The Social Entrepreneur’s Guide to Winning Tenders

Cover of The Social Entrepreneur's Guide to Winning Tenders

The Social Entrepreneur’s Guide to Winning Tenders

  • “A clear, comprehensive and easy to use practical guide to tendering.”
    Megan Peat, CEO, NatWest Social and Community Capital.
  • Get YOUR copy now here with my 100% no-risk guarantee.

The public sector awarded over £700 million pounds worth of outsourced contracts in the last three months.

54% of social enterprises and 23% of small businesses trade with the public sector.

But many, perhaps your social enterprise or small business, do not. Yet local authorities and the government want to award more contracts to social enterprises and small businesses.

“So what,” you might say. “We don’t have a chance of winning. It’ll take too long to bid, it’s rigged and they know who they want to award it to. There’s no point.”

And if that is what you think, you’re wrong.

Many social enterprises already have public sector contracts which they won in a competitive process.

They deliver a service well, create social value, earn income and get paid on time (yes, within statutory 30 day payment terms).

And they must have started somewhere. They responded to invitations to tender.

Let’s face it, you will never win a public sector contract if you don’t bid for it.

So if you hear ACME-corporation is doing something you know your social enterprise or small business could be doing better…well, it probably sticks in the craw.

But if you didn’t bid: that’s your problem. And if you submitted a bid without planning it properly, that’s also your problem.

I believe values-driven, purpose-led business is changing the world. I think exemplary social enterprises which deliver outstanding services, creating positive impacts and opportunities, should secure contracts.

But numerous brilliant social entrepreneurs still struggle with bid writing. Or avoid it altogether.

That’s why I’ve written this guide. It’s time for social entrepreneurs to grasp the mettle.

If you want to grow your social enterprise (or small business) by winning appropriate public sector contracts, it will help you. And that is a promise (which I’ll tell you more about below).

So whether you’re new to bidding OR an experienced bidder but want to do better, The Social Entrepreneur’s Guide to Winning Tenders addresses the biggest challenges to planning and writing great bids.

The Guide Will Help You:

  • Understand the context in which public service contracts are put out to tender
  • Know the numbers: the scale and value of outsourcing in the UK
  • Strengthen your organisation so you are ready and fit to bid
  • Find invitations to tender for public sector contracts
  • Understand the pros and cons of bidding and how to decide whether to respond
  • Learn how to use procurement portals
  • Understand how contracting authorities evaluate bids
  • Decide what to do if you’re part of a collaborative response and you think you might be “bid candy”
  • Get to grips with the implications of the Social Value Act
  • Plan, assemble and write a great bid
  • Win or lose, learn from the process

Incorporating Specific Advice Which Works

I have written successful bids as a social entrepreneur, business owner, volunteer, board member and consultant. I have written bids which did not succeed too, and learned a great deal. But as of today seven out of the last nine bids I wrote were successful. That’s a pretty great win rate.

I’ve also been on the other side of the fence, running the procurement process for contracts.

This toolkit draws on my experience and on the expertise of a variety of social entrepreneurs and knowledgeable specialists.

What Readers Say:

• “Should be required reading for all social entrepreneurs.” Adrian Ashton.

• “Many thanks for exciting parcel that arrived yesterday. I’m very impressed by the Winning tenders Guide. Can I buy 10 copies so we can give them to some of the small organisations we are working with that are hoping to break into tendering.” Kate Welch, Founder and CEO, Social Enterprise Acumen CIC.

• “Before I read Jamie Veitch’s guide for winning tenders, I had avoided engaging in the public sector procurement process. It was clouded in mystery and felt scary and overwhelming.

• “But Jamie’s guide has taken the mystery out, and given me the confidence I need to get started. It has provided a dose of reality as to the level of work required to respond to a request for tender, but has given a straightforward, easy to understand process from start to finish so that I now know I can go for the next appropriate opportunity I see.” Elizabeth Shassere, Founder and CEO, Textocracy.

Start Writing Better Bids and Winning Contracts!

How much is a public sector contract worth to you? A small one would be at least £5,000, possibly £10,000. And what about the £25,000, £100,000 or even £1m contracts which you could and should be bidding for?

And how much is your time worth? If you invest time in putting together a great bid and win a contract, it’s time well spent. But if you spend time on a poorly planned and assembled bid, you’ve wasted it.

People told me I should charge £99 for The Social Entrepreneur’s Guide to Winning Tenders. Instead, it is just £29.95 per copy.

Follow its advice and it will be worth a multiple of what you pay for it. That’s a promise (see below).

You’ll get practical tips about where to find contracts to bid for, how to use procurement portals, what the Standard Selection Questionnaire is and how to complete it, how buyers evaluate tender bids, planning and writing a successful bid and avoiding being “bid candy.”

Some organisations buy multiple copies to distribute to social enterprises they support. The Guide costs £95 for 5 copies, £145 for 10 copies, and £195 for 20 copies (all delivered in one package to one address).

Costs include UK postage.

You can order your copy using the form below to pay securely by debit or credit card through PayPal (you don’t need to have your own PayPal account, you can use PayPal to make a secure payment with a debit or credit card).

I’ll post your copy of the Guide, normally within 24 hours of your order (and will confirm your order and postage time the same day you order). If you’d prefer to receive an invoice and pay by BACS please email me.

No Risk Guarantee

If you don’t learn something new, of value, which you can implement to support your social enterprise from The Social Entrepreneur’s Guide to Winning Tenders, email me for an unconditional refund.

Get Your Copy of The Social Entrepreneur’s Guide to Winning Tenders –

1. Either, order through PayPal (secure payment via PayPal account or a debit or credit card):


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2. If you’d prefer to receive an invoice and pay by BACS please email me and I’ll sort this out for you.

What Next?

  • Please contact me if you have any questions about the Guide – or if you’d like to book my results-focused and highly regarded workshop about bid-writing.