Welcome to the first column of 2017. This week we look at tendering workshops taking place in Ireland in 2017 to help SMEs win public contracts, trouble with tenders in Mayo and some interesting trends appearing in the US. As usual we conclude with our weekly list of current Irish public tenders.
Business Stories
Learn how to win public contracts at a Go2Tender workshop
InterTradeIreland is a North/South business & trade promotion agency that operate a number of useful programmes primarily aimed at SMEs. Keystone Procurement co-delivers a programme on their behalf known as Go2Tender. There are two kinds of programmes. An introductory one (half day for a nominal charge) or a full two day programme (a couple of weeks apart – also for a nominal fee) that focuses on helping business identify opportunities to win public contracts and how to go about doing so.
The course dates for the Quarter 1 2017 are outlined below. People and companies interested in signing up for the courses can register for them here. http://www.intertradeireland.com/go-2-tender/
Introduction to Tendering
Wexford – January 25th
Go 2 Tender
Derry – January 17th & 31st
Bray, Co. Wicklow – February 2nd & 16th
Cork – February 9th & 23rd
North Dublin – March 9th & 23rd
Waterford – March 16th & 30th
Trouble with tendering
Some trouble is brewing out west (in Mayo) where some firms are unhappy that a progressive SME in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon has won public contracts and is now supplying tools and related items to Mayo County Council (instead of local suppliers). The article in the Connaught Tribune can be read as a tragedy and as a farce all at the same time. The farce here is of parish pump / local hero variety where a Councillor is decrying the ills of the State getting value for money – the winning company is situated a full 10km from the Mayo border and may well employ people from east Mayo. The tragedy is that the local firms that have lost out could have come together or attempted to win the work themselves but didn’t do so (the article quotes the County Manager making this point). It is disappointing to see successful, progressive SMEs being attacked by local representatives when the businesses they are championing have failed to compete for or win public contracts like this one following an open competitive process.
Interesting Trends – Donald Trump and public procurement
The USA is not a leader in public procurement policy or implementation of public procurement policy. This said, President-elect Trump has made some interesting early noises about his priorities for this area. Perhaps with a nod to his construction experience, his focus is firmly on contract control and ensuring accountability for contract performance (e.g. for underperformance, cost overruns etc.). His early communications on procurement related matters include comments on contract performance at a meeting last December with Tech leaders and his tweets on Boeing contracts (significant projected overruns for two new Air Force 1 planes). As random as his communication style can be, this may develop into a procurement trend that would be very welcome. Far too often, especially on framework contracts, the solution sold gets watered down especially as inflation eats into contract values over a four to five year period (significantly impacting actual performance received versus that promised on day 1). Greater elasticity in framework lengths and increased vigilance over contract performance would be a departure for the USA and many other states – especially in the bloated military procurement sector.
Putting innovation at the heart of procurement
This week, Malcolm Harbour (the doyen of procurement innovation in the public sector and that is not intended as a joke) wrote an interesting piece on the work he leads in the UK at a senior level these days.
He sums the challenges well here: “Risk aversion is the biggest obstacle to working with new suppliers offering ‘cutting edge’ solutions. Most public authorities have very tight budgets. Procurement teams are reluctant to take on uncertain, complex and potentially risky projects. It is safer to procure a proven solution from an existing supplier, where the tendering process is felt to be straightforward and easy to complete. Political leadership often avoids solutions which are perceived to carry higher risks. There are continued worries about contravening public procurement law.”
Put simply, this is neither sustainable nor desirable. The organisation of the pillars of government is increasingly at odds with how societies outside the official State apparatus self-organise and interact. Public services will continue to struggle to meet public expectations unless the public sector solves problems through innovative, solutions-driven procurement. Traditional procurement will always exist (for predictable, known requirements). The problems of tomorrow however require a different approach. Bold thinking and bold experimentation is needed to take on these challenges so they can be tackled adequately. Procurement has a key role to play in this regard – it can either be the instigator of inspirational success or continue to endure the perception that it is a process that smothers creativity.
New public procurement tenders this week
Visit the Keystone website to view our take on the 500+ active public procurement opportunities with more than five days until their deadline. There are a vast range of services, supplies and construction related to public procurement opportunities in the following sectors (there are many more sectors than the sample list below):
- Construction and related trades,
- Professional & Advisory Services,
- PR, Media, Advertising and related,
- ICT supplies and services,
- Training,
- Property & facilities management,
- Vehicle & automotive,
- Catering and related services,
- Cleaning and related services,
- Waste Management,
- Maintenance and related services,
- Horticultural supplies & services,
- Research & environmental monitoring,
- Printing, office supplies and related services,
- Trades,
- Medical and scientific research, supplies and services,
- A vast range of other services and supplies.
Businesses interested in any of these public procurement opportunities that are unsure of how they can follow-up on these tenders can contact Keystone at any stage. We would be happy to discuss your needs and where they may fit with your business growth plans. These public procurement opportunities are sources of business growth and innovation for companies across the country.
Keystone E-Tenders Report Open YTD as at 0501 (by date of publication)
Keystone E-Tenders Report Open YTD as at 0501 (by sector)
Please note, e-tenders often has public procurement opportunities incorrectly categorised so people relying on e-tender alerts could easily miss out on opportunities if they are dependent on it. E-tenders is only as reliable as the people inputting tenders and mistakes are made very frequently. The Keystone Column includes all live tenders posted on e-tenders since January 4th 2016 that have five or more days until their deadline as at January 5th 2017.
