How to Go about putting a bid into council for possible works that you have spotted

[Ty Korrigan]

Here in Frenchy France...

You may get invited to tender by councils IF

You are vat reg.

You are a company rather than a sole trader.

You are local (although other companies further afield will be asked local firms get normally get invited)

You have been in business for at least 3 years and have accounts published.

You know the right people.

You eat lunch in the right restaurant.

 

There is also a journal you can subscribe too, a list of contracts put out to tender by all sorts of organisations.

 

Just put in a quote for 35k for replanting a line of 3m Leylandii for the City of Rennes new metro line to screen it from a private residence who has had land taken under a compulsory purchase order.

They called us in to quote.

We asked about getting a bite of the tree work but that is already a done deal, a deal done at the level of old school chums and round table types.

No cherry here for us to bite sadly...

May change, every day I detect the wind of change blowing in our favour.

So don't give up hope AJ

 

Regards

Ty

[AJchainsaws]

Sorry to sound negative but If your council is like min they won't have any money to pay for work like that, they would only use their contractors......however you don't get anywhere in life by not trying so ring your council and find out who deals with this sort of thing and approach them. You would need insurance, risk assessment and method statements, first aid etc.

 

Thanks for the advice I work on railway normally so im used to risk assessments and method statements I can get my first aid. Im more interested in the etc. As im used to railway other than council work

[ReubenHayes]

A lot of Councils will have term contractors or preferred contractors. In both cases, they will have sent out tenders to interested parties and then evaluated them against costs, ability, references, turnover and being approved contractors by the AA.

 

I'm not sure how big your company is, or how well you can carryout the works. Most Councils will want to see 3 years of turnover (in profit), and then depending on the size of the contract will depend on the threshold (ie £250,000; £500,000 or £1m turnover per year).

 

In your case with one little bit of work needing doing, I would speak to the TO and say as a local tree surgeon and resident I have noticed that the trees need doing in this area. Would you have an issue if we helped to set up a working day with local residents etc. Then pass over your details, insurance etc. Although you wont get paid, you will have a day of promoting your company and showing the Council what you can do.

[matelot]

does your local councillor have a drop in surgery?

 

you could go along and show him some pictures of the trees. tbh, if the trees are dangerous and over a footpath i think you have a moral duty to tell the council...

 

at the meeting you could ask how to tender for future work.

[Kveldssanger]

You can try, though councils have procurement processes with vetting questionnaires (pre-qualification questionnaires) that usually have to be adhered to. A council in the UK cannot simply add a new contractor to their books. Plus, most work is tendered out for the best price.

[grumpydavesmith]

If I'm right in thinking AJ you live in chesterfield? If so all the tree work is carried out by a contractor. The company I work for in fact, any big jobs out of the contract are invited to tender for the work. You have to be on the preferred contractor list for this. Just getting on the list is a feat in itself. You're a one man band so in a nutshell you have no chance. Sorry to be blunt

[peatff]

A lad down at the local fishing pond has been given the job of clearing and removing debris from the brook that feeds the pond and sorting the trees alongside. It was awarded by the Borough Council he told me when I was talking to him a couple of weeks ago. I didn't ask about the money side but he just seems to be doing it as a filler job or when the weather suits him.

[Stefan Palokangas]

The key to success in my opinion is to avoid mistakes, and if you make them learn from them, and turn all negative to something useful and positive.

 

Compensate the lack of machinery with high confidence.

Without a confident mind you will relay on luck, so confidence is very important.

 

You have this idea in your mind, now get out there and make it a reality.