When assessing any Government opportunity, perhaps one of the most important questions you need to ask is ‘What is your ability to deliver?’

The time, energy and resources you can dedicate to submitting a quote or tender response can be very time consuming, so ensuring you can deliver on the request is the first step.

In reference to the opportunity on offer, think about:

• What are the capabilities of your business?
• Do you have the ability to scale up operations quickly should you be successful?
• Can you deliver the product or service within the required timeframe?
• Can you meet the product or service specifications and requirements?
• Do you have the experience and expertise in delivering the requested product or service?

Ensuring you can meet the delivery requirements of the offer is your first stage of qualification. If you can’t meet or respond to these fundamental requests, this opportunity may not be suited to your business.

Sarah Construction

Your ‘ability to deliver’ goes beyond the end product or service you supply. When government opportunities are evaluated, they look at the quality of the product or service you provide, but also look at your reliability to deliver on time and to specifications. Having the appropriate networks of subcontractors and professional relationships in place can be imperative to the growth of your business, as well as being successful in winning government bids.

Watch the video below and hear how Adrian Esplin, CEO of Sarah Constructions, talks about how by maintaining professional and positive working relationships with sub-contractors has been at the foundation of their business’ success.

Why your ability to deliver is important?

Whilst winning Government business can bring rewarding opportunities to your business, it is important to recognise that once you are awarded a contract, you will have a contractual obligation to deliver the goods or services on time and to specification.

Before submitting a bid for a tender, it is worth pausing to review and ensure you have the capacity to deliver and you can do so profitably. Contract managers within Government are tasked with making sure that suppliers meet their commitments and to work through any issues that may arise.

If you are awarded a contract, you should also consider the following:

• Take the time to read the detail of the contract, including the schedules where the specifics of how the goods or services are to be delivered are often captured.
• If several months have lapsed since your bid was submitted, during the contract negotiation phase, it is advisable to re-check that your business is ready to take on a new contract.
• During the life of the contract, make sure you closely monitor that you are meeting the requirements of the contract and if there are issues, engage with the Government buyer about the process you are implementing to address the requirements of the contract.