For the contracting authority, dialogue with the market is absolutely essential in order to create effective competition for the tasks that are put out to tender. Not least that the client’s needs are matched as best as possible with what the market can deliver at the current time. The dialogue can prevent the customer from making too expensive or too high demands for a service or product, or that a service or product simply cannot be delivered at the current time due to various challenges.
Many possible – and expensive – challenges
Challenges can be many and varied in a rapidly changing market. It could be, for example, a shortage of employees in a specialist area, too high material prices or expensive requirements for a timetable. If the client makes higher demands than what is necessary in relation to the task at hand, it may end up with higher prices or the tender being canceled and having to be rescheduled. This can end up with unnecessarily high costs for both the ordering party and the tenderer, as both parties have to start over with a new material.
The client invites to dialogue
Dialogue is most often an invited market dialogue for interested bidders. Through the dialogue, the client creates a realistic and durable tender material, where the number of clarifying questions can be significantly limited. The decisive issues are thus handled in the dialogue with the market prior to publication of the tender. A subsequent contract is thus entered into based on the expectations of the bidders and creates the most optimal cooperation, where disputes throughout the life of a contract are minimized.
The contracting authority can enter into an oral and written dialogue with companies right up to the publication of the tender documents. After this, all communication is restricted to take place exclusively in writing.
The Tender Act only applies to public tenders
Public contracting authorities are subject to the Public Procurement Act. Private contractors are not subject to the same limited period. Here, it is permitted to have an oral dialogue with the market and the tenderers who bid for a tender.
What can you do, when?
As a company, you can always contact a customer and ask for a meeting. Most contracting authorities are interested in keeping up with the market and getting information about when it would make the most sense to carry out a tender or obtain offers for a specific task or framework agreement. This makes it easier to decide when the most optimal quality and price is available.
It may be that a customer must purchase steel or another component which can be expensive, or that a customer must purchase painting jobs in a market where it is not possible to get trained painters. Here, it makes good sense to have a discussion with the market to ensure that relevant tender material is published at the right time.
Draw attention to your business
In order for a customer to invite your company to a market dialogue, the customer needs to know your company. That is why it is absolutely essential that you draw attention to your company and maintain contact with the clients you want to get into. This also applies if the customer currently has a contract with one of your competitors. Be relevant and precise about the purpose of your meeting. Make it clear that the client will gain essential knowledge by meeting with you.
Be strategic and know the needs
Your main task is to find information about whether the client is satisfied or not satisfied with the cooperation with your competitor and the task they are purchasing. You must know the needs of the client and follow developments in this. You must impress the client strategically, so that you work towards the fact that it is precisely your quality in the task solution that they choose to focus on in their next tender or contract. Focus on your values and your way of doing things. You know that you are unique and that you differentiate yourself. It may be on the margins, but it is often on the margins that you win a tender. Either on price or on quality – compared to your competitors.
