Free training aims to boost business people’s bids to win deals

 

Cheshire East Council is to hold a series of free workshops to help business people learn how to win public sector contracts.

The Council-organised procurement training events are targeted at local businesses, charities and social enterprises.

The aim is to show them how to ‘get started’ in the bid process, how to produce a tender and how to collaborate with other organisations – to increase scale and expertise – to form ‘consortia’ to tender for local and central government work.  

An introductory workshop on tendering for public sector contracts and others about creating consortia, held earlier this year, were oversubscribed and hailed as successes – which encouraged Cheshire East Council to arrange similar events.

The latest free workshops are being conducted by award-winning Melanie Bryan, from WhyNotChange (www.whynotchange.co.uk) – an organisation which helps businesses tender for public sector contracts.

Melanie recently won the best social enterprise partnership award in the Prime Minister’s Big Society Awards 2011.

The procurement workshops, which aim to cover the whole process from start to finish, are:

● Let’s Get Started, on Tuesday, November 8;

● Invitation To Tender and onwards, on Tuesday, November 22; and

● Building A Consortia, on Thursday, November 24.

All three will take place between 7.30am and 11am each day, at Ramada Encore hotel, Crewe Business Park, Electra Way, Crewe, CW1 6XB.

Each event starts with refreshments and bacon rolls at 7.30am for a prompt 7.45am start.

Cheshire East Councillor Jamie Macrae, Cabinet member with responsibility for prosperity, said: “Tendering for a public sector contract can be a daunting prospect and these workshops provide excellent guidance to help businesses develop a bid.

“We want traders and charities to know that we are always interested in receiving tenders from local businesses and organisations.

“These workshops can significantly help to simplify and demystify the process. We want to encourage even more local businesses to get involved in working with not only Cheshire East Council but also other public sector bodies.”

Councillor Peter Mason, Cabinet member with responsibility for procurement and shared services, added: “It really is vitally important that we do all we can to ensure the procurement process is fully competitive and accessible to all businesses.

“We put a lot of emphasis on supporting local firms and businesses and ensuring as many services as possible are provided locally. As a local authority, we are committed to working with others to deliver quality services and value for money for the people of Cheshire East.”

To book a place on the workshops, contact Jacqueline Wilson, business engagement officer at Cheshire East Council, on 01270 685911 or email: Jacqueline.wilson@cheshireeast.gov.uk