom tender response. They’ll then check it for any errors making sure you’ve crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s before you submit.

Past examples of telecom tenders that we have sourced on our portal include:

Equipment for Optical Telecommunications Laboratory Testbed for Open Networking Apps

Education Procurement Service (EPS)- Ireland- Budget: £750,000

15-01-2021

Framework for Provision of Telecommunication Services to Ervia – PQQ

Ervia- Ireland- Budget: Undisclosed

11-11-2020

Telecommunications Equipment

ESPO- East Midlands- Budget: £2,800,000

14-09-2020

Telecommunications Technical Consultant

Saint Helena Government- London- Budget: Undisclosed

28-09-2020

Voice and Data Telecommunications Framework

Saint Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust- East Midlands- Budget: £25,000,000

17-12-2020

These are just a few examples of previous telecom tenders that could be found on our Technology Tenders Portal. Our team search thousands of sources every day to find the latest opportunities.

What makes our Technology Tenders portal different?

Unlike other portals that use Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes, we use manual tracking. Telecom tenders may be tagged with several different CPV codes. However, this coding system can be ambiguous, leaving room for missed opportunities.

Instead of using CPV codes, our Opportunity Trackers manually track and tag contracts. They do this to ensure the tenders reach the right business. You can filter all live tenders by using keywords, budget, industry or even location. This takes a lot of the headache out of searching for tendering opportunities. Leaving you time to focus on the important things such as the running of your business.

Which tenders do we source?

We host all kinds of tenders in both the public and private sectors. These are inclusive of, but not limited to:

• Single supplier contracts.
• A Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) register.
• Framework agreements.

We cover many sub-sectors, including:

• IT support;
• IT recruitment;
• Maintenance;
• Consultancy;
• Website development;
• Software development;
• Network services;
• Cybersecurity;
• Security systems;
• and Hardware.

These are just a few categories in which we source tenders, amongst others. Our portal posts all stages of tenders. Whether it’s the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, an ITT, or a Request for Quote – Technology Tenders has it all.

A subscription to Technology Tenders includes:

• 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 telecom 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 telecom 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 bespoke daily bulletin is created for you 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 our team today. Our team can provide a free live trial, so you can try before you buy.