Category Archives: Uncategorized

Can a small non-compliance get your bid rejected? April 14, 2025 at 10:13 am

Important Court of Appeal Decision – Implications for Public Sector Bidders
I am posting about a fascinating recent Court of Appeal decision that may come in very handy. It ruled on DWP’s decisions about bid compliance, errors, and most interestingly to us, the responsibility of authorities to seek clarification if they spot an error in our bid. It also reconfirms a previous court ruling (the case I was expert witness for) that your bid cannot be rejected for non-compliance unless the ITT makes it absolutely clear how that is triggered.
 
Background
The case involved a procurement conducted by the DWP under a Framework. DWP rejected a bid by Optima as non-compliant, pointing out that it was above the framework price-cap (but only by 0.02%). They also pointed out that it said in the ITT that non-compliant bids would be ‘discounted’.
 
Optima challenged the exclusion, arguing the error was minor and DWP should have sought clarification, and that the term ‘discounted’ was unclear. This was rejected by lower courts but upheld on appeal.
 
The Court of Appeal provided useful clarity that has direct consequences for how you should interpret bid requirements – and how authorities should handle minor bid errors.

What This Means for Bidders
1. Ambiguity in Tender Documents Can Be Challenged
The Court found that the term “discounted” in the ITT was ambiguous and did not clearly equate to “excluded.” In your future bids, if you encounter vague language – particularly relating to compliance or disqualification – know that you may have legal grounds to challenge a strict interpretation.

2. Minor Pricing Errors May Not Justify Exclusion
The Court held that Optima’s minor pricing error (0.02% on one item) did not justify disqualification, particularly given that Optima scored far higher than the only other compliant bidder. This is a crucial point: minor, obvious errors that do not materially change the substance of your offer should not automatically lead to exclusion.

3. Contracting Authorities Must Exercise Proportionality and Common Sense
DWP argued that seeking clarification from Optima would breach the principle of equal treatment. The Court disagreed. It concluded that if a contracting authority identifies an obvious and material error, it should seek clarification – particularly if the correction could change the outcome of the award.
4. Bidders Can Now Push Back More Confidently
If you suspect that your bid is being unfairly excluded due to ambiguous instructions or minor, obvious mistakes, this ruling strengthens your hand. Authorities must apply common sense, fairness, and proportionality – and can no longer rely on rigid, overly literal interpretations of their own documents.

Looking Ahead – Under the Procurement Act 2023
Although this case was decided under the PCR 2015, the reasoning will remain relevant under the Procurement Act 2023. The new Act still emphasizes proportionality and fairness, and the discretion to exclude suppliers for procedural breaches must be exercised with clarity and precision. For suppliers, this means two things: Scrutinise ITT language carefully and question vague or ambiguous provisions up front. Document any errors or inconsistencies in your bid and be prepared to explain them clearly and promptly if asked. This case is a timely reminder for all of us bidding into government: accuracy matters, but when mistakes happen, you may have more rights than you think—especially when the contracting authority has the discretion (or obligation) to seek clarification rather than disqualify.

The full article is at Clarifying errors in public procurement bids – common sense prevails? | Bevan Brittan LLP.  It is an interesting read.  If you would like to chat over how all or any this may affect you and your business, please give us a call at any time for a no-obligation chat. What you should do now If you have found this update helpful, please do let me know (it will encourage us to do more).  If you would like further insight on this please respond to this mail or call us on 01227 860375. 

APMP Bid and Proposal Micro-certification October 10, 2023 at 1:06 pm

Pass the Exam and Become Certified

All courses will be run by Peter Lobl or Andy Haigh.  If you wish to know who will be leading any particular event, please contact us.

The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) is the professional association for people working in any sales environment where formal bidding and tendering takes place.  APMP certification is the global standard for developing and demonstrating proposal management competency.

The APMP have recently released a number of ‘micro-certifications’. These are becoming very popular as a way of bringing specific skills to a wider community as well as allowing APMP members to demonstrate a deeper capability.

A recognised advantage of this approach to training is that it strongly incentives you. It encourages greater attention during the day and rewards you with formal recognition at the end of the event.  In addition, the entire business will benefit from consistency in approach and awareness of global best practice.

To support you, we will guide you through the entire syllabus and the examination itself, maximising your chances of passing first time.  You can take the accreditation examination on the same day as the training, whilst all the training information is fresh in your mind.

Prerequisites:  Note, APMP membership is not require to enter the examination within these packages (but higher charges are applied by the APMP for non-members who sit the exam)

Bid and Proposal Micro-Certification Price and requirements

Price for APMP members:

  • Silver Package – £485 (ex VAT)
  • Gold Package – £570 (ex VAT) – Includes post course support and a free examination retake

The course is available both online and in-classroom

For non-members of the APMP add £100 to the above prices

Click here for more details of the package contents

Prerequisites: Note, APMP membership is not require to enter the examination within these packages (but higher charges are applied by the APMP for non-members who sit the exam) 

Course Dates

Click here for APMP membership registration information

Discounts may be available for in-house events and/or multiple bookings.  For more information about this course please contact Andy Haigh

Testimonials to our instructors’ recent (2023) delivery of APMP courses

“Very interesting and informative. Engaging trainer!”

Lydia Bellis – Proposals Designer

“Great day. Content taught in an engaging way. Friendly teacher. All the printouts were great.”

Laura Kishworth – Bid /coordinator

“This course was fantastic. Really informative, filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge.”

John Pelan – Bid Manager

“Peter is great. Enjoyable session and engaging, knowledgeable leader”

Anthony Bluens – Principal Consultant

““The session was great and really useful to understand question style and content. However the exam was more challenging than the training”.”

Amber Mellors – Proposals Editor

Silver Bid and Proposal Workshop and Examination October 10, 2023 at 1:05 pm

£485 PER CANDIDATE (EXC VAT)

A full day training event to prepare for and then take the APMP Bid and Proposal micro-certification. It will be led by a highly experienced proposal professional. We will introduce you to all the best practice principles that you will need both to get you through the exam and to enhance your career as a bid / proposal professional.
Includes:

Key Learning Outcomes:

  • The techniques used to create customer focused proposal writing
  • How to apply persuasion to your proposal writing using techniques outlined in the BoK
  • The best practices of writing clearly 
  • The purpose of review management, proof reading & the purpose and process for content development reviews
  • The principles and best practice of compliance and response
  • Best practice in unseating the incumbent, proof points and content plans
  • The purpose and best practice of headings, graphics and action captions and presentations
  • Best practise in proposal library, proposal theme statements, executive summaries and resume/ CV and team profiles

Exam fee – The cost of sitting the APMP Bid & Proposal exam is included in the price. You may choose to sit the exam at the end of the training day or to take it on-line in your own time.

Study Guide – We will send you an electronic copy of the APMP Study Guide (tailored for the syllabus) in advance of the day. This is a prerequisite for anyone taking the examination and an essential tool for preparing a bid.

Glossary – You will also receive an electronic copy of the APMP glossary, another prerequisite for taking the examination.

Lunch and refreshments (for classroom-based events).

Options (you can order these at any time at an additional cost. These are all included at no charge
in the Gold Package).

  1. Exam retake – If in the unlikely event you should fail the exam, you can elect to join another Sixfold Training event or just resit the examination (£75 admin, £160 exam fee).
  2. Six months ‘on-the-job’ telephone support – For a period of six months after the event, candidates can call on Sixfold bid professionals to give assistance over the phone with any aspect of their job. This could be advice on how best to prepare a bid kick-off to thoughts on how to deal with difficult procurement situations or whether to consider challenging a win/loss decision (£255 fixed rate).
  3. Sixfold Author’s Guide – An electronic copy of the invaluable guide that you can tailor to meet your own bid standards, this guide sets the approach that all contributors should take to creating their bid text and supporting the Bid Manager- (£75 cost).
  4. Flexible course date – We understand how changeable a bid manager’s diary is, so we allow delegates to make last minute changes. You can change your course date up to the Friday before the event (£75 admin fee).

Gold Bid & Proposal Workshop and Examination

£1075 £570 Per Candidate (Exc VAT)

The Gold package includes the entire Silver package, plus all four options, at no additional cost.

Assisted APMP Membership

£185 (Exc VAT)

One invoice for course, exam and APMP membership. We do the admin and supply you the APMP membership number. This greatly simplifies red tape if your company has complex approval systems.

General

Notes:

  1. All prices are exclusive of VAT which we will add to all invoices at the current rate.
  2. We will hold Public courses either online or at a city centre location – We will hold London courses in Zone 1 and Manchester courses within a few minutes’ walk of Piccadilly Gardens.
  3. Fees are for APMP members. Non-members will attract additional APMP fees, which we will pass on at cost.
  4. Examination candidates must bring proof of identity with them to the examination location.
  5. There are no pre-requisites for the micro-certification
  6. We can give partial or full refunds depending upon the remaining time before the event. We cannot give refunds once we have booked any examinations or venues for you.
  7. A 5% uplift will be charged for card payments
  8. A £35 postage fee applies for documents sent outside the UK

APMP Foundation Accreditation Workshops and Examinations August 7, 2023 at 10:38 am

Pass the Foundation Examination and Become Accredited

All courses will be run by Peter Lobl or Andy Haigh.  If you wish to know who will be leading any particular event, please contact us.

The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) is the professional association for people working in any sales environment where formal bidding and tendering takes place.  APMP certification is the global standard for developing and demonstrating proposal management competency.

The APMP accredits its members at three levels of increasing competence; Foundation, Practitioner and Professional.  Once certified, recent salary surveys have shown that these members earn an average of 15% more than their peers.

Even more attractive is that organisations with APMP accredited bid team members get an increase in bid win rate and a lower cost of sales.  In addition, the entire business will benefit from consistency in approach and awareness of global best practice.

To start you down this road, we will guide you through the Foundation level syllabus and the examination itself, maximising your chances of passing first time.  You can take the accreditation examination on the same day as the training, whilst all the training information is fresh in your mind.

Prerequisites:  Note, APMP membership is required to enter the examination within these packages (substantially higher charges are applied by the APMP for non-members)

Foundation Accreditation

Suitable for:  Bid or sales professionals who wish to enhance their ability to succeed at winning formal bids and tenders, including public sector bids.

Duration: One full day – typically 09:00 to 17:30 (including sitting the examination)

Price:

  • Silver Package – £545 (ex VAT)
  • Gold Package – £625(ex VAT) – Includes post course support and a free examination retake

Both packages include Sixfold’s “secret weapon” to help answering the examination questions.

Click here for more details of the package contents

Prerequisites: Note, APMP membership is required for all APMP item fee levels within these packages (higher charges are applied by the APMP for non-members).  

Course Dates

Click here for APMP membership registration information

Discounts may be available for in-house events and/or multiple bookings.  For more information about this course please contact Andy Haigh

Testimonials to our instructors’ ability to deliver engaging and effective courses

“Not only was it of enormous value to me, it was delivered in a very relaxed manner that made it easy to absorb. I have taken away a number of very important actions to implement that will make a real difference to our business. Truly stimulating”

Nick Pinkney – Manager Bid Support

“I enjoyed a super day led by you last Thursday… I have the ultimate solution for successful bid teams- delegate to you and your company!”

Mary Fielding – Bid Director

“Our bid win rate was about 1:5.  As a direct result of Sixfold’s intervention our win rate has increased to better than 1:2.  This significant improvement has made a real and substantial difference to the MidlandHR bottom line. We no longer strive to get ‘quality bids’ out on time, but to get winning bids out (on time of course).”

Jamie Colville – Bid Team Manager

“Thank you again for holding your session here at Aviva last night. It was a huge success and I learnt lots about Public Sector bidding.”

Jane Matthews – Bids and Tenders Manager Aviva

“I thoroughly enjoyed my day and felt I came away with lots of new ideas for my team and for future bids across the business – thank you!’

William Gray – Managing Director

Thank you again for holding your session here at Aviva last night. It was a huge success and I learnt lots about Public Sector bidding.

Jane Matthews
Bids and Tenders Manager
Aviva

Great course, highly relevant and practical advice.

Jon Savill
Hitachi Consulting

Very practical and relevant.  Has given me lots of ideas and tools to use as part of day job.  Excellent!

Tom Cushing
Steria

I thoroughly enjoyed my day and felt I came away with lots of new ideas for my team and for future bids across the business – thank you!

Jo Massey
Head of Bid Service, BAE Systems

Peter has deep knowledge of public sector bidding in the UK and helped us tremendously on two major public sector bids. His presentations and bid team training about proposal writing and the most important things to focus on in public sector bids were extremely well received. He went on to support us with score focussed proposal planning, storyboarding and executive summary improvement, leading to a positive result in challenging circumstances. He is always available to give advice and is extremely professional ….as well as being a thoroughly nice guy. I recommend him to anybody tendering for PS business, large bids or small

Russell Hipkin
Senior Bid Manager, Alcatel-Lucent

Great course, Presenters are entertaining and engaging, and provide plenty of interactive content to involve the group.

Peter and Andy have a great wealth of experience in the industry and this supports and enriches the course programme. The programmes is very practical, and informative, there are improvements I will make in my day to day role which will improve my tender outcomes.

Rosie Rowe
Tendering Associate, Chargemaster

“I approached Sixfold to achieve Foundation Level APMP certification to learn new insights and best practice in project management. I also felt that certification would add value to my CV, complementing my experience in tendering for public contracts.

Sixfold arrange a neat and comprehensive package, consisting of an insightful workshop with practical tips, followed by the examination itself, all on the same day. It was beneficial to me that the course was held in Manchester, rather than London, providing added flexibility.

Peter and Andy put everyone at ease, leading a very enjoyable day. They provided thorough, helpful literature, and spoke eloquently throughout the workshop about APMP’s guidance for successful project management. I particularly liked the pace at which they went through sometimes complex material, ensuring everyone had opportunities to ask questions.

I was very pleased to have passed the Foundation examination, finding the workshop beforehand very helpful.

I would highly recommend contacting Sixfold to arrange your APMP training with Peter and Andy.”

Mark Dixon

Tendering Manager, Voyage Care

I would like to say that I thought Tuesday was very well run, the content was well delivered and pitched at the right level.

One thing that I thought was very powerful was where you demonstrated how you broke down a question into its various parts. I think it will really hit home with some of the familiar challenges we have in our business, addressing them in a powerful way.

Thank you once again.

Matt Lemon
Head of Proposals

Thank you for the session you provided to the Ricoh Bid Team yesterday, I personally really enjoyed it and took a lot away from it.  It has made me think about simplifying things, taking a step back and looking at things from a different perspective.

Richard Mason
Bid Manager

Ricoh

Thank you for the course yesterday, we all found it hugely beneficial and are already applying changes to the way we work.

Leon Bright

Senor Bid Manager

BESPOKEBIDS

I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday.  I’ve sat on a number of courses and workshops throughout my lifetime and I have to say that this was the most interesting and engaging.  I feel like I learnt a lot of really useful information that I can take back to my workplace and implement to improve our bid processes.

Kathryn Brown

TTE Technical Training­­­-+

It was a great day all round and Peter, you were just a great instructor and I have taken so much away from the day, so much that I can hit my Directors with J! They are all delighted and thrilled that I passed the exam and are very much looking forward to me sitting them down and going through the facts and figures of what we should be doing and why.

Thank you very much for a great day, so informative and I am very much looking forward to putting it into practice.

Gill Tidmarsh

Bid Manager

PHS Compliance

I just want to thank you for the excellent course that you delivered in Manchester. Your style and approach in training was fantastic and you made it a pleasure to learn and understand the APMP course content. I would highly recommend you to anyone who need bid training and would be extremely keen to work with you again at some point in the future.

Matthew Pearce

Bid Manager

Life Environmental Services

APMP Practitioner Accreditation Workshops and (optional) Examinations June 7, 2022 at 10:42 am

Pass the Practitioner Examination and Become Accredited

All courses will be run by Peter Lobl or Andy Haigh.  If you wish to know who will be leading any particular event, please contact us.

The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) is the professional association for people working in any sales environment where formal bidding and tendering takes place.  APMP certification is the global standard for developing and demonstrating proposal management competency.

The APMP accredits its members at three levels of increasing competence; Foundation, Practitioner and Professional.  Once certified, recent salary surveys have shown that Practitioner accredited members earn an average of 35% more than their peers.

Even more attractive is that organisations with accredited professionals get an increase in bid win rate and a lower cost of sales.  In addition, the entire business will benefit from consistency in approach and awareness of global best practice.

If you want to get the Practitioner accreditation, you will have a current APMP membership and a pass at APMP Foundation level.  To start you down the Practitioner process, we will guide you through the key parts of the Foundation level syllabus.  If you passed and gained your Foundation accreditation a while ago, you will need this as a refresher and to update you on the latest methodology changes.  The Foundation knowledge is a key underpinning of the Practitioner examination.  Then we will look at the details of the Practitioner examination and try some sample questions together.  We will cover material beyond the Foundation syllabus and the best approach to the 4-levels and non-intuitive types of examination responses required.

Finally, we will sit the examination as a group.  You can take the accreditation examination on the same day as the training, whilst all the training information is fresh in your mind.  Alternatively, we can make arrangements for you to attempt the examination in your own time at home.

Prerequisites:  Note, APMP membership is required to enter the examination within these packages.

Foundation Accreditation

Suitable for:  Accredited APMP Foundation members who wish to enhance their ability to succeed at winning formal bids and tenders, including public sector bids.

Duration: One or two full days – typically 09:00 to 17:00 or 09:30 to 17:30 depending upon the venue.

Prices:

  • SILVER Practitioner TWO-Day Workshop and EXAMINATION – £1,170 per Candidate – includes examination fee
    Includes the Refresher workshop followed by the One-Day workshop and examination
  • SILVER Practitioner REFRESHER Workshop – £455 per Candidate (no examination)
  • SILVER Practitioner One-Day Workshop AND EXAMINATION – £915 per Candidate – includes examination fee
  • GOLD Practitioner UPGRADE – £185 per Candidate
    Opt to repeat any workshop you wish and to re-sit the exam (APM Group re-examination fee £564) should you fail to pass on the first attempt
Click here for more details of the package contents

Course Dates

Discounts may be available for in-house events and/or multiple bookings.  For more information about this course please contact Andy Haigh

Testimonials to our instructors’ ability to deliver engaging and effective courses

“Not only was it of enormous value to me, it was delivered in a very relaxed manner that made it easy to absorb. I have taken away a number of very important actions to implement that will make a real difference to our business. Truly stimulating”

Nick Pinkney – Manager Bid Support

“I enjoyed a super day led by you last Thursday… I have the ultimate solution for successful bid teams- delegate to you and your company!”

Mary Fielding – Bid Director

“Our bid win rate was about 1:5.  As a direct result of Sixfold’s intervention our win rate has increased to better than 1:2.  This significant improvement has made a real and substantial difference to the MidlandHR bottom line. We no longer strive to get ‘quality bids’ out on time, but to get winning bids out (on time of course).”

Jamie Colville – Bid Team Manager

“Thank you again for holding your session here at Aviva last night. It was a huge success and I learnt lots about Public Sector bidding.”

Jane Matthews – Bids and Tenders Manager Aviva

“I thoroughly enjoyed my day and felt I came away with lots of new ideas for my team and for future bids across the business – thank you!’

William Gray – Managing Director

Thank you again for holding your session here at Aviva last night. It was a huge success and I learnt lots about Public Sector bidding.

Jane Matthews
Bids and Tenders Manager
Aviva

Great course, highly relevant and practical advice. 

Jon Savill
Hitachi Consulting

Very practical and relevant.  Has given me lots of ideas and tools to use as part of day job.  Excellent!

Tom Cushing
Steria

I thoroughly enjoyed my day and felt I came away with lots of new ideas for my team and for future bids across the business – thank you!

Jo Massey
Head of Bid Service, BAE Systems

Peter has deep knowledge of public sector bidding in the UK and helped us tremendously on two major public sector bids. His presentations and bid team training about proposal writing and the most important things to focus on in public sector bids were extremely well received. He went on to support us with score focussed proposal planning, storyboarding and executive summary improvement, leading to a positive result in challenging circumstances. He is always available to give advice and is extremely professional ….as well as being a thoroughly nice guy. I recommend him to anybody tendering for PS business, large bids or small

Russell Hipkin
Senior Bid Manager, Alcatel-Lucent

Great course, Presenters are entertaining and engaging, and provide plenty of interactive content to involve the group.

Peter and Andy have a great wealth of experience in the industry and this supports and enriches the course programme. The programmes is very practical, and informative, there are improvements I will make in my day to day role which will improve my tender outcomes.

Rosie Rowe
Tendering Associate, Chargemaster

“I approached Sixfold to achieve Foundation Level APMP certification to learn new insights and best practice in project management. I also felt that certification would add value to my CV, complementing my experience in tendering for public contracts. 

Sixfold arrange a neat and comprehensive package, consisting of an insightful workshop with practical tips, followed by the examination itself, all on the same day. It was beneficial to me that the course was held in Manchester, rather than London, providing added flexibility.

Peter and Andy put everyone at ease, leading a very enjoyable day. They provided thorough, helpful literature, and spoke eloquently throughout the workshop about APMP’s guidance for successful project management. I particularly liked the pace at which they went through sometimes complex material, ensuring everyone had opportunities to ask questions.

I was very pleased to have passed the Foundation examination, finding the workshop beforehand very helpful. 

I would highly recommend contacting Sixfold to arrange your APMP training with Peter and Andy.”

Mark Dixon

Tendering Manager, Voyage Care

I would like to say that I thought Tuesday was very well run, the content was well delivered and pitched at the right level.

One thing that I thought was very powerful was where you demonstrated how you broke down a question into its various parts. I think it will really hit home with some of the familiar challenges we have in our business, addressing them in a powerful way.

Thank you once again.

Matt Lemon
Head of Proposals

Thank you for the session you provided to the Ricoh Bid Team yesterday, I personally really enjoyed it and took a lot away from it.  It has made me think about simplifying things, taking a step back and looking at things from a different perspective.

Richard Mason
Bid Manager

Ricoh

Thank you for the course yesterday, we all found it hugely beneficial and are already applying changes to the way we work.

Leon Bright

Senor Bid Manager

BESPOKEBIDS

I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday.  I’ve sat on a number of courses and workshops throughout my lifetime and I have to say that this was the most interesting and engaging.  I feel like I learnt a lot of really useful information that I can take back to my workplace and implement to improve our bid processes. 

Kathryn Brown

TTE Technical Training­­­-+

It was a great day all round and Peter, you were just a great instructor and I have taken so much away from the day, so much that I can hit my Directors with J! They are all delighted and thrilled that I passed the exam and are very much looking forward to me sitting them down and going through the facts and figures of what we should be doing and why.

Thank you very much for a great day, so informative and I am very much looking forward to putting it into practice.

Gill Tidmarsh

Bid Manager

PHS Compliance

I just want to thank you for the excellent course that you delivered in Manchester. Your style and approach in training was fantastic and you made it a pleasure to learn and understand the APMP course content. I would highly recommend you to anyone who need bid training and would be extremely keen to work with you again at some point in the future.

Matthew Pearce

Bid Manager

Life Environmental Services

Testimonials to our instructors’ ability to deliver engaging and effective courses

“Not only was it of enormous value to me, it was delivered in a very relaxed manner that made it easy to absorb. I have taken away a number of very important actions to implement that will make a real difference to our business. Truly stimulating”

Nick Pinkney – Manager Bid Support

“I enjoyed a super day led by you last Thursday… I have the ultimate solution for successful bid teams- delegate to you and your company!”

Mary Fielding – Bid Director

“Our bid win rate was about 1:5.  As a direct result of Sixfold’s intervention our win rate has increased to better than 1:2.  This significant improvement has made a real and substantial difference to the MidlandHR bottom line. We no longer strive to get ‘quality bids’ out on time, but to get winning bids out (on time of course).”

Jamie Colville – Bid Team Manager

“Thank you again for holding your session here at Aviva last night. It was a huge success and I learnt lots about Public Sector bidding.”

Jane Matthews – Bids and Tenders Manager Aviva

“I thoroughly enjoyed my day and felt I came away with lots of new ideas for my team and for future bids across the business – thank you!’

Jo Massey – Head of Bid Service, BAE Systems

“Many thanks for an enlightening seminar”

William Gray – Managing Director

Assisted Membership April 1, 2020 at 2:58 pm

Use Sixfold to arrange your APMP membership

If you use Sixfold to arrange your APMP membership you will receive the following benefits:

  • You will not need to navigate the complex US based website
  • You can pay in sterling and not in dollars
  • The non-intuitive registration form can be completed with the best information for your situation
  • The costs of membership can be added to your invoice for the training course
  • Your registration for the examination can be completed without you having to find your APMP number at the critical time
  • If there are any problems with access to the website or the Body of Knowledge, Sixfold can sort them out for you.

The entire service only costs £188.50 plus VAT

For these and other benefits, please call Sixfold on 01227 860375.

Back to On-line Courses

Foundation Day Packages September 7, 2016 at 4:55 pm

The Sixfold Foundation day course packages are designed to provide everything needed for you to have the best chance of passing the examination and achieving the accreditation.  They are as follows:

Silver Package                                                £465 plus VAT

The Silver Package includes:

  • Full day training Event
  • Exam fee
  • APMP Study Guide
  • APMP Glossary
  • Sixfold’s “Secret Weapon” Exam aid
  • Lunch and refreshments
  • City Centre location

Options (these can be ordered at any time) and are VAT exclusive:

  • 6 months ‘on-the-job’ telephone support – £225
  • Examination retake (should it be necessary) – £200 1
  • Sixfold’s “Author’s Guide” – £25
  • Practioner’s workshop (1/2 day) – £225
  • PPAQ preparation (1/2 day) – £200

 

Gold Package                                      £1000  now £550 plus VAT

The Gold Package must be ordered in advance of the course and includes:

  • The full Silver Package above, plus
  • Free examination retake (if required) 2
  • 6 months ‘on-the-job’ telephone support
  • Sixfold’s “Author’s Guide”

 

Assisted Membership                                £148.50 plus VAT

With the Assisted Membership package, we complete the entire APMP application and pay your fees for your first 12 months of membership.  You avoid having to navigate the US APMP website and forms, plus you can add the cost of the membership to your invoice for our other courses and services.

Notes:
1. In the unlikely event that you fail the first exam you may wish to retake it. If you chose to resit the examination, Sixfold will not pass on the full re-examination APMP fee. (The APMP charge is £250)
2. There will be no charge for resitting the examination if you have taken the Gold Package.

 

Click here for even more detail about each of the packages or call us on 01227 860375 and we can chat through what you need.

Individual Success through Contributing to Business Improvement November 10, 2015 at 10:45 am

The manner in which a bid team is managed can make the crucial difference between winning and losing. This workshop provides bid leaders and their management with the skills and tools to lead bid teams to produce excellent proposals;

– Efficiently allocate resources for a successful bid

– Understand how to support Bid teams effectively

– Structure reviews to ensure bid quality and a motivated team

– Learn how to best add value through targeted management intervention

Typical Duration: One Day

Suitable for: Senior Managers and Business sponsors responsible for guiding substantial and complex bids

For more information about this course please contact Andy Haigh (LINK)

Master Class in Advanced Communication and Presentation Skills November 10, 2015 at 10:44 am

Many companies see the public sector market as one fraught with difficulties. The procurement processes can seem complex, cumbersome and difficult to understand. The sales cycle sometimes seems to be much longer than most business can tolerate. The language is different and the business risk of getting involved seems very high. No wonder many sales teams keep pressing on with the increasingly difficult traditional markets rather than changing focus to this lucrative business area.

For some companies getting into the public sector is a survival strategy. In the Sixfold two day PSS course, sales people can not only find out how to operate within this sector, but also how to exploit the peculiarities of the Public procurement processes to win against more established competitors.

This is a great course for sales people who are new to the UK Public Sector to understand how the procurement processes work and how to exploit those processes to win. Running for 18 months and recently updated with the new EU procurement regulations, this could unshackle the sales performance of your company.

Suitable for: Experienced sales professionals who wish to enhance their ability to succeed at winning public sector bids.

Typical Duration: Two days.

For more information about this course please contact Andy Haigh (LINK)

Leading Bid Teams to Success November 10, 2015 at 10:42 am

The manner in which a bid team is managed can make the crucial difference between winning and losing. This workshop provides bid leaders and their management with the skills and tools to lead bid teams to produce excellent proposals;

– The manner in which a bid team is managed can make the crucial difference between winning and losing. This workshop provides bid leaders and their management with the skills and tools to lead bid teams to produce excellent proposals;

– Efficiently allocate resources for a successful bid

– Understand how to support Bid teams effectively

– Structure reviews to ensure bid quality and a motivated team

– Learn how to best add value through targeted management intervention

Typical Duration: One Day

Suitable for: Senior Managers and Business sponsors responsible for guiding substantial and complex bids

For more information about this course please contact Andy Haigh (LINK)

Setting the Bid Strategy November 10, 2015 at 10:41 am

Course Objectives

Choosing the right strategy requires teams to consider their position with the customer and the likely strategies of the competition together with a host of other factors. Determining the winning strategy is an art that does not come easily to everyone and often requires experience to get it right. This workshop aims to give bid teams the fundamentals to bridge the experience gap so that they can confidently utilise strategies to increase their win chance;

– Understand different bid strategies, their strengths and weaknesses and the importance of choosing the correct one

– Consider the strategies a competitor could utilise and understand its likely impact upon your customer

– Find out where you can get the information about competitive bidder’s strategies

– Pick the strategy that will be most likely to succeed against the competitors MANAGING COMPLEX BIDS

Typical Duration: One Day

Suitable for: Senior managers and Bid Leaders responsible for setting bid strategies

For more information about this course please contact Andy Haigh (LINK)

Presenting the Winning Bid – Masterclass November 10, 2015 at 10:33 am

The presentation stage of a public sector opportunity is almost never given the same proportion of focus as the tender document. This is a significant problem as many an opportunity is lost at this stage because of a lack of preparation, an inability to engage with the ‘audience’ and the lack of confidence of the presenters.

This half day masterclass has been developed for professionals who on a regular basis are required to present and communicate the business to the highest standards.

Why should I attend?

What are the benefits of attending – how will it benefit me personally (increased knowledge/confidence etc) and how will it benefit my company (making them more competitive etc).

Using a master-class format with a high level of individual coaching you will find out how to develop and apply the advanced communication skills that will enable you to develop outstanding bid presentations. You will learn how to present yourself and your business as a whole, with greater impact and presence. At the same time, you will hone their existing vocal and non-verbal communication skills into an incisive business tool. In short, attending this course will significantly increase your chances of winning a bid by presenting it in the best possible light.

What will I learn?

What topics will be covered/ what questions will be answered if I attend.

On this event we will:

– Refresh the ‘best practice’ techniques that will allow you to develop memorable presentations that win.

– Identify the advanced skills and techniques that you need to communicate and present in an effective and professional manner

– Explore how to use your vocal and non-verbal communication with maximum impact and presence.

– Demonstrate the importance of using role and intention to support your communication and develop authenticity

– Critically assess and enhance your personal communication style with a high degree of individual coaching and feedback

Who should attend – job titles/ departments/ ‘anyone involved in…’

This event covers ground applicable to experienced bid professionals who have a desire to improve their impact when making bid presentations. This will include:

– Commercial Directors and Managers

– Sales Directors

– Bid Directors

– Bid Managers

– Sales professionals

Technical bid team members who may be on a presentation team.

Because of the focused attention given to each person the number of participants on each masterclass is limited to 6. Participants are requested to bring ten minutes of a presentation with them to work on during the master-class.

For more information about when this course will be run please contact Andy Haigh on 01227 860 375 or via our contact form

APMP UK Workshop: Exploiting the Public Sector rules for Competitive Gain November 10, 2015 at 10:18 am

Virgin’s success at overturning the government decision to award the West Coast mainline franchise to FirstGroup demonstrated something Sixfold has long been preaching: the best bidders in the public sector use the government’s own rules to give themselves competitive advantage.

 

In our experience, most companies don’t understand how to exploit these rules. Instead they regard them at best as a cumbersome necessity or at worst as a reason not to go for government business at all.
Bid teams need to understand how to use these rules to give themselves every possible advantage when planning a bid strategy.
This session shows some of the ways the most successful bidders prepare themselves and their team to exploit the nuances of a public sector bid.
This is a rare opportunity to gain winning knowledge and even if you are not currently engaged in public sector business, it is essential insight for anyone following a career as a bid professional.


About our speakers

Peter Lobl – After a successful 22 year career of high value sales working for Unisys and IBM, Peter has spent the last 10 years helping major organisations improve their sales performance. He has worked on both sides of the Public Sector procurement process which has helped develop the insights and methods that help his clients exploit the process for competitive advantage.
Peter has worked with commercial organisations including Unisys, Glaxo Smithkline, T-Systems and Royal Mail. His Public Sector clients include the Ministry of Justice and Kent County Council. For Sixfold, Peter has developed a variety of ‘Mastering Public Sector Bidding’ events, delivered under the Kable brand. As well as developing and delivering events focused on successful bidding, Peter has rolled out the course ‘Selling Complex Services’ across Europe, a workshop that showed senior sales people how to secure high value BPO outsourcing contracts (£25m +). The focus of the course was on the preparation and presentation of key bid messages for issues that resonated at C-Level. As well as being an APMP practitioner, Peter is an expert reviewer for the EU, and a director of a number of small local businesses.

Andy Haigh is expert in the processes of bidding and tendering, specialising in competitive formal bids into EU Public Sector organisations. He has developed tools and techniques for every aspect of the procurement process whilst working with both private and public sector clients. He is an authority on EU procurement legislation and brings all these capabilities together to initiate and then drive major complex bids through to a successful completion.
He has bid management experience from working in both the private and public sectors, including responsibility at Director level in several large multinational companies. His recent clients include Alcatel Lucent, Ericsson, Balfour Beatty, The Guardian News and Media, Kent County Council and Steria.

As an APMP “Professional”, Andy’s book, “Winning Public Sector Contracts” has been published by the Guardian as part of its Guardian Professional book series.
Attendance at this event will earn five Continuing Education Units (CEUs) towards the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement of the APMP Accreditation Programme. Bring your paper ticket for signature if you need proof of attendance.

Venue: We are very grateful for the hospitality extended to APMP UK by Aviva in York.

No car parking is available at the office but you can use the public car park: Esplanade car park, West Esplanade, York, YO1 6F. This is a two minute walk from the Aviva office along the riverside.

Train: If travelling by train (station also shown on the above map) the walk to the office is less than five minutes.

You are welcome to invite guests.

Schedule

18:00 – 18:30 – Welcome, refreshments and networking
18:30 – 20:00 – Workshop and questions
20:00 – 20:30 – Networking