Third Sector Case Study

A long-standing charity participated in bespoke training to address their lack of knowledge about local authority tendering.

This social care charity operated in close partnership with local authorities. They had on-going contracts to deliver community-based services.

The Challenge

Traditionally, this organisation’s funding was awarded on a two-year repeat cycle. The public sector move towards competitive tendering, however, meant that future rounds of funding could be awarded to one of the national charities instead.

There was also a requirement for staff to improve their performance in client interview presentations.

The Process

A three-part process was used.

During the first part we held a two hour training session where all staff were informed about the tendering process and the role they could take in collecting relevant information during daily operations.

The second part of the process involved working intensively with three key staff. We developed a range of library materials which would be necessary for all future tenders. We also developed a step-by-step guide about to how to approach every tender. This covered opportunity identification, and competitor analysis as well as document presentation, submission and feedback.

Finally, a training workshop was carried out to help staff and volunteers prepare for tender interviews. This practical session looked at preparation, use of visual aids and on-the-day delivery.

The Outcome

After training, the staff reported their levels of anxiety about tendering had fallen from an average of 4.3 (out of 5) to 2.1. This has an immediate and positive impact on motivation, performance and staff wellbeing.

The first bid produced was re-tendering existing services which accounted for 75% of the organisation’s current turnover. They won it.

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