Council Tenders and Adapting to Change
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The world has entered new territory following the spread of COVID-19. Individuals, communities and businesses must rapidly respond to local and global news and changes. These changes affect every part of our lives and livelihoods – these are unprecedented times.
At Hudson, we are doing everything we can to support our clients going forward into this new landscape. We will continue to do so – we are in this for the long haul. Our team at Hudson will do all we can to adapt, thrive, and ensure our clients can too.
Making the future matter now
In times like these, it is essential to maintain a positive approach to the future. The choices and actions that business owners take now will affect their future prospects. Let’s make those prospects good ones – not just for businesses, but for our communities.
Key workers play an essential role in the fight against coronavirus, and the public sector fully recognises this. Communities supporting each other makes sense, now more so than ever. Council tenders will seek out businesses who add real social value to their work during these difficult times.
For now and in the coming weeks, we are in a unique situation where proximity to others is limited. The government, health officials and individuals are coming together to tackle the spread of COVID-19. Ultimately, when a resolution is found, businesses will be in a unique situation.
Councils and public sector bodies will look for businesses who championed social value during this time. Turning this crisis into an opportunity to make a difference to communities is essential. Doing so will benefit our wellbeing, our community relationships and our economy in ways previously unimagined.
What can I do?
Many people will have heard of the term ‘social value’. Put simply, social value is the positive social impact that businesses have in society. We create this impact directly and purposefully through our business practices. This impact can be generated in the form of:
- Policies and procedures
- Spending
- Training
- Volunteering
- Mentoring
- Community engagement
We can deliver positive social impact through delivering public sector and council tenders.
By doing so, we create a positive impact in terms of wellbeing, resilience and other factors. It makes business sense to support communities. In turn, communities will increase engagement with businesses long-term. The challenge here is doing so within the current limitations we have. It is challenging – but not impossible.
Where do I start?
There are four key areas of social value which we can contribute to. These are:
-
Economic impact. This considers:
- Employability, work placements and recruitment
- Training opportunities, apprenticeships and upskilling
- Graduate schemes
- Volunteering
- Using local resources
-
Environmental impact. This considers:
- Sustainability
- Carbon footprint
- Energy reduction
- Minimising waste
- ISO 14001
- Embodied carbon
- Passivhaus
-
Community impact. This considers:
- Supporting charities
- Supporting local and cultural heritage
- Community groups
-
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This considers:
- All of the above
- A region’s Strategic Economic Plan
- Policies
- Supply chain management
How these apply to your organisation is sector dependent. Each sector will have its own unique opportunities and challenges to do the above. In procurement, buyers will prioritise certain matters. For example, council tenders who need cleaning services may prioritise the environment. On the other hand, those who need HR services may prioritise community and economic impact.
How do I know what to look for?
The key here is to identify where your organisation can make a difference and implement this in your bid management strategy. This way, you can judge what buyers may look for within your sector. You can do this in a number of ways:
- As a business owner, self-reflection. Is there anything you have been overlooking that you could improve?
- Ask your team. Feedback is essential. Take comments on board, particularly if several people are providing the same feedback. Similarly, if a team member has an innovative idea, consider it.
- Review your policies and procedures through an internal audit.
- Produce a Social Value Action Plan. Map out what you are doing now, and what you will do in future.
- Listen to past experience. If you have tendered before, don’t ignore issues where you may have tripped up in past submissions. Do you have the certification, policies or evidence the buyer asked for? If not, don’t ignore it. Implement those changes. It will benefit your social value responses further down the line.
What council tenders & public sector contracts are there?
In the coming weeks, public sector and council tenders will request services including:
These include cleaning contracts for schools, offices, hospitals, social housing and more. These are essential and will be in high demand. Councils will seek to protect their staff and individuals as much as possible from illness. Other contracts may involve manned security or building repairs.
This can involve contracts for vehicle hire, transport and deliveries. They might involve courier services or storage. Effective logistics which limit physical proximity will be essential in upcoming contracts.
These tenders can involve catering contract services and laundry service contracts. These are essential to ensuring key workers whom council tenders may serve are supported.
Opportunities here might include contracts for recruitment, HR or restructure planning. New opportunities may arise in the form of virtual and offsite staff. Swift changes in how we must communicate with colleagues digitally can stimulate new types of council tenders.
Going forward, councils and public sector bodies will seek businesses who demonstrated social value in the face of adversity. When tendering, they will ask how you delivered social value during the crisis. The critical question will be:
How did your business go over and above what was asked, whilst delivering what was needed?
Of course, buyers will be mindful of the impact on businesses. Organisations must keep a balance between supporting others and staying afloat. It is critical to reflect on your organisation’s ability to support others. We must be proactive, innovative and pragmatic to meet these challenges.
Delivering social value is critically dependent on our ability to maintain business, first and foremost. Businesses without essential plans in place to tackle the crisis will lack the capacity to deliver social value. Reflection now is essential for future delivery. It is useful to reflect on aspects such as:
- How do I keep my staff safe from COVID-19 to do their job? Is it possible at this stage?
- Do I have the finances in place to deliver? If not, have I looked at available support?
- How will the impact of COVID-19 change the way my service is delivered in future?
How do I move forward?
In these uncertain times, there has been huge support from communities across the country. Individuals and businesses are rallying to volunteer across the UK. They are providing services such as deliveries, driving and phone calls.
- Even if your organisation does not have the resources, the best asset you have is time. Make some time.
- As an organisation, you can engage with your local community through volunteering and advice.
- When business is slow, use this time wisely to develop your policies and procedures. Can you implement current needs into future policy?
- Develop your training and mentoring programmes to respond to the new social and economic climate. Refine and hone how you do things not just now, but for the future.
- Be adaptable. Demonstrate this in facts and figures.
- Use social media. It can be an easy trap to fall under the radar – don’t. Communicate with your clients. Demonstrate that you are taking positive steps forward. Engage with your community through social media. This uncertain time highlights now more than ever that we are all human. If you have good news or have achieved something locally, let people know. Celebrate the successes of others, let them know that your organisation cares.
By doing so, you will have a bank of social value evidence for council tenders in future.
How can we help with your Council Bid?
To support you, at Hudson Succeed we offer our Tender Mentor service. This is for businesses who want to ensure the bid they have produced is the best it can be. Here, we will externally review and advise on all aspects of your written submission. This way, you can be sure that your responses – including social value – will be persuasive and engaging. Through this service, we will mark your bid against scoring criteria, in advance of submission. If you have done your research, produced your draft and are looking for bespoke consultation, get in touch.
Council Tenders – Looking to the future
Businesses are in a unique and intimidating position during the COVID-19 pandemic. When we look outwardly at news reports, the situation seems bleak. It is so important to look inwardly – at our team members, local communities and business practices. We can find ways of helping our communities. Our approach must be a mindset of not just mitigation, but planning for an optimistic future.
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