How can you demonstrate social value in a tender bid?
Pulling together a tender bid means looking at your organisation through the eyes of the commissioner and demonstrating why you should be their first choice for a contract. Being able to prove your competence and ability to deliver the contract are obviously important factors, but we are seeing other topical concerns becoming more of a […]
New bill will make it easier for businesses to compete for public sector contracts
A new bill is currently being passed through Parliament which aims to make it easier for businesses to enter public sector supply chains. The Procurement Bill lays out new rules and procedures for central government departments, their bodies and the wider public sector when selecting suppliers and awarding contracts with a value above certain thresholds. […]
K Low Consulting announces new director
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 […]
What is next for adult social care?
On 7 September 2021, the government set out its new plan for adult social care reform in England. This included a lifetime cap on the amount anyone in England will need to spend on their personal care, alongside a means-test for local authority financial support. These plans were part of the Build Back Better campaign […]
Can you deliver on the promises made in your tender bid?
In our last three blogs, we have written about the first three phases of our ‘Four Phase approach’ to tender bids and the benefits of working through these phases to ensure a successful bid outcome. Phase 1 looks at the importance of developing a contract strategy, which is followed by Phase 2 – Opportunity Analysis […]
Do you have a contract strategy?
Many organisations only apply or bid for tenders when they see one that they feel ‘is just right’ for them, or if they need to find new business fast. Very rarely do we meet companies, charities or public sector organisations who actually have a contract strategy in place. A contract strategy can be a part […]
What is the NHS System Oversight Framework and what does it mean for procurement going forward?
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? […]
How will Brexit affect the tendering process once we have left the EU?
Currently businesses in the UK use TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) to get free access to tender opportunities from the European Union, the European Economic Area and beyond. TED is the online version of the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). It is dedicated to European public procurement and publishes 746,000 procurement […]
What does IR35 mean for recruitment companies looking to respond to a tender?
The off payroll working rules – commonly known as IR35 – were introduced by HRMC in 2000 to tackle tax avoidance by workers supplying their services to clients through an intermediary. Such workers are referred to by HMRC as ‘disguised employees’ as they don’t meet the HMRC definition of self-employment and as a result tax […]
How to avoid a last-minute panic when bidding for a tender
You have found a tender that your company would be perfect for – fantastic! But the deadline is tight and now you’re racing against time to submit the tender. To avoid a last-minute panic when bidding for a tender, follow our Top 10 Tips: Read tender documents carefully Download all the documents provided on the […]