Merco attend UK Government Procurement feedback session this August

During a small group NHS Procurement feedback session this week we covered bid writing challenges for SMEs. The burgeoning complexity and requirements to participate in Government procurement bids which are putting SMT suppliers off and a commitment to 33% supply via a SME supply chain by UK Gov ahead.

The market voiced concerns with recent Master Vend solutions and a commitment to transparency in communication, adherence to frameworks where they exist, realistic processes for changes in the market as we have seen during COVID, again with Monkeypox, and a impartial supply chain ahead.

Key topics we heard about from SME suppliers to UK Gov procurement representatives:

Challenges with conflict of interest with master vend solutions.

Increasing off-framework supply to framework clients, from framework approved suppliers – something is not right here with engagement of suppliers, or managers choosing to circumvent procurement agreements, and supply and demand vs. margin caps.

Bid writing - Do you outsource? Who leads the project and final bid? Is it worth it given the heavy utilisation of off-framework suppliers? What resources can SMEs utilise to help align with the trend of scoring based on social value.

Income and role security – with Government Frameworks enabling many SME businesses to thrive and benefitting from the dynamism that niche SME recruitment organisations can bring.

Further detail on the bid process, and feedback was given

During a small group NHS Procurement feedback session we covered bid writing challenges for SMEs – a resource heavy exercise some smaller suppliers struggle with. The complexity and requirements to participate in Government procurement bids, to become an approved supplier are putting off SMT suppliers yet there is a commitment to 33% supply via a SME supply chain from Government procurement policies.

For bid writing, many suppliers are outsourcing their bids owing to resources required. Do you outsource? Who leads the project and final bid? Is it worth it with the utilisation of off-framework suppliers? I have always completed these in-house, and we are proud to be on all major UK NHS clinical staffing frameworks, for all lots, however some do not have the capacity to complete the content heavy and evidencing of compliance and governance to support a robust bid, alongside competitive pricing and the Data, IT security, insurance and industry accreditations required.

Bid writing is increasingly weighted based on evidencing Social Value through the supply, there are commitments to Carbon neutrality, mandatory and suggested accreditations yet at the same time there is a commitment to 33% of the supply chain being through SME organisations. For any SME or Enterprise level supplier who require signposting to relevant resources for D&I, Carbon Reduction Planning and Data security improvements please feel free to get in touch as I have built up a library of such tools and resources whilst improving Merco policies and processes.

Thanks for reading

Jon Broadest

Operations Director, Bid Lead