Read our insights on tendering for an IT support contract! 

An IT support contract acts as a crucial cog in the machine of IT procurement. According to Statista, it’s estimated that the IT services industry will generate revenue upwards of £82 billion in 2022. So, it’s no wonder people find it daunting to bid in this sector. Well, you’ve found just the right people. In this blog, we’ll answer some commonly asked questions and walk you through sourcing and winning IT support contracts.

Confused about IT support contracts?

An IT support contract validates agreements between two parties, where one provides technical support to the other. For mutual benefit, the contract terms must be concrete, without room for misinterpretation.

Details in an IT support contract can be vastly unique, ensuring that no two are the same.  It should go without saying, but without IT support, a company’s efficiency and working capabilities are seriously hindered.

What’s in it for the buyer? 6 benefits of IT services

Having IT support offers several outstanding benefits to a buyer. Competent technical support ensures daily operations run smoothly. Some of these benefits could be included in your bid to further entice the buyer. The benefits of IT support include the following:

1.     Cost-effective experience and expertise

IT support impacts positively on your overhead costs and profits. In-house IT specialists may cost more if you consider the yearly salary and allowances. Outsourcing offers you access to a team of highly experienced experts in providing both remote and onsite IT support.

As a result, you get high-end, professional IT services at a reduced cost. Training your IT staff on specialist skills may be a great idea. However, having an entire team of experts at your disposal will help you save more money.

2.    Support and flexibility

IT support services provide payment flexibility for business owners or company executives. They can select the best IT support contract that suits their business operation. In addition, buyers may choose a 24/7 IT support plan if they require minimal downtime and high continuity.

3.    Business centralisation and service combination

An IT support contract offers packages that may contain several services. It allows employees to have a single port of call when experiencing technical issues. It provides centralisation for all applications. Buyers can easily manage all their applications and servers within one access space and improve staff productivity.

4.    Disaster recovery

A disaster recovery process is an integral component of an IT support contract. It also helps prevent future disasters.

5.    Resilient infrastructure

One benefit of an IT support contract is that it provides efficient IT management. It also offers improved data protection and security. Buyers can get a secure and safer digital infrastructure by contracting a professional IT Support Team.

6.    Update software and future proof services

An IT support contract ensures disaster recovery and cyber security details by ensuring all software is updated. Buyers can get access to future-proofed and backed up data which is an effective plan for data recovery.

4 signs of a thoroughly considered IT support contract

When you’re searching for the right contracts, there are key components that showcase a valuable buyer. These include the following:

1. What you need to provide (inclusions)

An IT support contract should contain all the expectations from the buyer. It should also contain all hardware and software covered by the contract. There are different tiers of support, and the contract should specify which IT support level you’re expected to offer.

2. What you’re not liable for (limitations and exclusions)

Aside from knowing what is expected in the IT support contract, knowing what services are excluded is also critical. The buyer may exclude some services from the contract agreement due to different uncontrollable circumstances. For example, theft, unauthorised modifications, or damage caused by fire or natural occurrences may be excluded.

So, a good sign of a well-thought-out contract includes the buyer’s contingency plans. How they minimise system downtime when faced with desperate situations.  Ultimately, when the buyer contacts you, you shouldn’t be the first, second and last line of defence.

3. Payment schedule

One of the buyer’s primary obligations as the outsourcing party is to provide a payment schedule. In essence, the payment schedule should spell out all payment terms. In addition, it should contain information on the payment date, payment method, and actual payment to be made.

4. A middleman between your company and the IT support buyer

It is vital that a contact link is provided to liaise with the buyer. The middleman should be accessible at all times to prevent communication breaches.

Resolution and response time – what you need to know

Response and resolution time are two critical quality markers when you’re delivering an IT support contract. Response time is how long it takes for you to confirm receipt of the buyer’s concerns. However, resolution time is the duration for fixing the issue.

The resolution time may vary because it depends on the complexity or severity of the issue. You should include a well-defined timeline or breakdown of the expected resolution time for multiple issues. The more issues you showcase, the more confident the buyer will be in your abilities.

What is the difference between SLA and an IT support contract?

A Service Level Agreement is also called the Master Service Agreement. Although they’re both part of the tendering process it differs from an IT support contract. The IT support contract is a legally binding agreement between the buyer and you. The SLA, however, outlines the specific details of the responsibility of each party.

It also shows the expected and acceptable service. Finally, the SLA outlines the consequences of not meeting each detailed requirement. Both parties can revise the SLA without revising the contract.

3 tips for success in IT support contracts

1. Proofreading and quality – It should go without saying but the buyer will expect a high level of grammar. Presenting sub-par writing simply won’t impress the buyer and might do damage to your reputation. So, simply reading through your work with a critical eye can do wonders for catching stray errors. Alongside this, get friends and colleagues to read through your work. And if you want a professional edge to your writing, get a Bid Writer to help. Our sister company, Hudson Succeed, offer this service through Tender Mentor.

2. Statistics – Substantiating your claims with data and graphs can go a long way in winning the buyer over. Elements such as resolution and response time can be tracked and recorded to showcase your efficiency. However, it’s important to find the balance between data and text so that you don’t overwhelm the buyer with statistics.

3. Relevant case studies – Testimonials and case studies can be a winning factor in your bid. However, there’s a catch – they need to be relevant. Irrelevant case studies can confuse the buyer and communicate a rushed effort. A good rule of thumb for collecting evidence is offering incentives.  This could be discounts, or unique service offerings on the bid proposal.

In summary

We’ve reached the conclusion to this blog on tackling tenders for IT support contracts!

Now you’ve got a solid idea of what to expect when it comes to bidding for these contracts.

We’ve covered quite a lot of material, and now you know:

• What represents a valuable buyer of IT support contracts
• About the benefits of IT support services, which you can weave into your bid
• The impact of resolution and response time and how it affects your business
• The difference between master service level agreements and IT support contracts
• How important proofreading is
• Collecting statistics and balancing them with text
• Using relevant case studies to get the best utility out of them.

Bidding support

The tendering process is long and complex but the team are here to assist you in writing bids.  You can outsource the role to our dedicated Hudson Succeed Team. They have 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Their team have secured contract wins totalling over £3billion for our clients.

Tender Ready

Their Tender Ready programme is designed for those who have never tendered before. This 4-week programme works with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Tender Improvement can help if you’re already tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts. Their Bid Writers will assess your previous submissions and supporting documents. They’ll give you feedback and guidance on how to improve, helping you to secure your next IT support contract.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written an IT support tender and need someone to proofread it – Tender Mentor is for you. A Bid Writer will double-check it’s in line with the specification and free of any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Tender Writing

If you’ve found the perfect tender but don’t know where to start – They can help. Send the specification over to us and our Bid Team will do the rest. They’ll let you know what they need from you and provide you with a full breakdown. They’ll even submit it on your behalf, leaving you more time to focus on your business.

Want to save even more time?

Upgrading to Discover Elite will ensure you never miss a tendering opportunity, even when you’re busy!

The Ultimate Time-Saving Tool offers your business:

• An annual subscription to a maximum of two Discover portals of your choice.
• Up to five bid breakdowns per month to help you make your bid or no-bid decisions.
• Weekly phone calls with your Account Manager to discuss viable IT support leads and tendering opportunities.
• Award and pre-market engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
• Public and private buyer portal management including registering, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid strategy.

What can Technology Tenders do for you?

We source technology tenders on a daily basis, manually searching through hundreds of sites across the UK. We know how important it is to source the right tender for your business.

You can sign up to our Technology Tenders portal and start receiving business leads today. Our Opportunity Trackers manually upload new live tenders daily. You’re able to filter the results by keyword, location, budget and more. You no longer have to rely on inaccurate CPV codes to find the right opportunity for your business.

Below are previous IT support tenders sourced on our portal:

Dev Ops Engineer 1

Disclosure Scotland – Scotland – Budget: £7K

DWP Place – Senior Service Now Developer

DWP –  DWP Place – North West – Budget: £7K

Connexus Tender for ICT Help Desk Service Software

Connexus Homes Limited – West Midlands – Budget: £30k

UREGNI – MMU IT Support 2022-25

Utility Regulator – Northern Ireland – Budget: £189,000

 Digital Portfolio Operations Support

Ministry of Justice, Digital & Technology, Prisons Digital – London – Budget: £3,000,000

On Technology Tenders, we source contract opportunities for:

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

Get in touch to find out more information.