This guide seeks to explain the complex processes by which the government buys, in the UK and Europe, and some of the thinking that lies behind them.
Public sector buying differs substantially from commercial buying, but once you understand the principles that the public sector procurement system is based upon, selling to it isn’t more difficult, just different.
This guide shows you where the formal procurement rules can be bent (but not broken) and where the process can be harnessed to gain competitive advantage.
Contents
Introduction
– What this guide does and how it works
– Cabinet Office and the Office of Government Commerce
The buying environment
– The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)
– Fundamental Principles of public sector buying
– How the procurement and evaluation processes work
The political scene
– Introduction to political analysis
– Identifying the targets and influence
– Approaching influential people and making it happen
Market intelligence
– Discovering and harnessing market intelligence
Qualifying the opportunity
– Sixfold position analysis tool and how to use it
Responding to the Selection Questionnaire
– Purpose of the SQ and the standard SQ contents
– Strategies for dealing with and getting past the SQ stage
Responding to the ITT
– Key to responding
– Competitive environment
Presentation stage
– What’s actually happening at this stage?
– Timing, outline agenda, preparing to convince the evaluators
– Presentation traps
Win when you lose
– Strategies if you think you might lose
– If you are the winner
Conclusions
– Lessons learned
– Top traps to avoid and top tips for winning
