Bidding for government work is like walking a tightrope with procurement officers below, just waiting for you to fall. The rules appear rigid but become ambiguous when you seek clarification. After 25 years in proposals, here are the paradoxes I’ve encountered repeatedly:
- The innovation paradox
We’re told innovation is essential. But only if it fits inside a dated template, adheres to existing service models, and stays within a budget that hasn’t been updated since 2014. If you offer something truly new, you risk being marked “non-compliant.” Colouring outside the lines? Beware.
- The experience conundrum
To win, you must show you’ve done it before – preferably for another public body. But how do you break in if experience is the entry ticket? This Catch-22 locked out many SMEs for years. The Procurement Act 2023 has eased some barriers (insurance levels pre-contract come to mind), but the experience conundrum was a significant challenge that prevented many first-time bidders from tendering.
- The clarification black hole
You read the RFP instructions. Section 4 says UK-based staff; Section 7 encourages overseas delivery. You seek clarity. Two weeks later, the reply: “Please refer to the original documents.” Translation: “Good luck trying to sort out this mess – you’re on your own.”
- Death by portal
You hit “Submit” with an hour to go. Then the portal crashes. Yes, you could’ve sent the response earlier, but you were waiting on last-minute approvals from the legal department. The Portal Helpdesk says, “Try again later.” You do. It’s still down. The deadline passes. The next day, you receive the dreaded email: “Late submissions cannot be accepted.” Bureaucracy: 1. You: 0.
- The sustainability hypocrisy
The tender proudly states its commitment to carbon neutrality and green procurement. There is even a 10% weighting for environmental credentials, but it demands five printed, double-sided, bound copies to be delivered by courier before the digital deadline. Nothing says “eco” like trucking 500 pages of recycled hypocrisy across the country.
Summary
These contradictions are all too familiar to those in the field. After too many hours spent wrangling portals, deciphering RFPs, and chasing ghostly clarifications, I’m still (mostly) optimistic. But until procurement stops chasing unicorns, we’ll keep tightrope-walking between rulebooks and reality with no safety net.
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