Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this site.

[censuspro]

Has anyone ever used ?

We've submitted a few tenders (approx 10) and can never seem to get a look in.

Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this webste?

P.S. I see that the NAMA contract for tax advice was awarded to PWC...

 

[Towger]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

Under EU rules tenders must be issued, but we have been told that in most cases for the likes of NAMA etc it is in reality a closed shop.

 

[eggerb]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

Has anyone ever used ?

We've submitted a few tenders (approx 10) and can never seem to get a look in.

You would be entitled to contact the procurement officer in the organisation issuing the RFT/awarding the contract and ask how the process was conducted and how applicants were scored.

 

[censuspro]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

You would be entitled to contact the procurement officer in the organisation issuing the RFT/awarding the contract and ask how the process was conducted and how applicants were scored.

I've done that before but they dont provide specific information. I understand that certian contracts would be oustide our remit e.g. NAMA, but there are payroll and accounts contracts that could easily be done by smaller firms.

 

[z107]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

I understand that certian contracts would be oustide our remit e.g. NAMA, but there are payroll and accounts contracts that could easily be done by smaller firms.

We could easily do these contracts for far less money, and probably better service, (payroll), but tenders are often specifically engineered for target companies.
We don't entertain the tendering process.

From what I've heard, there is also certain technique to filling these things in.

 

[Latrade]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

I've used them and won some lost some. Never seen it as being unfair.

 

[Towger]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

I am sure it is fine for supply of goods and general contracts, but for the more specialised stuff they will go with the big names. As they say, 'No on eever got fired for buying IBM'.

 

[Latrade]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

I am sure it is fine for supply of goods and general contracts, but for the more specialised stuff they will go with the big names. As they say, 'No on eever got fired for buying IBM'.

All the stuff I've tendered for would be pretty specialised and we've lost out on some to smaller suppliers who've come in at a better price. I'm not saying you may not have grounds to be suspicious, just in my experience it's all been legitimate.

 

[censuspro]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

Does anyone have any links or tips to creating tenders. Currently using a mix or word, excel and pwerpoint and pdfs.

 

[Complainer]

Re: Government E-Tenders Website

I'm generally on the other side of the fence (recieving these tenders). Tips as follows;

1) Read the tender, and follow instructions given.
2) Read the tender, and follow instructions given.
3) Read the tender, and follow instructions given.

It is amazing how many very detailed tenders that must have taken days of work to produce are recieved, where they don't provide some of the essential information requested in the tender. If the tender asks for VAT inclusive pricing, make sure this figure is given. If it asks for VAT exclusive, make sure this figure is given. If is asks for fixed price, give a fixed price, not one that depends on variables like expenses. Tenders that don't provide the required information will be excluded early on.

4) Ask questions well before the tender deadline - most procurers are only to happy to clarify issues beforehand. This might be done via the Q&A facility on the eTenders website, or sometimes the procurer will issue supplementary documents.

5) Ask for detailed feedback afterwards. Find out where you came on the ranking. Ask how your score in each category related to the highest score in that category.

 

[euroDilbert]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

In relation to this, has anyone received an email about a "Successful Tendering" course being run in Dublin from a company called Tenders Direct ?

 

[censuspro]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

In relation to this, has anyone received an email about a "Successful Tendering" course being run in Dublin from a company called Tenders Direct ?

I seen the ad in the Sunday Business Post (I think), if I remember correct it's about €500.

 

[Diddles]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

Hi guys,
What you have to remember is that 'most' of these tenders are already unofficially awarded. This is obviously not meant to be the case but alas its true.
The company that is 'awarded' the tender, in most cases write the tender documents to the specification of their offering.
I have given up on these tenders as they have proven in my particular case to be a waste of time and effort for zilch at the end.
d

 

[z107]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

What you have to remember is that 'most' of these tenders are already unofficially awarded. This is obviously not meant to be the case but alas its true.

This is what I've heard as well.

 

[Complainer]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

Hi guys,
What you have to remember is that 'most' of these tenders are already unofficially awarded. This is obviously not meant to be the case but alas its true.
The company that is 'awarded' the tender, in most cases write the tender documents to the specification of their offering.
I have given up on these tenders as they have proven in my particular case to be a waste of time and effort for zilch at the end.
d

This is what I've heard as well.

While this stuff did happen in FAS, I am very skeptical about claims that it is generally happening across the board. If you believe it is, let's get some examples on the table - all the tenders are already in the public domain, so please tell us which specific tenders were written by a supplier, or even which were written in a way that favours a specific supplier.

I am sure it is fine for supply of goods and general contracts, but for the more specialised stuff they will go with the big names. As they say, 'No on eever got fired for buying IBM'.

Some tenders require a supplier of certain size. This requirement can be controversial (see [broken link removed]) but it is a clear, up-front requirement. If such requirements are not specified, I am again very skeptical about claims that contracts are awarded to the big names because they are the big names. They may well be awarded to the big names, because the big names have the best track record, or the best team, or the best references.

A lot of the unsubstantiated criticisms may well be sour grapes. I've been on the recieving end of this from suppliers in the past, and when I've explained clearly and specifically where their tender was beaten by other alternatives, they sometimes face up to the reality that they are not the best in the world at everything. If you haven't seen all the tenders, you can't claim with certainty that yours is the best tender.

 

[Mpsox]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

From my own perspective and having been part of various tenders over the years, in some cases you do get the impression that you are tendering for the sake of tendering and that the current supplier will continue to get the deal. I actually have no issue with that, if they are delivering the services required and have a proven track record with the purchaser, they are going to be the favourite anyway. Sometimes you have to tender to get your name out there and noticed

I've also found that where you cannot supply specific information, then explain why that is, sometimes for example, it may be because the information is commercially sensitive . Most occassions, that has been ok, providing your justifacation is reasonable. Also if you are unsure as to what is being requested, then ask the question?

As for big companies getting the deals, speaking as someone who works for one of them, that's not always the case. On a number of occassions we've had to tidy up the mess from smaller companies who got a deal and have bitten off more then they can chew. There is a reason large successful companies are large and successful, it's because they tend to be consistantly good at what they do and have the resources when issues arrise

 

[z107]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

On a number of occassions we've had to tidy up the mess from smaller companies who got a deal and have bitten off more then they can chew. There is a reason large successful companies are large and successful, it's because they tend to be consistantly good at what they do and have the resources when issues arrise

Lehmans was large and successful, doesn't look like they were that good though. Mircosoft was small once. With this attitude, they still would be small.

We often do work for large firms (outside of the tendering system). When we are awarded these contracts, we make sure that our client gets the best possible service. A larger company mightn't care so much because they already have loads of contracts. They might just get a couple of juniors in to do the project, to save costs.

If I was looking for work to be done, I would actually be more inclined towards a smaller company, to get better service and product, rather than some faceless corp.

 

[z107]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

While this stuff did happen in FAS, I am very skeptical about claims that it is generally happening across the board. If you believe it is, let's get some examples on the table - all the tenders are already in the public domain, so please tell us which specific tenders were written by a supplier, or even which were written in a way that favours a specific supplier.

How do you prove this? Like most 'soft corruption', it's often subtle.
A tender could be written:
"The successful applicant should be in business for at least 10 years, and have at least 50 employees"
There might be only one company that has this. They obviously would never explicitly name the supplier.

 

[Complainer]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

How do you prove this? Like most 'soft corruption', it's often subtle.
A tender could be written:
"The successful applicant should be in business for at least 10 years, and have at least 50 employees"
There might be only one company that has this. They obviously would never explicitly name the supplier.

So give us the examples of where these conditions have been used?

 

[censuspro]

Re: Govt E-Tenders Website: Has anyone had any success with the contracts on this sit

It is the case that the Big 4 firms always land the government consultancy contracts. E.g. tax advice for NAMA has been awarded to PWC.

Someone also mentioned that larger firms have the resources for larger jobs which is not exactly true. For example in insolvency, there are smaller firms that have more resources and experience in insolvency than the larger firms however perception is that because it's a Big 4 firm then they must be better and unfortunately perception is reality.

On a related topic, Are people using a particular software for tendering for these jobs or are they using word, excel, PP etc?