Olympic Tendering Advice

The London Olympics provides a great opportunity for businesses with 75,000 contracts worth £1billion related to goods and services available. Outside of London, there is further investment totalling millions! This article provides information on the opportunities and how to get involved.

Why bid for Olympic tender opportunities?

With work being harder to obtain in the current climate, the London 2012 Olympic Games is helping many businesses in and around London by getting them involved in tender contracts.

The infrastructure requirements for the Olympics are massive; the London sites alone consist of the Olympic Park, Olympic Village and Stratford City. There are also substantial projects outside of London due to the development of improved transportation links and services. The cost breakdown reads as follows:

		Athletes Village: £4 billion
		Stratford City: £4 billion
		Ebbsfleet Valley: £3 billion
		Thames Gateway: £10 billion
		Crossrail: £36 billion

Opportunities won't just be for the period running up to the start of the Games either. Tourism uplift after the Games is expected to result in further development for local areas. As a demonstration of impact, Barcelona went from being the 16th most visited holiday location to the 3rd just one year after it hosted the Games.

With tenders ranging from ice cream vans to the supply of sausages, the opportunities are under eight categories. These are:

		Facilities management and catering
		Production services for ceremonies
		Security
		Services
		Sports
		Technology
		Transport and logistics
		Venues and venue logistics

Most tenders aren't let directly through the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) but are sub-contracted via 'Second Tier' suppliers such as EDF energy, Balfour Beatty and Morrisons.

> View list of ODA suppliers by sector

Where do I find information on tender opportunities?

There is a London 2012 website with a business network area that shows what the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are currently buying. It’s also possible to view opportunities right up to 2012 using their planned timeline.

To view actual opportunities you will need to register on the ‘CompeteFor’ website (see link below). You will need to fill out extensive details about your organisation including financial details. You will then receive email alerts for tenders related to what you provide.

> Download ODA Supplier Guide (PDF)
> Visit CompeteFor website

What do I need to qualify for the Olympic tenders?

Business hoping to win contracts will have to abide by the rules set out by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Locog).

The vast majority of Locog's procurement will go through the website CompeteFor. The CompeteFor process works like an online dating agency, matching buyers in the London 2012 supply chains with a shortlist of potential suppliers. There are three mandatory policy requirements:

		A Health & Safety policy
		An Equal Opportunities policy
		A Quality Management statement

Companies must also meet the UK legal requirements on insurance which consist of:

		Public liability
		Employer liability
		Professional Indemnity (if appropriate)

What happens if you are short listed?

The buyer will contact you and their usual procurement procedure will be implemented. Depending on the size of the project you could be involved in, this could be anything from a basic quotation to the completion of a full tender document.

Business Link recommends starting a 'bid file' in order to come up with the best bid for the tender. Their suggestions include:

		Don’t bid if you can’t deliver - you're just wasting your time.
		Read the instructions (TWICE) and do what they ask!
		Go through commercial conditions very carefully
		Create a check list of requirements & deadlines
		Try to understand what the client really wants
		Research your competitors
		Plan & practice the bid presentation early
		If it’s a serious bid take time and spend money!

Of course, you can't win them all. If you don’t win a tender, try to find out why and learn from it. This will help your planning for the many other tender opportunities. You can also view details of the winners of all contracts, which could help you learn more too.

How can I differentiate my business from the rest?

Of course, with great opportunity comes great competition. Therefore, it is vital to stand out from of the crowd. The following pointers have been brought together to help businesses benefit from the many opportunities that will be presented.

Environmental Policy

An Environmental Policy is a statement outlining your business’s strategy and the driving force behind your objectives and should include time-related targets and a measurable management programme as part of a joined-up Environmental Management System. Many organisations formalise their policy within the environmental management standard ISO 14001. Becoming certified to a recognised standard like ISO 14001 will improve your tender prospects and help you save money in areas of consumption and waste. It is also recognised that certified businesses are better managed and have enhanced customer loyalty.

> ISO 14001 Certification Information

Sustainability Policy

Related to the Environmental Policy, a Sustainability Policy should outline sustainability considerations within business decisions, with a plan of how to prevent particular issues arising. This might include encouraging staff to use public transport (where possible), to ensuring your business is doing its best to recycle.

Ethical Sourcing Policy

This policy is typically aimed at larger organisations but can still prove beneficial for businesses of all sizes, because it promotes employee focus. An Ethical Sourcing Policy should focus on your fair attitude to employee rights, work conditions, health and safety, discrimination, wages and hours of work. Multi-national companies might also cover such issues as ensuring the company doesn't use child labour. Such a policy would also mention the encouragement of ethical sourcing throughout the supply chain.

Business Continuity plan

A Business Continuity Plan is a practiced logistical plan (e.g. simulated periodic tests) for how an organisation would recover (partially or completely) following the interruption of a critical function. The plan would cover what contingency plans would be put into action within a predetermined timeframe after a disaster or an extended period of disruption. The plan should include the logistics of exactly what the organisation would do in the event of disruption; from a building fire to a natural disaster.

Certified Quality Policy

A Quality Policy is a concise statement that defines the organisation’s objectives with regard to quality, a commitment to meeting customer requirements and an undertaking to drive continuous improvement throughout the organisation’s activities. It should provide a framework for establishing, communicating, and monitoring performance against agreed quality objectives.

One of the most robust forms of proof for an effective Quality Policy would be to have the organisation certified to the ISO 9001 standard. It is the best known and most established quality management standard in the World; first established in 1987 and adopted by over 150 countries. The standard helps organisations to improve their management by having effective processes and procedures in place. This improves consistency, reduces re-work and establishes measures to ensure that customers’ requirements are being met; leading to greater customer loyalty, reduced costs and increased profitability.

> ISO 9001 Certification Information

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For more information visit www.british-assessment.co.uk.

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