Tendering Workshop For Local Businesses

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has organised a free half-day introduction to public tendering workshop to be delivered by the cross-border business development body, IntertradeIreland.  The event is aimed at micro enterprises who have little or no tendering experience and aims to demystify the procedures around pitching for and ultimately winning tenders.

“Go2Tender – Introduction to Tendering for Micro-businesses” is a FREE focused half day session on public procurement which will be delivered by experts from IntertradeIreland which offers a suite of tendering programmes. While this workshop is aimed specifically at micro enterprises it is also suitable for new business start-ups that are looking into public procurement as a possible future option.

Workshops are to be held as follows:

Date Time Venue

Wednesday 15 June 2016 9.15 am – 12.30 pm Business Centre, Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh

Thursday 23 June 2016 9.15 am – 12.30 pm Fermanagh Enterprise Ltd,

As spaces are limited please contact Sharon McGillion, E-mail: sharon.mcgillion@fermanaghomagh.com or Telephone: 0300 3031 777 Ext; 20328 by  Monday 6 June 2016 to indicate which workshop you would like to attend.

TRAINING COURSE OUTLINE – Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
Course Title: Go2Tender – Introduction to Tendering for Micro-businesses
Course Duration: Half day training workshop PLUS mentor meeting (optional).
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm (training workshop)
Dates: Training Workshop Dates: 15 and 23 June 2016. Mentoring available after workshop
Venues: 15 June 2016 – The Business Centre, Silverbirch Hotel, Gortin Road, Omagh

23 June 2016 – Fermanagh Enterprise Ltd, Lackaghboy Road, EnniskillenotelH
Cost: Free (includes a tea/coffee on arrival and light lunch at 1.00 pm)
Trainer ‘s Background: Experienced Procurement Consultants from InterTradeIreland’s ‘Go2Tender’ Programme, delivered throughout the island of Ireland.
Background to the Workshop: This workshop has been developed by InterTradeIreland, as a joint initiative, following on from a successful information seminar on the topic which took place in early 2016. The workshop is part of a Local Government initiative to actively encourage small businesses on the island of Ireland to engage in public procurement.  The Procurement team at the Local Authority has had a strong input to the workshop.
Participant Profile: Go2Tender – Introduction to Tendering is designed to be a practical workshop, aimed specifically at small business owners that have never completed a tender before.  It aims to demystify the procedures around pitching for, and ultimately winning some of the ‘below threshold’ (i.e. below £30,000) work that Local Authorities and other Government Bodies/Agencies contract out. The workshop is also suitable for new start-ups that are looking into public procurement as a possible future option, and for those looking to pick up some of the very small contracts (e.g. work <£500).
Participant Numbers: The workshops are generally restricted to 12 participants to allow for group interaction and Q&A sessions.
Course Outline & Proposed Practical Outcomes: Outline Syllabus

The workshop will cover:

·           Advice on Proposal Writing (‘proposals’ as opposed to lengthy ‘tenders’)

·           Responding to ‘below threshold’ work (i.e. below £30,000) required by NI public bodies

·           Specifically, proposals for work below the £5,000 threshold will be covered

·           How to simply and easily respond to a ‘mini competition’ by email

·           Documents that may be required to attach to the email proposal

·           Finding tender opportunities – registering with the main sources of relevant tender opportunities for SMEs

·           The eTenders family of websites

·           Case study examples of simple success stories
Training Methodology: Training Methodology

The workshop will take place in Local Authority facilities.

Learning tools used will include:

  • Powerpoint presentation
  • Participants will be given a hand-out of the slides and encouraged to take notes during the programme.
  • Facilitated group discussion on specific questions from participants
  • Case studies

Each participant will complete a post-course evaluation form and verbal feedback may be given to the Economic Development team.