Tender Ready Workshop

Whenever the public sector needs services over a certain value, they are required to publicly advertise and invite businesses to bid for this work. This can be a great opportunity for VCSE organisations, so we want to help you feel more confident navigating this type of funding.

This free workshop will be interactive, practical and jargon-free, making sure you leave feeling informed.

What will be covered?

• Procurement 101 – What tenders are, how they work, and why they’re a fantastic growth opportunity. Including how the Procurement Act 2023 will simplify processes and create more opportunity for VCSE organisations.
• Finding Opportunities – Step-by-step guidance on registering and searching for contracts on key procurement portals (Contracts Finder, Find a Tender, YORtender).
• Getting Tender Ready – What documents, policies, and accreditations you need to have in place before you start bidding.
• Tender Speak Decoded – Breaking down procurement language, evaluation criteria, and how to structure your responses.
• What Buyers Want – Understanding commissioners’ and buyers’ expectations and how to align your bid to what they’re looking for.
• Live Evaluation & Moderation Exercise – A practical activity where you step into the evaluator’s shoes to score real responses against specifications and criteria. This eye opening exercise gives businesses a first-hand look at how bids are assessed and what can make a strong response.
• Social Value & Carbon Net Zero – How to integrate social and environmental impact into your bids in a meaningful, relevant and proportionate way.
• Working in Partnership – Tips for forming collaborations and consortia to strengthen your bid.
• Signposting to Local Networks – Where to find additional support, including Nova Wakefield District, Chambers of Commerce, and FSB etc

What to expect

• Introductions – Getting to know the group and understanding their experience levels.
• End-to-End Tender Walkthrough – A guided journey through the full tendering process, helping you understand where you are and how to move forward.
• Live Evaluation & Moderation – Hands-on scoring exercise using real evaluation criteria.
• Q&A & Takeaways – Your chance to ask questions and reflect on what’s next.

About the workshop

Nova are pleased to be working with Go4Growth, who will deliver this workshop. Go4Growth are a micro social enterprise passionate about supporting small businesses, SMEs, and VCSE organisations to confidently engage in public sector procurement. Through their work, they’ve seen a 70% increase in engagement with tenders, resulting in a 30% increase in business awarded to SMEs and VCSE organisations.

• The workshop will be delivered on Zoom. You will receive reminders with a link to join the workshop before it starts.  
• Please contact the Nova Team at info@nova-wd.org.uk or 01924 367418 if there are adjustments we can make to the workshop to make it accessible to you.
• Spaces are limited so we ask that you book a maximum of 2 tickets for your organisation.