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Are patients really ‘at the centre’ of integrated care?

Patient centred care

For some time now, the Government has been promoting its policy of ‘person-centred care’. In fact, the term was first introduced in the NHS Plan and other government policy documents in 2000.

What is person-centred care?

According to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), person-centred care is defined as ‘providers making every reasonable effort to provide opportunities to involve people in making decisions about their care and treatment and supporting them to do this’.

Since then, we have seen governments come and go with not much progress being made to ensure patients are at the heart of their own health and social care plans and treatment.

What are the latest developments in person-centred care?

Patient surveys have shown that there are still large gaps between the ambition of a person-centred health service and the reality or patient perception of their experiences.

In December, a report was published by the House of Lords entitled Patients At The Centre: Integrating Primary and Community Care. The purpose of the report was to look at the quality and accessibility of healthcare services and how primary and community care can work in a more integrated way to benefit patients and achieve that elusive ambition of ‘person-centred care’.

The report highlighted a number of major concerns with how the NHS is run, stating that ‘The NHS has failed to improve its organisational structure, funding mechanisms, infrastructure, and workforce to meet this challenge (of an aging population with multiple health conditions). As a result, it is ill-equipped to meet current healthcare demands, and its long-term sustainability is threatened.’

It went on to say that:

‘Patients are constantly being inconvenienced, endangered, or miss improved long-term health because they are not receiving joined-up care, in the right place, at the right time. Integration can help improve patient experience and offers a viable solution to many of the challenges facing the health service.’

The report suggests that the four main obstacles to achieving person-centred care through integration are:

  • Structures and organisations
  • Contracts
  • Data sharing
  • Workforce

Earlier this month, the Government published a response to this report, which has been widely criticised by those working in primary care.

What does all this mean?

Essentially the Government believes that Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) need time to ‘mature’ before their impact can be properly assessed. A study that will explore the impact of these system changes, formalised in the Health and Care Act 2022, has been described as ‘a multi-year project’ that will take ‘approximately three years to complete’.

For more information on how you can tender for health and social care contracts with the NHS, contact us on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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How to win GP contracts and funding

Doctor consultation

If you are a surgery or general practice looking to win substantial contracts or funding, it can be a daunting prospect, particularly if you are an already over-worked GP or Practice Manager struggling for time.

What types of GP contracts can you bid for?

APMS (Alternative Provider Medical Services) contracts are regularly put out to tender by the NHS commissioners – usually Integrated Care Boards or local authorities – every week on the Government’s Find a Tender website. This type of contact enables private sector companies to provide primary care services. They can also be used as a vehicle to commission contracts for services that are outside the scope of core general practice such as helping individuals or groups not signed up to surgeries, for example asylum seekers or the homeless.

PMS (Personal Medical Services) contracts were hugely popular and generally facilitated by NHS England and Clinical Commissioning Groups but these are being phased out in favour of a new Integrated Care Provider (ICP) contract to allow for a better integration of services.

GMS (General Medical Services) contracts are the national standard GP contract.

For more information on the types of GP contracts, see The Kings Fund website.

We tend to work more on bids for APMS contracts and, in partnership with PMA, are here to support and guide GPs and Practice Managers through the tender bid process.

In fact, we have bid on more than 300 health and social care contracts with a win rate of 93%, securing £1 billion in contracts and funding for our clients.

Is there any general practice funding available in the UK?

The latest NHS England waiting list figures, up to November 2023, stand at 7.6 million. That’s 7.6 million people who are all waiting to start elective/non urgent treatments in England.

While this has dropped ever so slightly from 7.7 million in October 2023, it is still much larger than the 7.2 million it was just a year ago in November 2022.

According to The Lancet, NHS England’s recovery plan aims to increase capacity by up to 30%, compared with pre-pandemic levels, over the next three years through a range of measures, including extra staff and increased use of the independent sector.

Due to this significant, unprecedented pressure on our healthcare system, we anticipate that there will be additional funding opportunities for GP Practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) made available by NHS England.

The General Practice Improvement Programme (GPIP), for example, provides nationally funded support for practices and primary care networks (PCNs) to implement modern general practice.

There is also funding available to GP practices to help them with going digital, such as cloud-based telephone systems, online consultation software and new appointment booking systems.

Find out more on the NHS website.

If you need help with winning GP contracts or funding, get in touch with K Low Consulting today to see how we can assist you. Contact info@klowconsulting.com or give us a call on 0330 133 1041.

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The new CQC Framework: what is it and how will it affect providers?

CQC

Earlier this year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) announced it would be making changes to the way it works with suppliers and providers. These changes would include the establishment of a new assessment framework and provider portal and will apply to providers, local authorities and integrated care systems.

Over the course of 2023, these plans progressed and the new portal started being rolled out in September with providers being invited to join in phases.

The new framework will start being used in November, again being rolled out in phases. These phases will be in geographic regions, starting with providers in the South of England, with a view to the framework working as standard from April 2024 for all providers.

The framework will retain the five key questions, but six new evidence categories will be introduced. There will also be quality statements which will focus on specific topic areas, based on people’s experiences and the standards of care they expect. These will replace the key lines of enquiry (KLOEs), prompts and ratings characteristics.

What do you need to do if you are a CQC provider?

The CQC will contact you when it is time for you to join the portal, so our advice would be to make sure they hold up to date contact details for you so you receive your portal invite and login details. You can also subscribe to receive email updates so you are kept informed of any changes as and when they are rolled out.

Also, you will be required to submit a lot more evidence, so start gathering this now.

Implications and considerations

Here at K Low Consulting, we are in a unique position. We are not a supplier or service provider to the CQC but many of our clients are. We are trusted by providers and can speak for them.

Having attended the Care Show 11 – 12 October in Birmingham and hearing a briefing from James Bullion, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care at the Care Quality Commission, we feel that these changes to the CQC Framework have big implications and we have some very real concerns that need serious consideration.

Firstly, this new framework is evidence-based, with the onus on the provider to gather and provide evidence themselves.

Since Covid, the CQC has had to carry out more desk-based audits and, if any problems were identified, a follow up inspection would take place. Even then, the CQC has struggled to meet demand and keep up with the number of in-person inspections required. So, it was obvious that any new process would need to be more efficient for the CQC.

But, with providers submitting their own evidence and quality statements, face-to-face inspections will be a thing of the past completely. Essentially, providers and suppliers can tell the CQC what they like and won’t be interviewed or tested on aspects such as safeguarding, which could adversely affect patient safety.

Another concern is that the framework is effectively becoming a self assessment process, with no independent audits or inspections taking place.

Lastly, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance and the NHS Long Term Plan identify patient-centred care as being central to good quality health services and recommend giving patients greater control over their own health and ensuring they have more personalised care when they need it. There has also been much made of the importance of the ‘patient voice’, encouraging patients to have their say on the health services they use. As part of the new framework, case studies and service user testimonials can be submitted but, as the provider is responsible for collating and uploading these, will they be truly representative? Should patients and service users be interviewed by someone independent?

It will be interesting to see how the new portal and framework pans out and we will look to do a follow up blog in due course.

Further information and guides for providers can be found on the CQC website.

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K Low Consulting announces new director

David Oakes

We are pleased to announce that David Oakes, who has been working with us as a consultant for the last two years, has now joined the business as a company director.

David brings a detailed understanding of the health and social care bidding landscape drawing directly upon roles within local government commissioning, charity, third and the private-sector organisations. The experience allows him to provide clients with a detailed understanding of each opportunity, working with them to develop the bid ‘culture’ and associated strategies needed to deliver outstanding submissions – as evidenced by an 89% win rate across all submissions.  

David started working with our founder Krisja Low after meeting at the Minor Oak co-working space in Nottingham just over two years ago. They soon realised their skills and experience complemented each other and David has gone on to work for K Low Consulting on a variety of projects, showing dedication, commitment and passion to both the business and its clients.

David said: “I am hugely excited to come on board as a director at K Low Consulting. Our working relationship has really developed over the last two and a half years and works really well.

“I’m also really excited about the increasing number of tender opportunities relating to health tech. From virtual wards to the hybrid way of working, this sector is only going to grow over the coming months and years and that is great news for the innovative businesses developing and offering these services and technological solutions.”

To find out more about K Low Consulting and the services we offer, go back to the Home Page.

To contact David, email david.oakes@klowconsulting.com.

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Virtual wards: An exciting opportunity for your business

Virtual wards are the future of healthcare

FOR many industries, the pandemic has had a lasting impact, fuelling many new opportunities for growth and change, particularly in healthcare where virtual wards are now commonly used.

It’s a process which largely began during the early days of lockdown, when businesses had to react quickly to find new ways of working remotely, embracing technology to ensure they stayed connected to their staff, clients – and even their patients.

Now, as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, some of these processes have remained in place, bringing with them enormous benefits – and exciting new opportunities – for healthcare providers and their patients.

As experts in the healthcare sector, K Low Consulting can help you learn more about these important developments, develop your strategy, help you create winning tender bids and grow your business.

What is a virtual ward?

Virtual wards allow patients to get the care they need at home, safely and conveniently, freeing up hospital beds for patients who really need them.

Supervised by hospital and community-based clinicians, virtual wards allow conditions such as coronavirus to be dynamically monitored while the patient stays in the comfort of their own home. For example, coronavirus patients can be discharged safely to a virtual ward with an oximeter – a small, lightweight device which measures the amount of oxygen in their blood. Readings are taken regularly and fed into the patients health tracking system. The system is configured to identify outlier readings, flagging these to both the patient and the clinical team for closer monitoring and escalation where required (either via video call or face-to-face visit).

The approach is all part of the NHS@Home programme which is building on the lessons learned from the pandemic, to enable patients to access personalised healthcare at home, rather than having to make appointments with their GP or make lengthy journeys to their local hospital.

It’s a growing trend which isn’t going anywhere. By December 2023, The Nuffield Trust estimates that the NHS will have 40-50 virtual ward ‘beds’ per 100,000 people.

What do virtual wards mean for my business?

The move to virtual wards is opening up new opportunities for businesses to get involved in the healthcare sector, particularly those involved in the manufacture of monitoring equipment including oximeters and heart monitors and healthcare providers, including care homes, who can demonstrate a clear technology strategy.

Businesses who can provide data management systems, which ensure patients’ data is managed securely and legally, are also likely to be in high demand.

How can K Low Consulting help me to expand my business?

When it comes to tender bids within the healthcare sector, we can help you to open doors.

We’ve successfully created hundreds of bids for our clients, leading to £1 billion in healthcare contracts for NHS England, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and the public health sector.

We work with all stakeholders to fully understand the challenges, using these insights to help our clients showcase their strengths and demonstrate how their business is best-placed to offer the best solutions.

If you would like more information or if would like to be made aware when relevant tender opportunities come up in your industry or field of expertise, contact us today on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com to see find out how we can help you.

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What is the NHS System Oversight Framework and what does it mean for procurement going forward?

NHS procurement

At the end of June, NHS England (NHSE) announced plans to transform the way integrated care systems (ICSs) buy non NHS goods and services in a document entitled NHS System Oversight Framework 2021/22.

But what is the significance of this framework? And what will it change for companies and organisations looking to land NHS contracts?

What is the NHS System Oversight Framework?

The NHS System Oversight Framework for 2021/22 replaces the NHS Oversight Framework for 2019/20, which brought together arrangements for provider and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) oversight in a single document.

The purpose of the document/framework is to reinforce the system-led delivery of integrated care, in line with the vision set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, the White Paper Integration and Innovation: Working Together to Improve Health and Social Care for All, and aligns with the priorities set out in the 2021/22 Operational Planning Guidance.

This framework applies to all Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), NHS trusts and foundation trusts and focuses on five key metrics:

  1. Quality of care
  2. Access and outcomes
  3. Preventing ill health and reducing inequalities
  4. People; finance and use of resources
  5. Leadership and capability

The approach to oversight is characterised by the following key principles:

a. working with and through ICSs, wherever possible, to tackle problems

b. a greater emphasis on system performance and quality of care outcomes, alongside the contributions of individual healthcare providers and commissioners to system goals

c. matching accountability for results with improvement support, as appropriate

d. greater autonomy for ICSs and NHS organisations with evidence of collective working and a track record of successful delivery of NHS priorities, including tackling inequality, health outcomes and access

e. compassionate leadership behaviours that underpin all oversight interactions

Implementation of the framework

While the scope of this framework reflects the role of NHS England and NHS Improvement as a national regulator of NHS provided and/or commissioned  services, it also recognises that ‘the vision for ICSs is based on the core principles of equal partnership across health and local government: subsidiarity, collaboration and flexibility’ and that ‘delivering the priorities for the NHS depends on collaboration across health and care, both within a place and at scale’.

But implementing the framework won’t be easy and straight forward.

NHS leaders are looking for specificity in how oversight will operate within a system context and there will need to be a high degree of flexibility to design approaches that best reflect local circumstances and maintain ownership and engagement across the full range of system partners.

But implementing the framework won’t be easy and straight forward.

NHS leaders are looking for specificity in how oversight will operate within a system context and there will need to be a high degree of flexibility to design approaches that best reflect local circumstances and maintain ownership and engagement across the full range of system partners.

When will the framework be implemented?

The existing statutory roles and responsibilities of NHS England and NHS Improvement in relation to trusts and commissioners remain unchanged for 2021/22. The framework sets out how NHS leaders and organisations will be required to operate with their partners in ICSs from April 2022.

The oversight framework will be updated further for 2022/23. The updated document is expected to confirm ICSs’ formal role in oversight including:

bringing system partners together to identify risks, issues and support needs and facilitate collective action to tackle performance challenges

and

leading oversight and support of individual organisations and partnership arrangements within their systems.

What does it all mean going forward?

The thinking behind the framework is that local NHS procurement teams will be able to change the way they buy non-NHS goods and services and move towards a more system-level way of working, and away from procurement teams dedicated to single organisations.

ICSs will be able to “tailor their procurement organisation structure based on their respective level of maturity, spend profiles, associated phasing of roles and local considerations” but the lack of data harmonisation at local, regional and national level and clarity around best practice approach could make implementation difficult.

With regards to companies who are looking to supply the NHS at a local level, they will have to keep an eye on how this framework develops between now and April 2022 and establish relationships with the ICSs who will soon be in charge of their own procurement and spending.

If you are looking for help with securing NHS contracts, contact the K Low Consulting team on 0330 1331 041 or info@klowconsulting.com.

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NHS waiting lists could result in tender opportunities

We’ve all seen the worrying headlines about the growth in NHS waiting lists following the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Just this week it has been reported in the national news that the number of people on NHS waiting lists hit a 12-year high. At least 162,000 patients are waiting more than a year for routine operations and the total NHS waiting list for routine treatments reached 4.4 million at the end of October. More than a third of those patients had been waiting more than 18 weeks – the NHS target for waiting times, from referral to treatment.

As the NHS continues to suspend operations as it tackles the Coronavirus epidemic, experts are expecting to see these waiting list figures rise even further in 2021.

To tackle this growing problem, NHS bosses need to introduce additional capacity into the system and one of the ways they are looking to do this is through a concept called insourcing.

What is insourcing?

Similar to outsourcing, insourcing would see the hospital ask an external provider to get an activity, contract or job completed on their behalf using their own people and equipment. The difference with insourcing is that the external company would bring their own people and equipment to the hospital and manage everything on the hospital’s own site.

This is a growing concept and one which we can reasonably expect to see taking a strong foothold in the NHS in 2021 as it struggles to bring down the growing waiting lists.

What does the growth of NHS insourcing mean for businesses?

The growth of insourcing by the NHS is likely to present some tender opportunities for private companies or medical professionals in the healthcare industry.

The types of services that hospitals are looking to secure support with could include:

  • NHS inpatient and outpatient (including full supporting pathology and imaging) services and urgent elective care and cancer treatment to service users in line with nationally set criteria; and
  • NHS inpatient non-elective care (either direct admission or transfer from an NHS organisation).

Forward-thinking businesses in the health sector have already identified insourcing as a growing area. For example, UK and Ireland healthcare service provider, Totally, launched its new insourcing venture, Totally Healthcare, in October. It said it was starting the venture primarily to reduce NHS waiting times by providing a range of procedures and services within NHS hospitals, taking advantage of spare capacity typically during weekends and bank holidays. A few weeks ago, it revealed its insourcing services have secured significant contracts across its target markets and it now classes itself as ‘key partners’ to the NHS.

Who does the NHS want to work with?

NHS Commissioners are open to working with private providers of all sizes, for a wide range of clinical activities across the country. There are national frameworks like NHS SBS aimed at all size organisations and locations, alternatively we have seen individual NHS Trusts selecting exclusive providers to meet their local requirements.

All indications are that we will see insourcing playing a greater role in the immediate future of the NHS as part of its efforts to bring waiting lists down.

If you need help with commercial bid writing, get in touch with K Low Consulting today to see how we can assist you.

Contact info@klowconsulting.com or give us a call on 0330 133 1041.

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NHS England- PDPS Contract Announcement

NHS England’s PDPS APMS Contract Announcement

NHS England’s PDPS APMS Contract has now been released on January 23rd and encourages all GP providers who wish to bid in the future, to apply as soon as possible.

In case you haven’t seen our previous blog posts about the contract, the APMS PDPS Contract was announced in October and presented the launch of a new online procurement tool (Pseudo Dynamic Purchasing System, PDPS). 

To find out more information about how to apply for NHS England’s PDPS Contract, please click this link: https://klowconsulting.com/pdps-contract/

As per NHS England’s contract description:

NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) are seeking to launch a new online purchasing system (PDPS) where pre-approved GP providers can apply to join a list of pre-approved providers. Those providers approved to join the system can then be invited by local commissioners to bid to provide APMS services when local needs arise.

The contract is a 4-year procurement exercise managed through a new eProcurement platform and will see:

  • GP Providers appointed to an electronically managed list of approved providers
  • GP Providers can apply and be added to this list at any time during the 4-year period, unlike a traditional procurement framework,
  • Once approved onto the PDPS, GP providers can be invited via the ePlatform to respond to requests for APMS Services from local commissioners. These local ‘call-offs’ will be matched to the bespoke needs of local commissioners.

For more information on this, and a full description of the contract, please refer to this website:

https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:34789-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0

This website also provides more information about the contract: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6f4aae1b-7289-4b78-88eb-f5d36757f21c

Importance of the PDPS APMS Framework

As stated in our previous blog post, GP providers with an interest in providing routing and/or caretaker APMS services are encouraged to apply to be on the PDPS.

Any GP can apply for this contract and interest can be from a local GP contract holder within a Primary Care Network or a larger GP contract holder and other healthcare providers such as caretakers.

Please note that application to the approved provider list does NOT commit you to provide APMS services but does mean you will be able to bid when local needs arise. Thus, it is worth considering this contract carefully if you wish to bid for local services in the future.

Contract Deadline

As stated on the contract announcement, the deadline is 2024. Although, if a call-off happens you must already be on the framework to respond. It is critical that you consider applying as soon as possible for this contract.

To find out more information about the PDPS contract, please read our previous blog posts:

https://klowconsulting.com/pdps-contract/

https://klowconsulting.com/update-pdps/

Contact Us Today

K Low Consulting are offering bid support with to any providers who want to bid for this contract. We are offering support to meet your needs.

If you have any queries about this contract, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

We are available during office hours on 0330 133 1041 or via email at info@klowconsulting.com. 

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Looking ahead to 2020: A successful year for K Low Consulting

Reflection on 2019

We’ve had a great year at K Low Consulting and are excited about the new year ahead! In this article, our team reflects on 2019 and looks ahead to the future of K Low Consulting.

In 2019, we have experienced significant and rapid growth. We have expanded our associate team, which includes bid professionals with significant writing and management experience, senior clinicians and specialist advisors, such as quality management and accreditation. Our team has been in high spirits throughout the year, keeping up with client demand and workload.

An intern from Nottingham Trent University’s graduate scheme, Mia Penny, was employed as a ‘Marketing and Tender Executive’. With the help of another associate writer from the team, Victoria, they have experienced some fantastic marketing wins in 2019.

“From September 2019 I joined K Low Consulting as a ‘Marketing and Tender’ intern after studying a master’s degree in Media and Public Relations at the University of Leicester. Since joining, I have been involved in different aspects of the business and have benefitted from hands-on experience from the outset. Krisja has helped me in developing my skill set and has guided me when learning new skills. Shadowing Krisja and being heavily involved in daily business activities has been challenging but exciting! I have particularly enjoyed being involved in Marketing the company and launching the website, which has resulted in some fantastic marketing wins at this early stage! I’m looking forward to the year ahead and seeing where my role at K Low Consulting takes me.”
-Mia Penny, Marketing and Tender Executive.

Wins of 2019

Within our first year, we have had some fantastic results. Our STATS have been evidence of our work this year,  we have had circa. 88% of client wins, 90% client retention and delivered 615% social return on investment for an £800k contract.

We strive to strengthen current partnerships with our clients in 2020, helping them to win more high-value contracts and develop their organisations even further. Looking ahead to 2020, we’re seeking to create more partnerships and build our client base.

Progressing on to a digital landscape, 2019 saw the launch of our website and social media accounts. Since the launch, we have had some remarkable results, including being on the first page of Google within 5 weeks of the website launch.

Some Testimonials from 2019

“Krisja and his team are knowledgeable about the Education industry and approached the tender in a systematic and organised manner. Although there was a tight deadline, they went above and beyond to involve themselves with our organisation and gather as much information as possible to produce an excellent tender response. They provided a fresh input into any potential issues and identified these in the early stages. For our most recent project with Krisja, we have been invited to the next stage and we are confident that we will win the tender. I would recommend Krisja and his team to anyone, and plan to work with him in many more projects in the future. Thanks again for the hard work.”

-Business and Resources Executive, Educational Establishment.

“… Thank you so much for the effort you and your team put in.  You kept us on track throughout the submission process and although we only had a short amount of time to work on this tender, you covered every answer in-depth & we were very pleased with that we had pulled together!  Pleasure to work with.”

Chief Executive Officer, Specialist Social Care Recruitment Provider.

“This is the second NHS dental tender we have worked with Krisja on. We won the first and are very confident of our chances on the second. He is always professional, diligent and flexible. His knowledge and input on healthcare bid strategy, delivery models, and commissioner perception is excellent. He always goes beyond compliance, to find creative ways of making our proposal the very best it can be!”

Practice Director, Dental Practice Group.

Click Here to See More Testimonials

Some outstanding wins in 2019

A glimpse into 2020

In 2020, K Low Consulting plans to continue assisting our clients to produce outstanding results. We carry through our ethos and values, continuing to win tenders for clients. There are also plans underway to deliver tender and funding workshops to Practice Managers after partnering up the Practice Managers Association (keep an eye out on details to follow!).

We’re also heavily involved in with the development and launch of an innovative Healthtech tool, MSK Gateway. This tool supports GPs to reduce appointment time, improve patient experience and outcomes. It enables GPs to manage their patients better by assigning them tailored exercises based on their symptoms. This year the tool will be launched into pilot practices, thus, we are looking for partner practices to use the tool to improve patient experience and outcomes. Check out the video below to see a promotional clip for MSK Gateway.

Contact Us Today

If you need help with tendering, give us a call today to see how we can assist you. Contact info@klowconsulting.com or give us a call on 0330 133 1041.

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To Bid or Not to Bid: A Step Towards Winning a Tender

Bid Writing

The tender process is often complex and requires close attention to the contract requirements and your organisations’ suitability to a contract.

As part of our services at K Low Consulting, we help clients to make a ‘bid or no bid’ decision in the initial stages of bidding. This often includes evaluating compliance and eligibility, commercial feasibility and competitor analysis.

After overlooking 100s of bids in different industries, it is often encountered that clients are keen to bid for a tender that may not be particularly beneficial to them. The attractiveness of a tender, therefore, is not a reason to bid. There should be careful consideration of many factors.

Providing critical feedback at the initial stages of bidding has placed us in a strong position to advise on how you can come to an informed decision regarding whether to ‘bid or not to bid’ for an upcoming tender.

Factors that may inform the ‘bid no bid’ decision

The bigger the contract, the higher the risk involved when bidding for a tender. Without carefully planning and evaluating if your organisation can deliver the contract requirements, you could be at risk of wasting time, money and resource by bidding for a contract that isn’t right for your organisation.

Here are some of the implications of bidding for a tender that isn’t right for you:

Time

Bidding for a tender takes a considerable amount of time. From undertaking research and collecting evidence, the tender process can be long, complex and require a lot of attention.

Answers will vary from tender to tender, but often, some may require a lengthy response which seeks evidence on how your organisation can deliver the contract. Thus, it is critical that you have internal teams or external bid writers to allocate the correct amount of time needed to undertake the project.

Those in senior management positions usually have to collect the right resources for the bid, which means there may be less focus on training and managerial activities. Employing an external bid team, however, could ensure that time is saved and take the strain off internal bidding teams and senior management.

Cost

There are a lot of costs associated with tendering. If you are choosing to invest in an external bid writer(s), then this will be one of the associated costs.

Evaluating that your business can afford to implement a contract is fundamental. Thus, you must be aware of the additional costs associated with a new contract. It is vital that you understand your current delivery model and what it would take to deliver a new one.

Questioning: have we got the costs to scale up? Would be a good starting point. Some of the additional costs to implement a new contract may be:

  • Recruitment of staff
  • ICT
  • Property
  • Construction
  • Marketing and advertising
  • Equipment

Wasted Resource

Resource can easily be wasted if the tender that your organisation is bidding for isn’t right for you. We understand that for most SMEs, internal resources are crucial and need to be prioritised for bidding. By ensuring that we only bid for the most appropriate opportunities, we optimise where and how our clients deploy their resource. As mentioned previously, time is one of the most crucial aspects of bidding for a tender, and too much time and resource spent on a tender could potentially be wasted if you decide to bid without evaluating the impact.

Low win rates

Losing bids result in low win rates. You must analyse and understand where you are in the marketplace. Compliance is just first base; understanding that you have a proposition that could enable you to win is fundamental to optimising win rates. At K Low Consulting, we have a fantastic win rate of 88% and ensure that our clients have the right standing to bid. Before bidding, you should question the following:

  • Who are our competitors?
  • Where are we at with the delivery model?
  • Do we have a coherent strategy in place?

Making the ‘bid no bid’ decision

If you have found a tender that you want to bid on, there are many factors that you should consider before going ahead. At the very basic level, your organisation needs to fulfil the statutory requirements stated within the tender and have the right financial standing. Demonstrating your organisation’s capabilities in your answers, alongside evidence that presents added value, shows that you can deliver the contract requirements.

You must meet all the requirements for the contract. If you meet ‘most’ of the set requirements and not all, you will still lose the bid.

Thoroughly evaluating your standing as an organisation will help you when making the decision. There are many questions that you can ask to come to the right decision, some are:

  • Do you have an internal or external team in place to help support the bid?
  • Do you have time and resource to implement the bid?
  • Can you present added value to the bid, that will make you stand out amongst competitors?
  • Does the contract fit with your organisation’s strategic growth plans?
  • Have you completed tenders in the past, and if so, what have you learnt that will be beneficial when bidding for this particular contract?
  • Do you have the relevant evidenced experience to support your bid?
  • Are there any factors which would inform the ‘no bid’ decision? If so, what are they?
  • Is your team equipped to deliver the contract?
  • Does the contract align with your growth plans?

K Low Consulting’s approach to the ‘bid no bid’ decision

At K Low Consulting, we recognise that the ‘bid no bid’ decision is critical. Our initial consultation with you will outline whether we think you should bid or not, taking the strain and pressure away. We are open and honest with our clients from the beginning of the process, and unlike other tender companies, will not simply encourage you to bid for a tender for profitability. We will thoroughly evaluate your organisations standing and the likelihood of winning a contract. We strive for strong partnerships with our clients and want them to be aware of the best opportunities that align with their organisation’s strategic growth plans.

If you would like our help to decide whether to bid or not for a contract or to find out about our services, please contact us today on info@klowconsulting.com or call 0330 133 1041.