[WGB]

Just got an email from local council inviting me to give a quote for around 30 government buildings. Have 2 vans on the road atm but 95% of my work is domestic so not much experience with commercial. So my question is there any reliable formula anyone on here uses for commercial buildings with internal work too?

[AuRavelling79]

Why have they asked you to quote? If it's out of the blue I wouldn't spend too much time on it. Sometimes a box ticking exercise.

[Smudger]

Take each building as a separate job, and price it up as you do residential either per window or time then times that by 2

Submit your price on quote for all 20 and don’t expect to hear from them again, if you do you were to cheap!

Darran

[Splash & dash]

If you are a small buisness it is very unlikely that you will be able to comply with there requirements as an example are you iso 90001 compliant , are you chas registered? Do you have written company policy’s on how you are an equal opportunities employer , this is just scratching the surface , we no longer bother filling out these tenders as they are a waist of my time the council want a cheap price with all the paperwork  involved it’s just not worth it , the last tender stuff they sent me was over 40 pages if I remember correctly, you will find that doing domestic properties will pay far better , good luck with it if you go ahead

[Smudger]

I agree with you that the council (despite what the tender says) is price sensative and the cheapest gets the work

we have done council work and are not ISO9001 - nor Chas or Safe contractor nor been asked for our equal opportunities policy

So you don't always need the above



Darran

[zesty]

If you are a small buisness it is very unlikely that you will be able to comply with there requirements as an example are you iso 90001 compliant , are you chas registered? Do you have written company policy’s on how you are an equal opportunities employer , this is just scratching the surface , we no longer bother filling out these tenders as they are a waist of my time the council want a cheap price with all the paperwork  involved it’s just not worth it , the last tender stuff they sent me was over 40 pages if I remember correctly, you will find that doing domestic properties will pay far better , good luck with it if you go ahead

Correct. Our local council requires paperwork the size of a massive oxford dictionary.

It is worth over 70k though. I’ve never had the opportunity to get it anyway. The guy that does it is paying family members on the inside to keep the contract, he’s had it well over 15 years. And they tell me there isn’t corruption in the councils!

I did have a smaller council contract though (elsewhere),  for 3 years, and they didn’t even ask to check my public liability insurance. I could not believe it.

[Splash & dash]

I agree with you that the council (despite what the tender says) is price sensative and the cheapest gets the work

we have done council work and are not ISO9001 - nor Chas or Safe contractor nor been asked for our equal opportunities policy

So you don't always need the above



Darran

Ok sounds like different councils may have different procedures , the ironic thing is we do a lot of work for a number of schools that are run by the council and we don’t get asked for more than public liability insurance by them , but we deal direct with the schools for this work not the council, I have no idear why

[Smudger]

Down to the health and safety officer - like with any job you can get anal retentive and then those that understand the real world a little better

Zesty - any contract over 24k has to be tendered - all tenders are reviewed by a panel, usually 3 people - a typical tender will be given out on something like 25% based on quality/service/experience 75% on the price - after the tender process you are entitled to see the other bids, so if you think there’s foul play, ask to see the rival tenders and the names of the panel and go from there in reporting corruption

Darran

[zesty]

Down to the health and safety officer - like with any job you can get anal retentive and then those that understand the real world a little better

Zesty - any contract over 24k has to be tendered - all tenders are reviewed by a panel, usually 3 people - a typical tender will be given out on something like 25% based on quality/service/experience 75% on the price - after the tender process you are entitled to see the other bids, so if you think there’s foul play, ask to see the rival tenders and the names of the panel and go from there in reporting corruption

Darran

I will do, he has had it for years on end, and it’s the major council contract.

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

I was invited to tender similar, contract worth just shy of 50k. When I looked into it further there was about 80 sites spread over a huge area. Some insides, some not and all different time schedules.  Add to that a mountain of paperwork, constant hassle and....... err, no thanks!

[John Mart]

Take each building as a separate job, and price it up as you do residential either per window or time then times that by 2

Submit your price on quote for all 20 and don’t expect to hear from them again, if you do you were to cheap!

Darran

Agreed. I don't bother quoting these on the odd occasion I get invited. It'll just be the cheapest gets it.