Welcome

Welcome - to the website of Tendering for Care (TfC) The leading national provider of training and support for Care, Housing, Support, Voluntary and Third Sector Organisations in tendering for publicly funded contracts. TfC was set up to provide help for care, housing, supportcharities and voluntary sector organisations generally to operate in the new public procurement and tendering environment. TfC has developed a range of services which can be tailored to the needs of member organisations. We now provide help, support and training for organisations from the small to very large across the UK.

Members of TfC have said:

The value of the return which we get from TfC Membership is out of all proportion to what we pay you. TfC provides tremendous value for money

...in just six months we have come a long way in this tough world of tendering and we certainly feel that TfC have been key in helping us get there

Joining TfC was one of the best decisions we have ever made.

Following one of our Workshops one delegate said:

I leave this event inspired and motivated to help our Members win contracts - thank you

TfC Expands - Services to Business

The breadth of services which are the subject of competitive tendering is not generally understood. Services such as web or software design, taxis, dentistry, GP practices, printing and many others may be purchased using a competitive tendering process. Over the past months TfC have been asked to help an increasing number of small business and organisations providing these types of services to tender successfully. All of the services listed (top right) including consultancy, Diagnostics and tender review as well as in-house training are available to SMEs and businesses. Also our new, unique qualification (Tendering and Procurement Pactice - TaPP). The qualification is accredited by the Open College Network at Level 3 (A level equivalent) with 6 credits is available to private companies, SMEs as well as charities, Housing Associations, Third Sector organisations and umbrella bodies. For more on TfC for businesses click on "A Qualification for Tendering" on the right, for more on the TaPP click on the button (lower right) or go to www.tappocn.org.uk

New Qualification in Tendering Launched

Following a year of development work and a pilot course for 16 students, Project Development and Support Ltd, the parent company of Tendering for Care, is delighted to launch the first professional qualification for staff in charities and Third Sector Organisations who specialise in tender preparation. The OCN level 3 Tendering and Procurement Practice (the TaPP course) which offers 6 credits, is now taking bookings. Downloads giving full details, including fees and possible grant aid to help with fees can be found at the course website, www.tappocn.org.uk, or by clicking on the button on the right of this page.

Thankyou and No Complaints

We would like to thank all those organisations and individuals who have sent us messages of thanks, good wishes and support during the first week in June 2009. It is gratifying to know how much our training and services are appreciated. It is also good to hear from those who have attended our training courses over the past two years and gone on to win contracts as a result. The following message probably sums up those received:

"its funny how people prefer to 'fluff' with reality and go into denial, straight talking generally upsets a few but I am sure the huge majority have benefited from your straight talking, like us"

A comment from a Voluntary Action regarding a recent tender submitted by an organisation who had both attended TfC training and received help with tender preparation was:

The organisation was willing to accept the advice they received and this led to feedback on their successful tender submission from the council as ‘a master class in how to complete a tender form’ More evidence that your input has worked!

Since January 2007 more than 5,500 people have attended courses on tendering and procurement delivered by TfC. Of those 4 delegates (0.07%) have told us they were not satisfied with the training and not a single complaint regarding any aspect of our training has been received. On the contrary, the following from a course delivered on 3rd June 2009 is typical:

1st class, very informative course - one of the best I have been on for a long time - thank you!

News tends to come in threes!

1) Confirmation from the Open College Network London Region that from 15th June we are able to offer the only externally accredited qualification for those preparing tenders (OCN level 3 in Tendering and Procurement Practice) as six credits. This means that, as a result of a lot of hard work over the past year by ourselves and the 16 students undertaking the pilot course, the quality of the course has been recognised at double the original standard which offered 3 credits.

2) The validation of the quality of four of our courses has been successfully completed by the UK Learning Directory. As a result four of TfC's courses are now listed on over 70 government and education websites including DirectGov; Careers Advice; Education UK; BBC; Channel 4, etc.

3) NAVCA have decided that they will no longer use or recommend our services.

Fuurther information is available from "The Rule of Three" link on the right of this page.

RoundUp Issue number 3 - Efficiency Savings and Procurement

Successful tendering means passing the Value for Money (VfM) test. The purchasers are now required to make huge savings as a result of the procurement process. Attempts are being made to avoid cuts in services, but this is not always possible. The current general thrust across all procurement is for purchasers to look for "back office" or efficiency savings. In recent weeks TfC has produced a series of articles about what this means for organisations tendering for public sector contracts. To find out more, go to the link on the right and download your copy of RoundUp issue 3 - Efficiency Savings in Procurement

The Handy Guide - to Tendering and Procurement

A new FREE Guide to the principles which underpin tendering and procurement.

Produced in response to a huge demand from people attending the courses which TfC has delivered over the past two and a half years. This Guide is intended for Trustees of Charities and Directors of companies, senior managers and front line staff not engaged in tender preparation; indeed anybody who needs to understand how the system works, but not about the detail.

The Handy Guide can be downloaded by following the links to the right of this page.

TfC Retain ISO 9001:2000 Accreditation

Following an annual audit, TfC were delighted to be awarded with a renewal of the ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. This is an essential quality standard for all organisations planning to tender for public sector contracts, regardless of their size.

A Guide to Working in a Consortium was published by the OTS

The Office for the Third Sector has published "Working in a Consortium: A Guide for Third Sector Organisations Involved in Public Service Delivery". The final edit of the Guide was undertaken by Janet Roberts of Tendering for Care, this is acknowledged in the Guide. The Guide can be downloaded from the link on the right of this page.

Two supporting resources are available from TfC

a) The "TfC Twelve Golden Rules for Tendering as a Consortium" is a single page checklist intended for use by groups in considering whether or not a consortium approach is feasible for their organisations. The Rules provide an indication of the amount of work invovled if a consortium is to tender successfully. They are also useful as a guide to help governing bodies to understand the implications of this approach The Golden Rules can be downloaded from the link on the right of this page.

b) "Tendering as a Consortium" is a CD which provides technical information for those managing consortium development and/or advising other organisations about the process. The Guide is linked to the relevant legislation, sets out the three basic consortium models and includes checklists for those planning to participate in or lead a consortium. The Guide is available from TfC (Contact details are at the bottom of this page) for £30 including VAT, post & packing. Please note that we are unable to invoice for this product, cheque with order only.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a leaflet about the CD

"How to Work in a Consortium" now available as an in-house seminar

Following our successful Spring series of courses on How to Work in a Consortium, this seminar is now available as an in-house course. Based on the OTS Guide, the day event is practical and delivered in a groupwork style. Learners receive a short list of required pre-course reading. They leave the seminar with the TfC Workbook "How to Work in a Consortium" containing checklists, where to start, model confidentiality and other agreements including documents essential to the effective development of the consortium and to be in a position to successfully compete for and manage a public sector contract. This is in addition to supporting CDs which provide relevant background information. The day is interactive, packed with useful tools and tips.

Training for Commissioning Officers and Purchasers

TfC is receiving an increasing number of requests for training by those involved in the procurement process. We are able to offer courses for those who are planning to sit on appraisal panels as well as for more detailed training for those undertaking the entire procurement process.

TfC Diagnostics - provides individual help with the preparation of tenders

TfC Diagnostics offers a set of reviews which can be booked individually or together to help organisations to understand how tender appriasal is likely to view, and therefore score - the organisation; the accounts, the PQQ and the method Statement - that is the tender itself. Organisations can now have their draft tenders reviewed by experts prior to submission, or later as a learning exercise.

For full details please click on the "TfC Diagnostics" link at the top right of this page.

TfC Tutorials

In response to requests we have been happy to hold one-off or a series of tutorials on any tendering and procurement related matters with representatives of organisations. We are now making this service generally available.

The opportunity is now available to discuss specific tenders or tendering in your organisation with the Third and Voluntary Sector Tendering and Procurement experts.

This service is offered in Chesterfield or London only for groups of 1 to 4 people. Tutorials are usually for 2 to 4 hours by arrangement.

TfC Tutorials are available in other parts of the country as an alternative or in addition to a workshop. These are usually arranged by umbrella bodies for their members or as part of conferences. The timings can be arrangemed to suit specific situations or events.

Please contact us for more details - Telephone 01629 57501

TfC Wins a National Training Award

On 21st October 2008, during a ceremony in Nottingham TfC received a National Training Award for the East Midlands. This recognises, not just excellence in training, but also the demonstrable effects which that training is having for its learners. The award confirms TfC's status as the leading national provider of training in tendering and procurement. It also confirms that those who undergo the training which TfC provides have a much improved chance of success when tendering for public sector contracts. The judges said of TfC:

the design and delivery of the training is well tailored to meet the [learners'] needs. The support given to the voluntary sector is very impressive and well worthy of recognition.

TfC are extremely grateful to all those individuals and organisations who have supported us over the past three years and have made this success possible. We are especially grateful to NAVCA for their support. Kevin Curley, the Chief Executive said:

Members who have attended the training have given their organisations the best possible chance of success in a competitive tendering situation.

One aspect of the Award was the ongoing help and support which is available from TfC

TfC Membership - 2008/09

The Membership of TfC continues to grow on a daily basis. We now send weekly information out to just under 400 Members. The value of Membership is being demonstrated as our Members continue to win contracts around the country. One member said:

"The amount which we pay for Membership of TfC is out of all proportion to the benefits which we receive - this is a very high value service"

A CVS Member told us:

"It is great that this service is being provided for voluntary sector organisations - also good to know that you are there when we or our members need help"

The TfC Membership rates remain unchanged for a third successive year.

Our 2008/09 Membership Pack reflects the reduced 15% VAT making this a great opportunity to have access to help and support from the third/voluntary sector tendering and procurement experts.

Please click on the "TfC Membership" heading at the top right of this page

Tendering at a Time of Financial Crisis - Weekly e-journals

Is a document which we published for our Members including subscribers to our two weekly ejournals upDATE and Staying Ahead. Annual subscriptions to these ejournals are available for Third Sector Organisations at an annual subscription rate of £138 (incl. 15% VAT) . For more information please click on the link under "Information" at the top right hand corner of this page.

So What is a Part B Service?

Part B services are those to which some rather than all of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 apply. As with all other good and services procured across the EU, each is identified by a "CPV code". To down load the codes and for an explanation of how to identify exactly which services come under the heading of Part B, and therefore can be purchased with compliance with sections of the Regulations only click on the link called "New CPV Codes" on the right of this page. Remember that all services, including those which fall under Part B, MUST be procured in an open and transparent way which does not prevent, hinder or distort competition.

TfC Network Launched

A fequent question at our "Tendering as a Consortium" courses is - this is all very well but how do we find organisations who might be interested in joining a consortium? This request was repeated at our recent PCO events on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. On 10th September we launched the TfC Network This is designed to fulfill the need to find other organisations who might be interested in offering their services to a consortium Initially the TfC Network will be available to TfC Members. We will shortly extend access toindividuals who attended the PCO events, whilst later in the Autumn this will be opened up to charities and voluntary organisations.

The TfC Network can be found at http://network.tenderingforcare.com

For further information contact us on info@tenderingforcare.com

Public Contract Opportunities - A New Approach

Following on...

The DWP supported Public Contract Opportunities programme of events has now been completed with our usual extremely high levels of satisfaction rates and some most appreciative comments regarding the quality of the tgraining delivered by our tutor, Lloyd Davis. We should like to thank those who took the trouble to send messages of thanks in addition to the feedback forms.

We are now turning to meeting the needs identified following on from these and other events. The highest priority appears to be in two areas:

a) How does an organisation demonstrate to procurement that it has the capacity and capability to accept risk and responsibility for the delivery of a contract?

b) What are the processes and procedures which an organisation should follow if it is to submit successful tenders?

Two very practical workshops designed to address each of these areas are now available for booking on an in-house basis for dates from MARCH 2009 onwards. Please click on the "In-house" heading under Information at the top right of the screen to down load firther information.

Over 4,500 Representatives of Voluntary and Third Sector Organisations Trained by TfC in two years

The number of people trained in procurement and tendering over the two year period ending in December 2008 month period exceeded the 4,200 figure - and the demand keeps growing. We celebrated our 3,000th trainee at a training day in early April 2008 for the staff of NAVCA in Sheffield. It is now clear that TfC is having an effect upon the procurement of services provided by third and voluntary sector organisations nationwide. Perhaps the clearest evidence of this arose from a series of training events for voluntary organisations in Gloucestershire. These led to the organisations themselves telling Commissioners what they could and could not do in the procurement and tendering process. The culmination was in an excellent day on 30th April 2008 when TfC provided tfgraining for 22 Commissioning officers for Gloucestershire County Council. Some comments from those present:

Really useful Workshop - interactive with an impressive amount of informationVery useful -

I am leaving with a much clearer view of the issues involved

Overall Satisfaction Rates reported in feedback from our Training continue to be exceptionally high.

91% were Very Satisfied8.93% were Satisfied

In-House Workshops

With a final total of 202 Workshops delivered during the period january 2007 to April 2008, and 4,500+ people trained by January 2009 TfC has become the leading national provider of training and support for organisations tendering for public sector contracts for Third Sector organisations principally in the Care, Housing, Support and Voluntary Sectors. These services are being provided for a wide range of individual voluntary and independent sector organisations as well large national providers and voluntary sector umbrella bodies.

The two events held in May/June 2007 for the national body National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA). were so successful that TfC and NAVCA collaborated to offer nine similar events through and more during 2008.

Courses include:

"How to Win Tenders"

"Tendering as a Consortium" and

"Preparing Effective Tenders"
We have availability for the delivery of In-house Workshops to take place from March onwards in 2009. These events can be provided for organisations both large and small, also for umbrella organisations for their members. A shorter version of the Workshop is available for groups of Trustees.

The full range of courses available can be found in the "In-House Workshops" section on the top right of this page

Please contact us (details below) for bespoke training and courses tailored to precise requirements.

In-house Workshop - Presentations for Tenders

Presentations can be used by purchasers as part of the tender evaluation process. Sometimes the presentation is just one of a number of selection criteria during the award phase. Sometimes a group of tenderers are selected to form a shortlist, then these organisations are invited to make a presentation. In either case, this is a crucially important scoring and thus selection opportunity - but how to use the process to your best advantage? TfC has developed an In-house Workshop which is designed to address this problem. We now have evidence that following the guidance for making successful presentations provided at these workshops organisations can win contracts. Bookings are now being taken for these events.

For information about our In-house Workshops go to the "In-house Workshops" link which can be found under Information in the top right hand corner of this page.

Group Membership of TfC for Umbrella Organisations and their members

There is no such ting as "tender readiness" in a rapidly changing procurement and contracting environment , commissioning officers and purchasers are learning as quickly as the suppliers. One of the keys to successful tendering is keeping up with developments as they happen. Our Group Membership Scheme has been designed to help small organisations to do this, as well as providing "hands-on" help with tender preparation.

For details click on the "Group Membership" link in the top right hand corner of this page.

Keeping Updated on Tendering and Procurement Matters on a Weekly Basis

The saying "Knowledge is Power" has never been more appropriate than in the world of procurement. Tendering is a highly competitive process, and as with all competitions the best prepared competitors stand the best chance of winning. TfC produces two weekly e-journals. One, entitled upDATE is designed to provide news, government documents and information which is influencing Commissioning Officers and purchasers around the country. The second, entitled Staying Ahead provides the very latest guidance and information directly from the world of procurement.

For information as to how you can receive these highly valued publications and "stay ahead" please click on the link in the top right hand corner of this page.

A Legal Helpdesk

TfC has arranged for Hempsons, specialist lawyers for the health and social care sectors, to provide initial independent outline advice on legal aspects of procurement and tendering direct to Members. The Helpdesk, operated by Hempsons (and funded by TfC) provides guidance on legal procedure, compliance with the procurement regulations and the various remedies available where there has been a breach of the regulations or other procurement obligations by public purchasers. The Helpdesk is available to our Gold and Platinum Members and organisations with other levels of membership by agreement. Please contact us at the email address or telephone number at the bottom of this page for further details and terms and conditions of use.

The Helpdesk is designed to deal with straightforward queries and to assist enquirers to decide whether or not a legal challenge might be a realistic possibility before funds are committed and to decide whether further legal advice is required. For further information on Hempsons and their procurement services click on the web-link to the right. Where further advice is recommended by the Helpdesk, Hempsons can provide follow on independent legal advice to Members (if required) and are able to respond within the often short timescales available to bidders seeking to challenge contract awards and potential breaches of procurement obligations.

Acronyms and Glossary February 2008 version available, 2009 updated version coming shortly

As with all specialist areas of work, procurement has developed its own "jargon". In order to help organisations develop an understanding of the language of procurement TfC is developing a Glossary of Terms for Tendering and Procurement. The February 2008 version is now available. To download the glossary go to the "TfC Glossary" link which can be found under Information in the top right hand corner of this page.

Of the training delivered by TfC at the fourteen Tendering Workshops organised by NAVCA during 2007/08 they say:

"You are the most popular trainer we have ever worked with"

We received a lovely comment following a recent Workshop

"I keep bumping into people who were on your recent course and they all want to talk about it and do so in very positive terms!!! A Chief officer of a children's charity was not only saying glowing things about you and the information she gained in a recent meeting but clearly she is now very motivated to get her organisation tender ready. A BIG vote of thanks to you!"

Some more quotes from Workshops:

*This Workshop is brilliant -aimed at the right level and not at all patronising to the voluntary sector. Many thanks superbly facilitated!

*Brilliant day - inspirational - MANY thanks

*Fantastic!

*Fascinating - Thank you

*Covered so much in detail - I found it very useful and informative

*The best workshop I have ever attended

*Excellent content and delivery - pitched at the right level

For more information please

Telephone 01629 57501

Fax 01629 584972

e-mail info@tenderingforcare.com

Tendering For Care

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