Sample Bid/no-bid memoPrepared 23 October 2026 · Supplier is fictional
QW Planned and Reactive Facilities Management Services
Qualifications Wales/Tender ref. QWL262702/Framework agreement, one supplier
Estimated value
£133,333 ex VAT
£160,000 inc VAT over up to five years Notice; Spec 2.2
Spend, last three years
£107,972 inc VAT
Planned £30,956; reactive £77,016 Spec 2.2
Tender deadline
17:00, Mon 30 Nov 2026
Sell2Wales Postbox only ITT 3.1
Clarifications close
17:00, Mon 23 Nov 2026
Site visits 2–20 Nov, by booking ITT 3.3, 3.9, s4
Procedure
Below-threshold open
Procurement Act 2023 and Procurement (Wales) Regs 2024 ITT s1 para 3; Notice
Term
3 years + up to 2
Start 1 Mar 2027 (tbc) ITT s1 para 1, s4; Notice
Award basis
60% quality / 40% price
Seven scored quality items ITT 5.9–5.10
Scope
One leased office, Newport
Statutory, PPM, 24/7 breakdown, minor works Spec 2.1–2.2, 22
Our call
Bid, with three conditions
For Severnmoor Building Services Ltd (fictional): 38 staff, M&E and building fabric maintenance, depot about 25 minutes from the site.
- Gates
- 7 meet · 2 action · 3 check
- Days to deadline
- 38 (from 23 Oct)
- Days to ask questions
- 31
Why bid
- The work is Severnmoor’s core trade, at a size an SME can serve well; the notice marks the lot suitable for SMEs Notice; Spec 2.2
- It can pass every gate. The one hard gap, public liability cover, can be met by a commitment before award RT1 Q17
- 55 of the 100 quality points (Q1, 2c, 2d) reward local resourcing and response times, which a nearby depot supports ITT 5.9
Why be careful
- Spend has averaged about £36,000 a year inc VAT; the framework is non-exclusive with no volume guarantee, and QW can end it on three months’ notice Spec 2.2; T&Cs 15.1, 32.2
- An existing supplier is in place; one provider’s own engineers did 23 of the 30 typical jobs listed Spec 3.4; Annex A
Conditions, by Friday 20 November
- Broker letter committing to lift public liability from £5m to £10m before award RT1 Q17; T&Cs 25.1
- Water hygiene partner confirms Legionella Control Association membership in writing Spec 19.4
- Two clients agree to be named referees for Q2b, with contract values and dates RT2 Q2b
Pass/fail gates and must-haves P/F: a fail excludes the bid ITT 5.7. Must: mandatory in the Specification or terms.
| Gate | What the documents require | Severnmoor (fictional) |
|---|---|---|
| Central Digital Platform P/F | Registered on the CDP; core supplier information shared by share code or PDF ITT 5.5; RT1 Q2, Q6 | Meets Share code ready |
| Exclusions P/F | Not on the debarment list; associated persons and sub-contractors declared ITT 5.6; RT1 Q5, Q7–12 | Meets Two sub-contractors listed |
| Financial standing P/F | No turnover threshold. Two years’ full accounts tested on GCF ratios, asked first of the top-ranked bidder after scoring; amber or red fails ITT 5.8; RT1 Q16 | Meets Accounts to Mar 2026 |
| Insurance P/F | Employer’s liability £5m, public liability £10m, professional indemnity £1m; held or committed before award; kept for a year after RT1 Q17; T&Cs 25.1 | Action PL is £5m today |
| Health and safety P/F | Written H&S arrangements QW judges sufficient; no enforcement orders in 3 years; signed policy reviewed in last 2 years; competent person; COSHH; induction RT1 Q24–29 | Check Q24a needs drafting |
| Cyber security P/F | Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001 as a minimum, evidenced before start RT1 Q33; DPS | Meets Cyber Essentials held |
| Carbon Reduction Plan P/F | Published to WPPN 006 no more than 12 months before the procurement started; link required RT1 Q49a–b | Meets Published Mar 2026 |
| Policies and training P/F | Environmental policy; documented quality process (ISO 9001 not required); equalities training for client-facing staff; conflicts declared RT1 Q32, 34, 36, 38 | Check Sub-contractor training |
| Real Living Wage Must | At least £13.45 an hour for everyone working on the framework ITT 5.10; T&Cs 14.5 | Meets Confirm on price tabs |
| Legionella Must | Water risk assessment by a Legionella Control Association member, to the L8 Approved Code of Practice Spec 19.4; RT2 Q4 | Action Partner’s LCA proof |
| TUPE Info | Stated as “Not Applicable” in the contract terms T&Cs 18 | Check Ask QW to confirm |
| Declarations Must | Signed Form of Tender, which asks whether AI tools were used and checked; FOI form; terms accepted ITT s1 para 6; FoT | Meets Two signatories |
How to read the references. Notice = Find a Tender 099768-2026. ITT = Invitation to Tender (paragraph numbers). Spec = Section 6 Specification. RT1/RT2/RT3 = Response Templates 1–3. T&Cs = Section 7 Framework terms (clause numbers). FoT = Section 8 Form of Tender. DPS = Data Processing Schedule. All read on Sell2Wales on 23 October 2026.
Sample prepared by Evendraft, run from India. Not connected with Qualifications Wales. Severnmoor and its details are invented.1 / 2