Prices for Council Tender...?

[eggsarascal]

13 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

I remember a thread from a fair while back (in good ol' days when TCD was still in the manor.)  I'd photo grabbed an outfit in Plymuff doing street tree pollards.  

 

1 bloke up the tree on a ladder, 1 bloke in the van round the corner having his snap and the 3rd bloke at the chipper at the back of the van round the corner.  No ™, cyclist and pedestrians in the shot - it was a sight to behold!!

 

Spoke to a mate who used to work for said outfit and he reckoned it was something like £4/tree!  

 

If that's anything like true the brown envelopes would need to be going in the other direction!!  ? 

..... And when it all goes tits up and the lads are chucking fecks into the office staff it will be the lads on the tools not pulling their finger out that's caused the problem.

Edited November 2, 2018 by eggsarascal

[richy_B]

6 hours ago, benedmonds said:

It's not that unfeasible, some councils use a mini competition for a block of works but you need to be one of their approved contractors.. Still has issues as I have discussed on here previously.

 

Talking to more experienced bid writers some actually underprice the jobs that they think won't come up often like the large take-downs, so when the tender is being examined their overall rates look lower..  I am not sure I am up to the scheming required.. I am happy doing a good job for a fair price..  Why does it have to be so complicated....

I know a highways contractor who did just that. Came in super cheap on a bollard as it was one of the ten key items they had to quote for. They put in a price to supply and install for less than cost price of the bollard. Won the contract and the council ended up putting in bollard instead of railings as it was so cheap. Contractor had to novate on the contract after 3 years. 

 

It's got to standalone in my opinion. 

[swinny]

2 hours ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

I remember a thread from a fair while back (in good ol' days when TCD was still in the manor.)  I'd photo grabbed an outfit in Plymuff doing street tree pollards.  

 

1 bloke up the tree on a ladder, 1 bloke in the van round the corner having his snap and the 3rd bloke at the chipper at the back of the van round the corner.  No ™, cyclist and pedestrians in the shot - it was a sight to behold!!

 

Spoke to a mate who used to work for said outfit and he reckoned it was something like £4/tree!  

 

If that's anything like true the brown envelopes would need to be going in the other direction!!  ? 

Do you not t keep in touch with Tcd? I do

[Mesterh]

I have priced a few council/construction tenders with that kind of speck, never won any of them which is probably a blessing in disguise. I remember one where we didn't get it but went for a meeting to get some feedback. The plan was to choose four contractors, put all the prices into a computer and let it spit out the cheapest price for each job and get that contractor to do it.

Certainly glad we didn't get that one!

 

On another someone was dismantling road side trees 60cm+ and grinding them out for £110 ish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[swinny]

Once of a day i wanted to tender for works like these.... nowadays i couldnt give a toss.... leave it to some other mug

[Jamie Jones]

Or you could price high and hope that no one else has all the qualification. But remember that tendering is a specialised art form..

You need to understand how they score your tender... Because everything gets a score... There may even be sections of the tender that seem to have no relevance to what services you will be supplying but if they sections are not filled in you loose points.

IE: You might be a sole trader with no staff.. But if you don't have equal opportunity staff policies, anti slavery policies, policies for you staff to adhere to, Equal opportunity policies for your staff (that you don't have) to adhere to when dealing with members of the public etc, etc..

Then that could cost you enough points not to get a tender or even bar your tender even if it is the only one supplied.

Often the tender have no bearing on reality... or any reflection on what they want you to do.

You could be the most expensive tender and if you get the highest score you could and often do get the contract.

Tendering is a nonsense art for and a game to be played.. Companies often have hired in specialists that are expert at tendering to get them this sort of work.

You also have to remember your fixed prices are only a reflection on what you are tendering for.. When you get jobs outside the tender or the conditions of the tender you charge them higher / extra for the un-tendered work.... It is all a game and there are many companies that know how to play the tender game and make far more than what the original tender was for.

 

[Treechap WTS]

The other issue I've seen with Council Tenders is that you often have TUPE staff transfers involved too.  We generally just walk away from all of them now.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

2 hours ago, Treechap WTS said:

The other issue I've seen with Council Tenders is that you often have TUPE staff transfers involved too.  We generally just walk away from all of them now.

As soon as there is any mention of TUPE it goes straight in the bin!

[swinny]

31 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

As soon as there is any mention of TUPE it goes straight in the bin!

Whats TUPE? Many thanks

[openspaceman]

14 minutes ago, swinny said:

Whats TUPE? Many thanks

Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment   whereby all the decent staff move on and you have to take on the staff left behind when you take over a contract