Workwear And PPE Tenders

Workwear and PPE tenders can include the provision of a vast range of stock, including:

• General Workwear
• Corporate Branded Workwear
• Disposable Workwear & Coveralls
• High Visibility Clothing
• Gloves
• Footwear
• PPE & Specialist PPE

Depending on procurement needs, some workwear and PPE supply tenders may extend to the provision of additional materials, including uniforms, tools and accessories. 

Buyers may also seek to establish agreements for providers to deliver stock to identified distribution centres, or alternatively for direct delivery to customers.

Who Commissions Tenders For Workwear & PPE Supplies?

Services are regularly outsourced by both private and public sector organisations.  Some commissions will be made by a Central Purchasing Body, with the resulting framework accessed by a number of different bodies, such as local Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and other emergency services, NHS Trusts, registered charities and educational institutions.

In terms of typical procurement models, multi-provision tenders will usually look to award multiple framework contracts to a designated number of providers, with the different deliverables split into individual lots.  Other commissions will look to establish a single supplier.

What is Normally Involved in a Workwear & PPE Tender?

Tender submissions and requirements will vary across workwear and PPE tenders, although there are some common question sets we see crop up.  These include:

• Relevant Contract Experience – the demonstration of relevant experience, delivering similar services and goods for contracts on a comparable scale. Usually three references are requested.
• Quality Management Systems – evidencing robust quality assurance systems, internal quality control procedures and dispute resolution procedures. Bidders may discuss accreditations such as ISO9001 for Quality Management. For further information, visit our ACCREDITATIONS FOR TENDERS page.
• Account Management – outlining account management arrangements, including keeping the purchasing authority informed, reporting on KPIs, managing complaints, etc.
• Order Management – outlining the processing of orders and delivery methods.
• Supply Chain Management – outlining how the supply chain is audited to maintain ongoing compliance and standards, and what alternatives are in place to prevent service disruption in the event there is disturbance within the supply chain.
• Delivery Lead Times – the demonstration of responsive and flexible delivery, and assurances regarding the meeting of deadlines.
• Methodologies for Delivering the Requirements – detailing the proposed service model, including explanations of distribution and geographical coverage, if applicable.
• Contingency Planning – descriptions of both mitigation and contingency arrangements that enable normal business operations to continue in the face of various disruptions. Sometimes these arrangements are business continuity or disaster recovery plans, with evidence of this document needing to be provided with the submission.
• Cost Efficiencies – detailing how cost fluctuations are managed and how proposed the provider will support the buyer to make cost savings throughout the contract term that do not impact on the quality of the deliverables.
• Corporate Social Responsibility, including Environmental Sustainability – description of how the provider contributes to and will make further commitments in respect of social, economic and environmental benefits. Sometimes referred to as Social Value, or Community Benefits.
• Product Samples – the submission of a product samples, either alongside the initial bid, or at a later date once a shortlist of the strongest bids has been compiled. Commissioners may test PPE to ensure they meet required standards.

The evaluation of quality criteria may be based on a combination of quality and price, i.e. the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT), or it could just be down to quality alone.  In each scenario it is important to remember that quality is consistently the most important factor, and the more points a bidder picks up on quality, the more flexible they can be in respect of pricing.

Certain products supplied under the banner of workwear and PPE and their producers will be required to comply with set industry standards, such as the British Standards produced by the BIS Group, CE Marking, and individual commissioners may also require providers to demonstrate the security of their management systems, asking them to evidence compliance with ISO standards.  For more information on common accreditations and certifications click here.

How Can Your Tender Team Help with Writing a Workwear & PPE Tender?

Our team of tendering professionals are equipped with the necessary industry knowledge  and knowhow to compose comprehensive tender winning submissions in this sector.

Need Help Writing Your Tender?

Your Tender Team is on hand to offer expert support and do the work so you don’t have to.  Our full tender management service FULL TENDER WRITE includes:

• Dedicated support from an experienced Tender Manager
• Production of a ‘Shopping List’ of additional items required for submission, e.g. financial information.
• The full write of your bid with information about your company and your approach gained through conference calls

• An independent evaluation of the finished tender
• Managing clarifications on your behalf, both leading up to and post-submission
• Managing the submission once you have approved all tender responses and supporting documents

Contract lifetimes will vary, with some lasting beyond 5 years if extended, so if your bid is unsuccessful, you could be left out in the cold until the tender is released again.  Putting the appropriate resources into your bid can make all of the difference. Check out our latest WIN RATE to see how successful we’ve been over recent months.

If you would like us to quote you for how much our Full Tender Write service is based on the tender you wish to bid, please use our ‘Get A Quote’ tab on the right handside of the screen now.  

Need a Professional Tender Review Before Submission?  No problem!

If you wish to write your own bid, we can support you at every stage of your response. Our REVIEW & EVALUATION service will help by:

• Reviewing all tender documents and supplying you with a breakdown of the requirements
• Providing a structure to guide that narrative of the tender response
• Evaluating your drafted responses and providing feedback and guidance on you can improve these
• Handling the submission (optional)

Use our ‘Get A Quote’ tab today and one of our team members will be in touch with a quotation. 

What the Press Say

Don’t just take our word for it! Your Tender Team has been in the press a fair bit recently. Check out one of the articles on Business Live HERE.