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A Guide to Tenders for Logistics Services

What to expect from tenders for logistics services

Securing tenders for logistics services can be confusing if you’ve never tendered before. You may be wondering what’s required and where to find them. This blog will contain some helpful tips on what to expect from tenders for logistics services.

Tenders for logistics services are used when a buyer is looking for a specific good, service or product. They’re essentially outsourcing the solution to their problem. A tender will be released and then hopefully suppliers will compete to win the contract.

Tenders for logistics services can range from courier delivery contracts to Irish Rail tenders. Both the public and the private sector release contracts to tender.

The tender procedure

There are typically two types of tender procedures used by buyers to procure the goods or services they need. They are:

  • Open tendering procedure

Step 1: An ITT is released

Tenders for logistics services can be done via an open tendering procedure. This procedure is often used to procure more ‘simple’ goods or services. Any supplier can apply for the contract when the invitation to tender (ITT) is released. Each supplier will submit their response detailing why they would be the best for the job.

The buyer then evaluates the responses, and the contract is awarded. If tendering the public sector, the contract is awarded to the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT). This is when the buyer is seeking to get the most value for money. In this situation, the tender is evaluated on more than just price. A number of things are taken into consideration such as:

  • Innovation
  • Quality
  • Accessibility
  • Ability to deliver on time
  • Environmental factors
  • Price
  • Technical ability

 

  • Restricted procedure

For a restricted procedure, a buyer will want to shortlist the bidders to ensure they can deliver the contract. This process has two stages and is used to procure more complex goods or services.

Step 1: The buyer releases a PQQ/SQ  

A pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) or a selection questionnaire (SQ) need to be completed by prospective suppliers. At this stage, any supplier can fill out these questionnaires, but not all of them may meet the eligibility criteria. A buyer will include this stage to ensure that a supplier is well experienced and is qualified.

PQQs and SQs are essentially box-ticking exercises. You will need to include a copy of your business relevant policies and procedures for tenders for logistics services. Contract examples will likely be required so a buyer can assess your capabilities. Up to three case studies can be asked for from within the last three to five years. They should be similar in scope and complexity to the contract at hand. Your economic financial standing will also be assessed. This is to ensure you have enough funds to deliver the contract.

Step 2: Eligible businesses are issued with an ITT

After a supplier meets the minimum eligibility criteria, they will be given an invitation to tender. They can then formulate a deeper response to quality questions and give their pricing. Tenders will then be evaluated, and the contract awarded to the successful supplier.

Need assistance when writing your next tenders for logistics services?

You may not have the time or resources in house to write a winning tender response in house. Outsourcing to tender writing specialists can help you secure your next contract.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, provide four levels of bid writing support services. Our Bid Writers have over 60 years of collective bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re new to tendering or need your response proofread – we can help.

Tender Ready

Tender Ready is the perfect programme for those who are completely new to tendering. You’ll have access to an expert Bid Consultant to answer any questions that you may have. You’ll also get a year’s subscription to our Transport Tenders portal.

Tender Improvement

If you have already been applying for tenders but aren’t seeing success our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Writers will go over your previous submissions and provide feedback and guidance.

Tender Writing

Have you found the perfect courier delivery contract for your business but are struggling to start? Send it over to our Bid Writing team and they can write the whole response for you. If you use our Tender Writing service, they’ll even submit it on your behalf!

Tender Mentor  

Our Bid Writers can look over a bid response you’ve already written, checking it for errors before you submit. Sometimes you just need another pair of eyes to go over your response and our Tender Mentor service can help.

Where can I find tenders for logistics services?

If you’re wondering where to find tenders for logistics services, you’ve come to the right place. Logistics Tenders hosts hundreds of new tendering opportunities from the logistics industry across the UK.

Our Opportunity Trackers manually upload leads from both the public and private sectors. You can filter the results by keyword, budget, location and more. This means you don’t have to rely on inaccurate CPV codes anymore.

Below are previous tenders for logistics services sourced on our portal:

Express Freight Service

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) – Location- London Budget: Undisclosed

Installation of Lynx Helicopter

National Army Museum – Location- London Budget: £16,000

RFI NHSE Covid-19 Vaccination Programme Distribution

NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit – Location- East Midlands Budget: £40,000,000

SCC APC The Supply of Transport for School Meals

Surrey County Council – Location- South East Budget: Undisclosed

Collection and Delivery of Blood Components, Samples, Tissues and Cells

Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service – Location- Scotland Budget: Undisclosed

  • Unlimited access to the Logistics Tenders portal. Increase your chance of success.
  • A dedicated Account Manager on hand to help you will all logistics tenders.
  • A free 20-minute phone consultation. Chat to one of our team about a contract you’re interested in. We can provide expert advice, insight and guidance to support your tendering efforts.
  • A daily email bulletin of all the logistics tenders published that day helping you stay ahead of the game.

On Transport Tenders, we post contracts for:

Book a free live demo today for a quick tour of our portal. Get in touch to learn more about our bespoke bid writing services.

Want to save even more time?

Upgrading to Discover Elite can save you even more time, helping you identify tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Our two time-saving tools can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate.

Contact us for more information on how we can help your business grow.

How To Get Courier Contracts in the UK

Everything you need to know about how to get courier contracts in the UK

If you’re wondering how to get courier contracts in the UK, we can help. The courier industry has grown significantly in the last year and online deliveries are on the up. We’ve put together a blog for everything you need to know about how to get courier contracts in the UK.

Important points to consider

You may be wondering how to get courier contracts in the UK. Below are some points worth considering when it comes to tendering:

  • Investment in technology

Technology is always growing and changing the way people and businesses operate. Whilst technology is shaping all industries, there are big changes in the logistics industry. More companies are being asked to provide evidence of their use of technology and what it can bring to buyers. Some examples of technology becoming more common in logistics include:

  • Vehicle tracking software

 This is vital for couriers, as you are delivering goods from one place to another. No matter the size or value of the goods, this is a great piece of technology to invest in.

Buyers will ask for evidence of how you record how products are collected and delivered on time. Using a tracking system will show that you monitor and track all items in transit effectively. It also shows how you monitor your delivery times. This software is crucial in seeing success over your competitors. If you’re unable to demonstrate this, you may lose marks.

  • Route optimisation software

This is a great way of how to get courier contracts in the UK. This is a great tool to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions. The buyer wants to know how you’re going to deliver items on time, factoring in traffic or other delays.

We are all becoming more aware of how our transport contributes to our overall carbon footprint. By having route optimisation software in place, you can show how you’re actively reducing your emissions.

If you deliver in busy cities such as London and Manchester, you’re more likely to face congestion. This becomes a major challenge when delivering goods.

  • Elastic logistics

Simply, this term means the ability to expand and shrink logistics capabilities to align with current demands.

For example, this may involve products in demand or market fluctuations. For example, during the coronavirus outbreak, the demand for face coverings and hand sanitiser significantly rose.

A buyer wants to know how you will keep up with any market advancements or trends. You should have software in place to help you keep up with trends and demands.

Now you understand important factors of how to get courier contracts in the UK, how can you be successful?

Managing your journeys

As you’re a courier service, you need to demonstrate how you’re able to manage your journeys effectively. Some things to think about include:

  • How will you coordinate your journeys?
  • Will you use any technology to help with journeys?
  • How is your system efficient and will it save you money?
  • How will you deal with delays?
  • How will you record delivered or collected items?

Read the tender documents carefully

If you don’t read through the tender documents thoroughly, you may misunderstand what the tender is asking for. You need to make sure you can meet the requirements. If you can’t, it isn’t worth bidding. Once you have read the documents you can decide whether or not you’re going to tender.

Answer the question in full

Leaving any questions blank or half answered doesn’t look good to the examiner. Not answering the question in full or at all will tell the examiner you aren’t capable of delivering the contract. If the questions are asking for a 4-page answer and you submit 1 page, you haven’t answered the question fully. The examiner is looking for a detailed answer. If you’re struggling to answer the question, break it down. If the question has 5 points to it, break it down into 5 smaller questions. This will help you answer the question better and consider all points.

Research your competitors

Understanding who you are up against when it comes to tendering allows you to plan your tendering approaches. Research your competitors and see what technology they use or what their Unique Selling Point (USP) is.

Proofreading

The final step of how to get courier contracts in the UK is proofreading your bid. Although the writing process is done, the work isn’t over yet. Before submitting your bid, check it and check it again. It’s easy to miss mistakes when typing a long document. The last thing you want to do is to submit a bid full of spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. You could lose marks which could have easily been avoided. Ask someone else to take a look at the document to see if they spot anything you may have missed.

Transport Tenders

Still looking for ways of how to get courier contracts in the UK? A subscription to Transport Tenders could help. With time saved and numerous opportunities found, Transport Tenders can feed seamlessly into your business development strategy. With a subscription to the portal, you receive:

  • Unlimited access to the Transport Tenders portal. Increase your chance of success.
  • A dedicated Account Manager on hand to help you with any and all courier contracts in the UK.
  • A free 20-minute phone consultation. Chat to one of our team about a courier contracts in the UK you’re interested in. We can provide expert advice, insight and guidance to support your tendering efforts.
  • A daily email bulletin of all the logistics tenders published that day helping you stay ahead of the game.

Transport Tenders is a time-saving tool that allows you to focus on running your business, while we source tendering opportunities, directly relevant to your service offering. It’s because we’re passionate about business growth. Every company should have the chance to succeed – and we know that Transport Tenders will fit perfectly into your business growth strategy.

On Transport Tenders, we post contracts for:

Book a free live demo today for a quick tour of our portal. Get in touch to learn more about our bespoke bid writing services.