Different Opportunities and Ways to Tender

Anyone who is new to tendering for sales contracts might be wondering, ‘what exactly is the meaning of public sector’?

The public sector is a segment of the economy. It comprises all levels of government and a raft of government-controlled enterprises.

Thus, for selling purposes it combines public services and public enterprises. But, it does not include households, private companies, or any voluntary organisations.

You can search for opportunities to sell your goods or your services to the public sector through several different means, including the:

• A local Enterprise Europe Network
• Advertisements in newspapers and trade magazines
• Contracts Finder for government and its agencies (for arrangements valued over £10,000)
• Digital Marketplace (details below)
• Local public sector organisation or council authority in your area (contact them for more information on becoming an approved supplier)
• Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)
• TED Tenders Electronic Daily (for high-value public sector contracts across other EU countries)

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Contacting the Crown Commercial Service

You can contact the Crown Commercial Service (CSS) for further help and information. They can also answer any specific questions on procurement rules and procedures.

CCS Supplier Support
Telephone: 0345 010 3503
Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 5:30pm
Friday: 8:30am to 5pm

Note: Separate procurement websites deal with the contract tendering process in Northern Ireland, in Scotland, and in Wales.

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Supply digital services through the Digital Marketplace

An opportunity to provide people, technology, and user research exists through the Digital Marketplace. You can use it to tender your services for digital projects for use in the public sector.

Applications to provide different services take place through a set of ‘framework agreements’. So, an agreement would mean you can sell goods and services on the Digital Marketplace. As a rule, when you secure a framework agreement it would last for a period up to four (4) years.

Note: You may get an invitation to put yourself forward for carrying out public sector work. Even so, they do not make any guarantees that you would get the work.

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The Application Process

To apply, you will need to follow specific guidance, such as the:

• G-Cloud suppliers’ guide to supply cloud hosting, software and support on the G-Cloud framework (e.g. accounting software or content delivery networks (CDN)).
• Digital Outcomes and Specialists suppliers’ guide to provide people to work on digital projects or user research services on the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework (e.g. technical architects or user research studios).

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Digital Marketplace Email Alerts

There are specific application periods for the G-Cloud 10 and Digital Outcomes and Specialists 3 frameworks. But, you can sign up to the Digital Marketing mailing list. You would get email alerts on when to apply to sell goods and services to the public sector.

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Extra Help and Information

You can send a question about the Digital Marketplace by email to [[email protected]]

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