Suppliers are the lifeblood of most organisations – at their best they provide not only the goods and services needed to run the business but are also a rich source of new ideas and innovation. Issuing tenders and choosing the right suppliers is critical. Equally so, no business can survive without its customers and winning bids is equally essential to business success. This 3-day masterclass is certified, through independent assessment and accreditation, by the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM) PAS and is suitable for either buyers or salespeople and provides delegates with the skills and expertise required to enable them to create real value for their organisations via the bidding and tendering processes. The Masterclass is facilitated by leading practitioners in the field and looks at the bid and tender process from both a buying and selling perspective, covering both the writing and issuing of Invitations to Tender and the writing and submitting of bids in response. As value needs to be created on both sides of the equation for contracts to be successful there will be an emphasis on understanding the market from both the buying and selling point of view, ensuring that needs are clearly specified in the ITT and that suppliers can meet these needs. In addition to a detailed exploration of the bidding and tendering processes, the Masterclass includes a session on vital soft skills such as communication, stakeholder management and persuasion. It will also discuss the challenges involved in forming and sustaining good, practical working relationships and in the art of negotiation. Questioning is encouraged and there will be plenty of discussion allowing participants to share their own experiences, thoughts and ideas. Each delegate will receive full course notes and a set of templates and other materials that they can take back to use in their own organisation.