Chapter 10: Bidding in Partnership


Overview

Even if you are in business on your own, there are occasions when you may want or need to join forces with others. The bid specification may state that the expertise required for the contract is unlikely to be obtained from a single source; parts of the work may demand skills outside your competence; the contract may be too big to undertake by yourself; or your analysis of the competitive situation may reveal areas where links with organizations in related fields can add credibility to your bid.

Whatever the type and size of the group - whether it combines several firms with complementary expertise as well as, say, public sector authorities and research units, or whether you have just one partner in the bid - do not present it simply as a list of names. As noted in the comments on research partnerships in Chapter 4, the client needs to be told the reasons for the formation of the group and the part that each member will play in the contract. You ought to be able to demonstrate both the cohesiveness of the group as an operational unit, working together in an integrated management structure, and the value-for-money benefits that its joint expertise offers the client.

If your competitors on a shortlist include people whom you know and perhaps have worked with on other contracts, you may sometimes see advantages in making a joint bid and using your united strength to outflank the rest of the opposition. Before committing yourself to this arrangement, it is important to check that the client has no objection: the client's attitude to the formation of consortia and subcontracting will normally be made explicit in the bid specification (Chapter 7). There are probably good reasons why a shortlist is structured as it is, and a change in its size or composition may not suit the client's interests.

The key requirement is to have one firm or individual leading the group and able to act as sole contracting party in a negotiation. Clients do not like to see fuzzy groups with a confused pattern of responsibilities. Who takes the lead may depend on several factors. Usually it is the firm that received the invitation and took the initiative in setting up the group; but this may not be the firm scheduled to put most input into the contract, or the one that can supply the best bid manager or the best candidate for team leader. The safest formula is to have the group led by the firm that can best combine team leadership and the ability to perform a major share of the work programme with expertise in bid preparation. The lead firm will generally coordinate and manage the bid as a whole, while other members of the group supply specialist input, CVs, contract experience and price information.




Bids, Tenders and Proposals. Winning Business Through Best Practice
Bids, Tenders and Proposals: Winning Business through Best Practice (Bids, Tenders & Proposals: Winning Business Through Best)
ISBN: 0749454202
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 145
Authors: Harold Lewis

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net