Prepare your business to tender for contracts

Ensuring your business is ready for the process of tendering is just the beginning. If your business is in shape to pass pre-qualification, chances to submit tenders should follow. 

Finding new opportunities

Contractors adopt different methods when advertising tenders. A business keen for new contract work needs to know where to look. For more detail see finding out about private and public contracts.

Find further information:

• tender for contracts in the Northern Ireland public sector
• tender for public sector contracts in Great Britain and Ireland
• find new business opportunities

Getting your tender right

Having the right policies and procedures in place should make pre-qualification straightforward. The final step is preparing and submitting the tender documents:

• Find detailed guidance on the process of tendering - see tender for a contract.
• It is important to understand the specific requirements of the buyer. See understand your customers' needs.
• You need to strike a balance between ensuring a good return for your business and offering value for money for the buyer. Improve your chances of setting the right level - see price your product or service.
• When bidding for contract work in different sectors, it can be difficult to set the right price for your work. Find out more about price lists, estimates, quotations and tenders.

Networking and joint ventures

Northern Ireland businesses in all sectors face tough competitors. This includes the domestic market and beyond. Consider ways of working with other businesses to derive joint benefits. Networking can help you find out about private contract opportunities. It can also lead to ideas for improving performance or developing lucrative joint ventures.

See:

• learn and develop through networking
• Northern Ireland business networks
• joint ventures and partnering

• Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce

Contract opportunities outside Northern Ireland

A company ready to tender for contracts may find expanding beyond Northern Ireland can grow their business. Northern Ireland has access to a large market for procurement in the United Kingdom. It can also avail of opportunities in the Republic of Ireland. You can register for updates on tender opportunities for the following regions:

• United Kingdom - search the Contracts Finder
• Scotland - opportunities on Public Contracts Scotland 
• Wales - public procurement on Sell2Wales
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) - find contract work on eTenders Public Procurement
• European Union - regular updates of opportunities on Tenders Electronic Daily EU