BMS tenders explained

You may have come across some BMS tenders that you think would be perfect for your business. You may have not tendered for work before, or not seeing results from your current tendering efforts. If this is the case, you’ve come to the right place!

This blog about BMS tenders will include what’s generally required and tips to formulate your tender response.

What to expect from BMS tenders

To ensure the maintenance of a Building Management System (BMS) is in optimum condition businesses will release BMS tenders. They are used to procure BMS services when a buyer cannot do it themselves. It is essentially outsourcing a need to a supplier/contractor.

An outline of a servicing schedule

The responsibilities of supplying BMS services for a contract could include the following:

Checking:

• Earthing to control systems
• Security of all electrical connections
• Power-down control systems and test battery back-up
• Output command relays
• Motor overload for setting and operation
• Plant fire shut-down operation
• Screening on out-going cables
• Operation of all digital inputs and outputs
• Floppy disk drive, USB and any other backup device

Testing:

• Operation of all sensors, valve actuators and damper actuators
• High-low limit thermostats
• Pressure switches
• Emergency stop button operation
• Fire/smoke shut-down operation

You’ll likely have to include the following in your BMS tender response:

• Risk assessment
• Method statement
• Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan (CPP)
• Business Continuity Plan

It’s worth noting if you need to submit more than one copy of this. Sometimes buyers will require you to submit multiple copies of not only the above but your tender submission.  Therefore, you need to read the specification carefully to ensure you know what’s required. It’s important that you not only do this but also submit it in the format stated. Is this via email or tender portal? Are they hard copies or online? These are all things you need to note and ensure you adhere to.

Legislations

It’s likely that for BMS tenders, you’ll be required to work to and be in compliance with certain legislations. These vary from tender to tender depending on the work and buyers’ requirements. These are typically noted in the tender documents as a guide. They may include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• Electricity at Word Regulations 1989
• Construction and Design Management Regulations 2015
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
• Reporting of Injury, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013
• Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Provision & Use of Word Equipment Regulations 1998
• Environmental Protection Act 1990
• F-Gas Regulations 2015
• The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
• Working at Height Regulations 2005
• BSRIA Guidance Note BG 4/2003 BMS Maintenance Guide
• CIBSE Guide H Building Control Systems 2009
• CIBSE Guide F Energy Efficiency in Buildings 2004
• CIBSE Guide M Maintenance Engineering & Management 2008

Costs

You may or may not be required to include the following cost breakdowns for your BMS tenders:

• Spares
• Dayworks
• Call out unit costs
• Hourly rates
• Travel time
• Obtaining materials
• Milage rate

3 tips for success

1. Be prepared to demonstrate your experience

Buyers could ask for 2 – 3 case studies of contracts you’ve worked on within the last 3 – 5 years. They should be similar in scope, scale and complexity to the proposed contract. A positive testimonial from previous satisfied customers always strengthens a response the word count permits.

Demonstrating how you overcome any unexpected challenges is also a plus. This allows you to show problem-solving skills and adaptability. All of which are key skills buyers look for. Buyers want to be reassured that you have experience and make them feel at ease reiterating your capability.

2. Partake in site visits

BMS tenders typically will offer the opportunity for a hopeful supplier to visit the site. These site visits are greatly beneficial to your response and it’s encouraged to participate if possible. They allow you to see the environment you’ll be working in with your own eyes. You may be able to pick up on information that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Site visits can enable you to produce more accurate pricing and gain some personal insight into the buyer. 

3. Buyers care about the quality of your written response

You should put your all into writing a top-quality written response even if there is a greater weighting on price. Avoid overly technical jargon where possible and don’t assume that the buyer for BMS tenders know anything. Try and get your responses as close to the word/page/character count as possible. Your response should be clear and concise persuading the buyer that you’re the best business for the job.

Need help writing your next BMS tenders?

You may not have the time or resources to write a winning tender response in house. Bid responses can be time consuming and you’ve already got enough on your plate running a business. We can help take the pressure off.

Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. They offer four bid writing support services that can help you win your next bid.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready programme is perfect for those who have never tendered before. A Bid Writers will work with you to make sure you have everything you need in place to tender successfully. The 4-week programme offers your business:

• A 12-month subscription to Technology Tenders
• Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding professionals
• An organisation-wide Bid Library, including 3 case studies, 5 CV’s and 8 policies
• Additional flexible benefit options.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing the results you want, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents, working with you to improve for future submissions. The Tender Improvement package also includes the above perks from Tender Ready.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect BMS tender for your business, why not send it to Hudson Succeed? Our Bid Writers will let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf. 

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your own tender response and need someone to double-check it for errors, Tender Mentor can help. The Bid Team will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, spelling or grammar mistakes. They’ll also ensure that it’s in line with the specification before you submit it.

Where can I find BMS tenders for my business?

Finding BMS tenders can turn into quite the challenge, taking hours out of your day. There are thousands of websites across the UK publishing multiple sector opportunities daily. Tracking down the right tender for your business can turn into a full-time job. Luckily for you, we have a solution.

Our Technology Tenders portal is updated daily with sector-specific exclusive, public and private sector opportunities. This time-saving tool combats the time-draining problem of trawling for technology leads. There’s no reliance on mislabelled CPV codes or algorithms.

Our Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload relevant opportunities from thousands of sites. You’re then able to filter and search the results by keyword, budget, location and more. This streamlines the process allowing you to focus on your business.

Below are previous BMS tenders sourced on our portal:

Bristol BMS Upgrade Phase 2

NHS South West – Acutes- South West- Budget: £300,000

Building Energy Management System (BMS) Maintenance

Newcastle University- North East- Budget: Undisclosed

GB-Bradford: BTHE2140 Maintenance Contract for BMS System

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust- Yorkshire and Humber- Budget: £25,000

GB-London: ST20 – P212 SLaM BMS Controls and Underfloor Heating to Monks Orchard House

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust- London- Budget: £100,000

HRFCA – Dumbarton ARC – Boiler and BMS Replacement

Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association- Scotland- Budget: Undisclosed

A 12-month subscription to Technology Tenders offers your business:

• Access to all exclusive, private and public sector opportunities across the technology industry.
• An on-hand Account Manager to answer any queries you may have about BMS tenders. They can help you understand the procurement process in general.
• A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new technology tenders are uploaded.
• Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
• 20-minutes of free consultancy with one of our Bid Consultants.

On Technology Tenders, we source:

• DPS opportunities
• Framework agreements
• Single-supplier contracts
• Pre-market engagement opportunities
• PIN notices and more.

We actively source tenders for services including:

• IT support;
• IT recruitment;
• Maintenance;
• Consultancy;
• Website development;
• Software development;
• Network services;
• Cybersecurity;
• Security systems;
• and Hardware.

Upgrade to Discover Elite  

We understand that you’re very busy. Even with our intelligent tracking system in place, the pre-bid admin can stack up. That’s why we recently launched Discover Elite. This upgraded feature eliminates all the frustrating time-wasting elements of tendering. The feature is broken down into two packages.

Both contain access to a maximum of two Discover portals. This is handy if your services cross over into another sector.

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool

• A dedicated Account Manager on-hand to track opportunities for you.
• Up to five bid breakdowns to help you make your bid or no-bid decisions.
• Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable opportunities.
• Buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid/no-bid strategy.
• Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.

Become a Pre-Bid Master

• All of the above.
• The development of a bid strategy delivered by our Senior Bid Manager and our Global Bid Director.
• Up to seven bid breakdowns per month.

Contact us for more information.