Writing a tender.

[Marula]

I’m looking for a bit of help with a government tender for tree surveys. I’ve never written a tender of this type, any help with either templates or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Marula]

No one has written a tender for a government contract? Or no one wants to offer help?

[bens]

Hi I don't usually do arb tenders but for more general ones would say

 

Make sure everything can be referenced back. If half way through the contract the service isn't being delivered to plan you need to be able to hold the inspection company to account for their non-performance to your requirements.

 

I would break it down into:

 

1) contract specifics. Client. Start date, duration. Relevant people. Details of any staff, arb or landscape consultants or maintenance companies they will have to deal with. Location of all trees and sites.

 

2) performance specifics. Details of inspection requirements. What you expect them to do, ground inspection only, aerial inspection (if so on what justification). Suggest you reference common sense risk management of trees publication. What information does their survey report have to include - tree id, sketch plan, height, spread, defects, age, species, value, corrective works required, priority level of corrective works, competency level required for corrective works etc. Tree tag requirements.

 

Are any summaries or analysis of the results required e.g. if there is a lot of mower damage or deer damage a global solution may be more appropriate response.

 

Is any re-survey required to consider different seasons, what are the timescales for this, what frequency of visits is required if the survey is regularly repeated.

 

3) Standard stuff. What the survey company always need to comply with. Maybe stating the obvious like carry survey out in daylight. Display warning signage. Are any locations likely to need agreement to get access. What standard should those undertaking the work be qualified to.  Is sonic equipment required, if so what triggers it's use. If climbing inspection consider bats and birds etc. Any other standard conditions e.g. parking, access, carrying ID etc.

 

4) contract stuff, payments frequency and timings

, insurance they must hold etc.

 

 

Make sure it has reference number and date etc.

 

[Marula]

Thanks bens, that's a brilliant reply.
I'm the one trying to tender for the contract. There's very little information on their site to go by except please tender[emoji849].

[Richard 1234]

Thanks bens, that's a brilliant reply.
I'm the one trying to tender for the contract. There's very little information on their site to go by except please tender[emoji849].

I don’t see how you can tender if you don’t have the specs.
You need to know exactly what they want and when it needs doing by.
When you know that you can price for it.
Then breakdowns of of everything that will be done and importantly anything that would not be inclusive in the price and need to be agreed separately.
Include insurances qualifications etc

[Marula]

I don’t see how you can tender if you don’t have the specs.
You need to know exactly what they want and when it needs doing by.
When you know that you can price for it.
Then breakdowns of of everything that will be done and importantly anything that would not be inclusive in the price and need to be agreed separately.
Include insurances qualifications etc

I've sent off all my requests for detailed info and now I wait.

[fagus]

Are you sure you are using the right words here ; apologies if it is me that is confused with your question.

 

A tender seeks offers to carry out work or supply goods at a stated fixed price; a tender will contain a specification of the works that are to be carried out. Part of the tender document will have a section to be completed with your price to carry out the works

 

Edited December 19, 2017 by fagus
ommision

[tree79]

Never written one but seen  many,  obviously it can be a fixed price or frame work agreement. Your work specs need to be focused, not open to interpretation.

I know there is standard used for some high value government tenders and I believe depending on the value.

 

I have some previous tenders, if you drop me a pm i can email them over?

[benedmonds]

The Arb Association ran a day course ‘Becoming Tender Ready’ a few years back.

It did give some useful insights into how tenders work.   But I have never been very good..

 

You can spend days putting together all the documents they need making up prices on vague specifications "how much would you charge to remove a 50cm branch at 10.30 on Saturday evening?.." and then they use a scoring system so that it is "fair" but ignores all common sense..  I admit to being somewhat bitter..  We lost out on being a contractor on a 4 year LBC contract where our yard is sited,  we had been doing the works for the previous 8 years but due to my naivety in filling in the forms were deemed "too expensive.." Even though 3 of the firms who were selected were at least an hour and a half drive from the borough and could not in reality compete on price (or quality). 

 

I dislike filling in tenders intensely.  Especially when they are for developers who might only be at the tendering stage themselves..

[Gary Prentice]

Great ain’t it, price to  remove a tree >1500cm girth

 

Highway location requiring TM?

Ivy?

Power Lines?

Telephone lines?

Immovable targets?

Access?

Decay- requires Mewp?

Mewp Access?

 

Just provide a cost based on girth!

 

No wonder, I think, most overprice