Case Study
Winning in Water
SERVICES: BID MANAGEMENT, BID WRITING
The opportunity
We were engaged by a multi-disciplinary civils and ground engineering contractor in 2023/24 to provide bid management and writing support with tendering for a place on the United Utilities (UU) Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8) Framework. Targeting a place on the £2-3bn, five-year, Detailed Design & Build Infrastructure Lot, the tender represented a key business planning opportunity for our client. The framework scope of works included the construction of water and wastewater networks and pipelines, pumping stations, storage and reservoirs, tank installations, access roads, site facilities and sewer upsizing and installations. The scope also included Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) to support solution optimisation and buildability, and early design work.
The bid
The bid involved Pre-qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and Invitation to Tender (ITT) stages. We helped author and review the successful PQQ submission which involved 16 questions showcasing and demonstrating our client’s technical capability and experience, and it’s robust approach to maximising customer satisfaction, ensuring high quality works and managing health and safety (H&S).
The ITT: In numbers
- 3-month tender period.
- 50% quality, 50% price.
- 12 quality responses.
- 6 process map graphics.
- 12 supporting plans and documents.
What we did in the ITT
Working closely with our client’s leadership, pre-construction and operational teams, we jointly managed production of the bid quality submission. To help ensure a compelling and compliant submission, we:
- Used interactive workshops to develop a Bid Win Strategy. This identified four win themes aligned with UU’s purpose, core values and what they wanted from their suppliers. These themes were woven throughout the written responses.
- Developed an engaging written response template that maximised the space available for responses, ensuring a consistent approach with tailored evidence boxes to present demonstrable and compelling evidence of our client’s ability to provide the services required by UU.
Working with Subject Matter Experts, we produced high-quality written responses on customer and stakeholder engagement, health, safety and wellbeing, reducing carbon emissions and sustainability. Demonstrating our client’s technical capability, we authored responses on project and programme reporting, managing design and construction interfaces, project commissioning and takeover, product and process standardisation, and framework mobilisation and management. Several supporting plans were produced and submitted, including a Customer & Stakeholder Plan, a Carbon Management Strategy, CVs for framework management staff and a Framework Mobilisation Programme.
Outcome
Our client was awarded a place as a Detailed Design & Build Partner on the Infrastructure Lot of the UU AMP8 Framework, scoring impressively on responses including sustainability management, health, safety and wellbeing, values and culture, and project commissioning and takeover. Maximum marks were awarded for responses on product and process standardisation and carbon emissions strategy. The successful bid submission will enable our client to play a key role in supporting the UK water industry at a time when environmental pressures, climate change and population growth are creating major challenges for the sector.
Our client’s Joint Managing Director said: “This is a fantastic new business opportunity and exciting challenge. This successful outcome was the result of good teamwork that saw SGS Hub and our team complement each other effectively. SGS provided key focus to answers and better presentation for submission. We will certainly be coming back to SGS to support us with our next sizeable quality bid.”