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One Opera Square Limerick

One Opera Square office building in Limerick

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John Sisk & Sons (Sisk) have been awarded the €80m contract for the design and construction of the 10,000 sqm One Opera Square office building in Limerick. Works on the project commenced earlier this year and will be completed in January 2025. The project is Ireland’s largest-scale development site. The 3.7-acre site will be transformed into a daytime employment hub, as well as offering 450,000 square feet of accommodation to the people of Limerick. One Opera Square is going to be one of the landmark buildings in this emerging new Limerick city centre and will deliver huge economic benefits for the city and region, with a capacity for up to 1,000 employees.

Tender Team provided a range of tendering support and consultancy services throughout the tender process to Sisk in 2022.

‘The support we got from Tender Team was incredibly helpful and critical to us winning this contract”


Testimonial from Vincent McCarthy, Regional Director, Pre-Construction, Sisk

https://www.johnsiskandson.com/news/sisk-selected-to-develop-one-opera-square

https://www.limerickleader.ie/video/local-news/1035305/contracts-signed-for-design-and-construction-of-80-million-development-in-limerick.html

kid looking through telescope

Competitive intelligence can define your chance of winning a tender

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Sheena Lowey, Managing Director of Tender Team offers thoughts on how Competitive Intelligence defines your chance of winning a tender or an element of business within an organisation. The process assists in avoiding doubt and other possible eventualities.

Sound familiar?

You’ve all been there before. Having thrown your heart and soul into the creation of a tender, which you felt was an excellent document; confidently submitted on time, comprising your best efforts to achieve a compliant and responsive tender addressing all key elements required in the RFT.

Screenshot

 SHEENA LOWEY 

You painstakingly spend hours, days and sometimes weeks on questions that have no relevance to what you can do for them as they’ve clearly not thought enough about the questions they are asking or have made up their minds to just go through the motions of the tender process. You know you have the ability to deliver above and beyond the incumbent. The incumbent may have quoted lower than yourselves last time to secure the job, but doesn’t deliver as promised (surprise, surprise), so you expect a positive response this time round. You then wait….and wait and wait, feeling very deflated after all the initial effort due to the delay in hearing anything, positive or negative.

Following a few in vain attempts to find out the results, if you’re lucky a one-liner comes back saying ‘we are still in the review and evaluation process, please be patient. We apologise for this delay’, or, to your horror and dismay, an email may state that it has been awarded to another tenderer who priced lower; worse still, the incumbent who hadn’t delivered.

Same Feedback As Before?

A word within the feedback, like “the successful tenderer demonstrated a clear understanding of the services required”, or that they ”provided enormous detail”, might indicate that they want the same suppliers they’ve had before. And then there is the usual one about “your tender didn’t demonstrate sufficient experience” or “your tender lacked required detail around…” without the necessary explanation you would have benefitted from reading, to assist you with your next tender. When your combined expertise is significantly more than the chosen tenderer, it typically means we don’t want to change, or take the risk. 

The situation is even more annoying because, you took the plunge despite your worst fears. You were suspicious of the fact that the incumbent might win again, and they did, incredulous as it may seem. 

Intelligence Questions 

Before commencing work on a tender response document, Competitive Intelligence can be an effective tool to aid you in this relentless and tiresome, not to mention time-consuming, quest. Ask yourself and colleagues questions such as: 

  • Who are the incumbents of the contract?
  • Why are they offering the contract? Is it a new requirement or an extension?
  • Who does this company talk to within the organisation?
  • Who are the real stakeholders with the organisation offering the contract opportunity?
  • Can these key people influence the tender outcome / are any on the panel of judges?
  • What’s the organisation’s appetite for change?
  • What’s the organisation’s track record on awarding contracts? Do they usually go to the same providers? Find this out to avoid wasting your time
  • Does the organisation really want change, or do they just want more of the same?
  • What else could you be doing rather than filling out a proposal? 

If you discover the tender has been awarded to the usual suspects, it’s essential to get genuine and detailed feedback. This feedback must be sought too, in the event that you win the contract. The best analysis tool for this situation is win-loss analysis. 

Post Tender Analysis? 

A win-lose analysis is a comprehensive, systematic and ongoing analysis.It looks at why your business won and lost deals. Win or lose – this process delivers powerful insight to transform the way you tender and influences the way in which you run your company, filtering through each department or staff member involved in the sales and business development process. 

Why Do Them? 

To unveil your potential client’s decision-making process! It helps you understand how the market sees you. What you are missing or why you are attracting certain clients and not others? Which competitors are winning against you? And most importantly, why? Cost is one aspect, but the way you work with people, an entirely different reason perhaps. 

Also, to determine if you stand a chance of getting the contract next time. The Win-Loss analysis is a potent Intelligence tool. It allows you to see any trends and patterns before you tender again. Should you alter your approach or stick with the status quo. It provides valuable insight either way. 

Making Note 

On accumulation of all feedback, you have answered questions like those above, it’s time to make note of lessons learned. 1) Write down all the reasons you will get the contract, 2) Note the reason why you won’t get the deal. 

Outcome 

At this stage, you will be better informed as to whether it’s worth your while going for it next time, or you will have saved yourself a lot of time and energy:

  • What’s the organisation’s appetite for change?

  • What’s the awarding authority’s track record on awarding contracts? Do they usually go to the same providers? Find this out to avoid wasting your time. 

hands holding clock and it breaking away in pieces
fexco logo

Fexco wins multi-million euro contract with assistance from Tender Team

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Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) is the business division of Ervia that owns, builds and maintains the natural gas network in Ireland and connects all customers to the gas network. GNI operates one of the most modern and safe gas networks in the world and ensures that over 700,000 homes and businesses receive a safe, efficient and secure supply of natural gas, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Fexco won the contract to provide Customer Care Centre services for GNI and Tender Team were delighted to assist Fexco in winning this valuable contract.

Tribe 101 v2

Tribe 101 wins Diaspora Contract with the Welsh Government’s International Relations & Trade Department

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Tribe101 are the World’s Leading Diaspora Engagement Platform with a global network of Diaspora learning and engagement sites.

The company tendered to the Welsh Government’s International Relations & Trade Department for a project to engage the Welsh Diaspora around the world. The aim of the project was to make 500,000 diaspora connections over the term of the 3 year contract using digital communications methodologies.

Tender Team were contracted to provide support and consultancy to Tribe101 delivering a successful tender submission.

“Wayne was instrumental in our company winning a large multi-year Diaspora engagement contract with the Welsh Government’s International Relations & Trade Department. As the contract was the first of its kind, Wayne’s extensive experience in Government contract negotiations was key to ironing out the details for both ourselves and the Welsh Government. Simply put, you want Wayne in your corner when you are negotiating significant Government contracts at the highest level”.   Stephen Treacy, CEO, Tribe101

 

You can check out the TEDx talk from Tribes101’s, Stephen Treacy which is now ‘promoted’ onto the main TED platform here:

https://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_treacy_the_art_of_diaspora_whispering

 

NDRC Contract Win

Dogpatch Labs win NDRC Contract

By News

Following a public competition, Dogpatch Labs was awarded a €17m, 5-year contract to run the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC), this was their biggest single contract secured to date. This contract was awarded following a Competitive Dialogue process that took place over 12 months and involved the coordination of multiple parties, meetings and formal presentations of documents as well as a series of commercial negotiations. Comment from Patrick Walsh, CEO, Dogpatch Labs. “Eoin Lonergan was our retained tendering advisor here throughout and he was invaluable in supporting us successfully navigate the complexities and challenges of the Competitive Dialogue process. I greatly appreciated the depth of his domain expertise, his skill in coaching us and also his willingness to be flexible and available at all times. I would highly recommend Eoin.”

up close of hand painted green holding leaves

Demystifying the Challenges Around Carbon Footprint Reduction

By News

Despite the turmoil and unpredictability caused by COVID-19, sustainable procurement is increasingly on the agenda for buyers, consumers, employees, and investors, who are demanding that businesses take positive and demonstrable steps to reduce their negative environmental impact. It is incumbent on all organisations to stimulate the provision of more resource-efficient, less polluting goods, services and works within the marketplace.

 

Green Procurement – what is it exactly?

Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with a reduced environmental impact. The Government of Ireland’s annual public sector purchasing accounts for 10% to 12% of Ireland’s GDP, a large part of economic activity and demand.

 

The Pressure Is On

Business and social pressure can be immense, with many organisations swamped by the swathes of information as to how to start the sustainable process and what is reasonably expected of them. Choosing the right KPIs allows your organisation to deliver quantifiable, solid and calculable results to gauge your carbon footprint reduction and to suit your firm size. It goes back to the issue of tangible return on investment – results must be measurable in order to sustain interest and leadership in the plan, and to achieve buy-in across the organisation as a whole. A shift in attitude such that carbon reduction becomes inherent in the lifeblood of an organisation’s ethos must occur to make a real difference in what we now face in the years to come.

 

Which KPIs to Choose?

Choosing the right KPIs allows businesses to identify their minimum starting points and areas that can be improved immediately, such as premises and/or working from home, changing to sustainable energy alternatives and usage, waste disposal, LED lighting, staff travel plans, roof garden bee-keeping, growing more plants and creating micro vegetable gardens, but also to communicate impacts and trade-offs of procurement decisions.

It can be tricky finding the balance between cost effectiveness and sustainable development. We need to be sure that what is purchased has minimal harmful effects on the environment and society. Sourcing sustainable alternatives is a starting point. Where items are essential to the business, changing and monitoring demand can involve reducing the number of deliveries required, perhaps opting to take a bigger delivery once a week rather than multiple smaller ones.

 

Delegating Leadership

Addressing carbon footprint reduction might seem like extra workload in already pressurised working environments, with smaller organisations finding it a challenge to properly resource. By empowering environmentally conscious staff members and adding this CSR focused string to their career bows, this can diminish the burden and tick the essential climate action box. Positive reinforcement and rewarding can be achieved within the remit of staff reviews and appraisals. If they feel there’s financial and emotional/conscience-reward, they’ll surely deliver!

What organisations of all sizes frankly require to reduce their carbon footprint is an innovative and collaborative approach, working with suppliers and even competitors to assist in the bigger picture. From experience in advising clients on construction and related tenders, organisations are starting to select subcontractors and suppliers with whom they are aligned in reducing their carbon footprint, thereby setting agreed expectations from the outset.

In the banking sector, organisations are merging to create a central service to collect and distribute important paperwork from high street branches, removing the need for each bank to run their own journeys – creating both environmental and cost savings for all parties. The tenderer’s remit here is to drive the agenda and present potential solutions, which can then be discussed with team members at all levels of the business.

The biggest challenge is often trying to view things differently. Many in tendering and procurement will not have tackled such issues before and there’s no simple guide to assist with key steps on how to become more innovative overnight. It’s a matter of taking small steps each day, and building a sustainable strategy over a 5 year period, which should be reviewed year on year, and amended according to the business trajectory and environmental circumstances as they evolve.

The opportunity for procurement is significant. CEOs are keen to move businesses in this direction, and those in operations will welcome suggestions around specific measures that can be implemented relatively easily. Procurement stands at the heart of how a modern business can go about tackling what is arguably the single biggest issue of our time.

There are organisations specialising in  assisting companies with Sustainability Opportunity Assessment (OA) which seeks to identify, deliver and sustain a sustainability strategy driven by your priorities around social, environmental and cost, risk and revenue impacts. The outcomes are then aligned to your organisation and its sustainability objectives and typically include some or all of the following:

a) Pollution Prevention: Modify your production processes to emit less waste or emissions:

  1. Use non-toxic or less-toxic substances
  2. Implement conservation techniques (use less energy and water at your facility)
  3. Reuse materials, such as production scrap or shop towels, rather than putting them into the waste stream
  4. Reduce packaging and avoid using plastic – materials evaluation considering total environmental burden, sourcing portfolio redesign for minimum total impact.

 

b) Resource Conservation: Resource conservation refers to the practice of using resources such as water, energy, and raw materials efficiently and ethically.

  1. Install low-flow taps and water efficient toilets
  2. Engage employees to be more conscientious
  3. Install automatic light shut off
  4. Use energy efficient light bulbs.

 

Bosh: According to the Bosh website, they have a goal to reduce waste and water consumption by 2% every year.

 

Graphics Packaging: Graphics Packaging has a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of non-renewable energy, reduce water effluent at mills, and increase recovery of paper and paperboard by 2020.

 

c) Zero Emissions

Reducing your carbon footprint, greenhouse gases, toxic gases, carcinogenic particulate matter is to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming:

  • Reduce waste (this is one way you can reduce your carbon footprint)
  • Consider using EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM), which was designed to help solid waste planners organize and track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
  • Invest in renewable energy
  • Purchase flexible fuel fleet vehicles, or low emissions vehicles.

 

d) Waste Minimization / Waste Reduction: Waste reduction is the method used to achieve zero waste. You can start with a goal of waste reduction or waste minimization. How? identify and limit sources of waste, promoting recycling or aftermarket and avoiding landfill, enabling circular economy. Switch to a laundering service for your shop towelsmops, gloves, oil absorbents, and filter bags.

 

e) Diversity: Promote the inclusion of ethnic minorities, gender balance and orientation through your supply chain.

 

f) Supplier accountability and continuous improvement reporting on raw material sources and their own sustainability practices.

 

ISO 5001:2018, ISO 50001 supports organisations to use energy more efficiently, through the development of an energy management system.

 

ISO 14001, ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an organization can use to improve environmental performance. ISO 14001:2015 helps companies manage environmental responsibilities in a well-defined, systematic approach.

 

In Summary – Your sustainable strategy must hit some key points:

  1. Easy to follow, achievable, and measurable
  2. Your Green Procurement / Sustainability Policy must align with your overall corporate and brand strategy and objectives
  3. It must take into account your clients’ corporate strategies – both business and sustainable

 

The integration of green public procurement principles into the economy through each business’s collective effort will further enhance Ireland’s reputation as an innovative, eco-efficient and forward-looking place to do business.

 

When Tendering – Facts regarding GPP under 2014 EU Procurement Directives

  • Abnormally low tenders must be rejected where this is due to breach of certain international social or environmental conventions (e.g. on protection of the ozone layer, persistent organic pollutants and treatment of hazardous chemicals or waste) and suppliers can be excluded for breaches.
  • Evidence of the environmental management measures which a supplier will be able to apply in the execution of any contract may be requested at selection stage.
  • Technical specifications can be formulated with reference to production processes, e.g. organic agriculture or chlorine-free bleaching of paper.
  • Award criteria may include social or environmental characteristics of the goods, services or works being purchased, e.g. electricity from renewable sources or fairly traded products.
  • Third-party eco-labels can be requested to demonstrate compliance with technical specifications, award criteria or contract performance conditions, provided these meet certain standards of openness and transparency.
  • Life-cycle costing can be applied to measure and compare costs including environmental externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions. Where a common EU method for LCC has been developed (such as for the procurement of road transport vehicles)28 this must be used.
  • Contracting authorities can refuse to award a contract to the operator submitting the most economically advantageous tender where it does not comply with certain minimum social and environmental obligations set out in Annex X of Directive 2014/14/ EU.

 

Sheena Lowey, Director of Operations
Tender Team Ltd.
[email protected]
087 3858793

dugganbros

Tender Team Win for New State Forensics Laboratory

By News

We’re delighted to have worked with Duggan Brothers who were selected as the preferred bidder for the new State Forensics Laboratory (FSL) in Celbridge, Co. Kildare. This new facility will house the recently established DNA database and will provide FSL with a long awaited modern facility, which will ensure the continuing growth and development of forensic science in Ireland.

The Forensic Science Laboratory is primarily a new three-storey development with four wings that radiate from a central four-storey core. Each wing provides a mixture of laboratory and office accommodation on the ground and first floors. The total development has a floor area of 14,585 m2 and will be ready for use in 2023.

Tender Team provided a range of services to Duggan Brothers from strategic planning to tender writing, reviewing and improving, to design and final drafting.

up close of man writing on a piece of paper

Tender Team assists as Bid Consultant to win €180m contract

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Following a detailed tender evaluation process the Eriugena consortium was selected as Preferred Tenderer on 13th March 2015 for the design and build of the Central and East Quad at the Grangegorman DIT Campus. Another success for Tender Team!

The Eriugena consortium consists of the following:

Equity Provider

  • Macquarie Capital Group Ltd.

Construction Contractors

  • John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd.
  • FCC Construction Ireland Ltd.

Facilities Management Providers

  • Sodexo Ireland Ltd.
  • Noonan Services Group Ltd.
man presenting in front of big audience

Public Procurement Changes – Tender Team Seminar

By News

We’re delighted to announce a new Tender Team event! At this half day seminar you will learn all you need to know about Central Procurement.

The Government is introducing sweeping reforms to how it buys goods and services that will have a significant effect on any company tendering for public sector contracts.

Central procurement will get better value for money for the Government and substantially reduce costs, but how will it affect you? Join us for a half day seminar which will answer all your questions.

What can you gain from attending?

  • Find out about the reforms and how they will impact your business
  • The National Procurement Office and how it will award you contracts
  • Insight into a recent report that is driving the reform
  • What Central Procurement means to you
  • Insight into the new etenders website
  • Preparing for National Framework Agreements
  • How this will affect your tender submissions

Expert Speaker:

Wayne Dignam, Managing Director of Tender Team

Format:

8.30 am  Registration and networking
9.00 am  Overview of proposed reforms and timeframes
10.30am Coffee and networking
10.45am  What contracts will be centralised and when
11.30am  Preparing for these changes over the coming months
12.00pm  Your strategy to win this business
12.45pm  Questions and Answers

Event Details:

Date:      Tuesday 6th November 2012
Time:      8.30am – 1.00pm
Venue:   Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley, Dublin 22
Cost:      €190.00

Book Now