I got an e-mail through today with some good news for those businesses in Islington that would love to work with the council but don't know where to start.
Voluntary Action Islington is running some free workshops on the tendering process and how to go about this. They've decided to run the workshops following their securing of a contract from the local authority to deliver a range of support services to voluntary organisations, community groups and social enterprises working with children, young people and families in Islington.
Follow this link to get more info on the dates and how to get in touch
Love your tender http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/islington/events/feature/love-your-tender
Describing the Difference your Organisation Makes http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/islington/events/feature/free-tendering-support
Tendering Masterclass http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/islington/events/feature/free-tendering-support-1352914469.8933
Support Surgiries http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/islington/events/feature/free-tendering-support-1352914161.6562
This could be a great opportunity for local companies to get involved with the council. My opinion has always being that the council outsources too much work to companies outside of the borough.
There are a lot of good quality local companies that can provide a lot of the work the council’s needs. They should look to use these companies where possible and even when looking at larger contract that use some of the big companies they should try to insist that these companies use local suppliers where possible. I know there are many government and EU rules around tendering that they need to follow but some provision should be made for local companies.
If you’re looking for tenders that the council has out at the moment you can follow this link where they publish their tenders
