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Advanced Certificate in Bid & Tender Management: ACBTM™

Course Summary

Certified by the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM) this 4 day Advanced Certificate in Bid & Tender Management: ACBTM™ is designed to provide delegates with a set of highly desirable skills in managing the bid and tender process effectively and accountably. This comprehensive programme addresses the topic from both the supplier and purchaser perspective, outlining the specific challenges associated with developing working relationships that are not only practical but ethical. In addition, the course covers the following key topics: - developing procurement strategies - probity & accountability - effective negotiation skills - anti-corruption safeguards & systems - avoiding the 'underbidder' and 'race to the bottom' Delegates will leave the training with the necessary knowledge and skills to bid and tender effectively in a cut and thrust procurement environment, ensuring that every pound spent is accounted for.

Certification

The Advanced Certificate in Bid & Tender Management: ACBTM™ is certified, through independent assessment and accreditation, by the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM) PAS Standard

Accredited by the
CPD Standards Office

 

The Advanced Certificate in Bid and Tender Management: ACBTM™ has attained international independent accreditation from the prestigious CPD Standards Office awarding successful delegates with 30 CPD Credits.


The CPD Standards Office accreditation services works in partnership with the Training Journal and the CPD institute supporting all forms of professional development and CPD schemes globally and has an increasingly international reputation as the strongest currency in professional development. 


CPD extends across the globe and is undertaken in most countries and is normally compatible with the CEUs (Continuous Education Units) in the USA and Canada*

*delegates are advised to check with their respective national bodies or employers

Benefits of Attending

By attending this Course you will be equipped with the skills to:

  • Understand what bidding and tendering is all about

  • Ascertain real needs, document requirements and write specifications

  • Analyse the supply markets using a number of tools

  • Identify potential suppliers and potential customers

  • Understand how to tender and how to bid

  • Know what makes both a good ITT (Invitation to Tender) and a good bid

  • Know the rules, regulations and guidelines to follow in bidding and tendering

  • Publish tenders that can attract and appoint the best supplier

  • Distinguish your bids from the competition – for the right reasons

  • Write winning bids – bids that win more contracts

  • Manage contracts for increased value

  • Reduce risks and foster innovation in the supply chain

  • Avoid corruption in all its forms

  • Improve your communication, stakeholder management and negotiation skills

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Who should attend this ACBTM™ course?

  • Procurement Directors / Procurement Managers

  • Buyers / Senior Buyers

  • Supplier Managers / Supply Chain Consultants

  • Sales Directors / Sales Managers

  • Business Development Managers /Client Managers

  • Technical Sales Managers / Bid Team Leaders

  • Business Owners / Executive Directors / Managing Directors / General Managers

  • Operations Directors /Operations Managers

  • Finance Directors / Finance Managers

  • Project Directors / Project Managers /Project Engineers

  • PLUS anyone else who is interested in ensuring that the bid and tender process works well in their organisation – matching the right suppliers to the right customers and ensuring value is created on both sides

Course Contents

Introduction to bids and tendering

  • What makes a good Invitation to Tender (ITT)

  • What makes a good Bid?

  • Why is it important?

Understanding the procurement cycle

  • The procurement lifecycle from A to Z

  • It all starts here – identifying the need and writing the specification

  • Strategic Sourcing – key to choosing the right supplier

  • Contract Management – managing the right contract with the right supplier

  • P2P (Purchase to Pay)

Identifying the need and writing the specification

  • Needs – not wants

  • Baselining – where are we now, and where do we want to be?

  • Business alignment and cross-functional working is key

  • Involving the stakeholders

  • The art of gathering requirements

  • What makes a good specification?

Markets, customers and suppliers

  • Analysing markets – Porter’s Five Forces and other tools

  • How do buyers look at suppliers?

  • How do suppliers look at customers?

  • Finding the match – the right supplier for the right customer?

The tendering process

  • The tendering process from A to Z

  • Fairness and transparency – avoiding corruption in all its forms

  • Writing the tender documents

  • Publishing the opportunity and attracting suppliers

  • Handling queries in a fair and open way

  • Opening and evaluating the bids

  • Awarding the contract – with an emphasis on value

  • Giving feedback to the bidders

  • E-tendering – how to make it work effectively

Putting together the Invitation to Tender (ITT)

  • What’s in a name – ITT, RFP, RFQ and PQQ explained

  • Who does what? – good organisation is key to success

  • Contents of a good ITT

  • Starting with the end in mind – good evaluation criteria

  • The difference between selection criteria and award criteria

Understanding the sales cycle

  • The sales lifecycle from A to Z

  • Identifying opportunities – prospecting

  • Approaching the prospect

  • Writing and presenting the bid

  • Handling objections

  • Closing the sale

  • Following up

The bidding process

  • The bidding process from A to Z

  • Identifying opportunities – where to look

  • Involving the stakeholders – forming the bid team

  • To bid or not to bid – the bid /no-bid decision

  • Pricing and cost estimation – the need to make a profit

  • Reading and understanding the tender documents

  • Writing, reviewing and submitting the bid

  • Getting the response

  • Challenging the response – if you think there’s a problem

  • Getting feedback about your bid

Putting together the bid

  • What’s in a name – is this an ITT, or a PQQ, or something else?

  • Who does what? – good organisation is key to success

  • Contents of a good bid

  • Starting with the end in mind – how will my bid be evaluated?

  • The critical need to do exactly as the ITT asks

  • It’s all about winning!

Bid evaluation

  • Longlisting and shortlisting

  • Does the bid read well and make sense?

  • Bid evaluation techniques – informal and formal

  • Weighting and scoring – keep it simple!

  • Looking for value – all the time

  • Recommendation and approval

Contract management

  • After contract award comes implementation

  • What makes a good contract?

  • The contract management lifecycle

  • Working together – practical aspects of contract and supplier management

  • Managing risk and encouraging innovation

Soft skills for procurement and bid-writing professionals

  • Communication skills for bidding and tendering

  • Stakeholder management

  • Persuasion as a key selling skill

  • The art of negotiation

The ACBTM™ program will include a series of group exercise and case studies with a high level of delegate interaction.

 

ACBTM™ Examination *

Only those who successfully pass the 50 question ACBTM™ Assessment and also participate effectively in the course and case studies will receive the Advanced Certificate in Bid and Tender Management (ACBTM™)

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