More news02 April 2008 | Jake Kanter
Charities are to receive a boost to their attempts to win public contracts with the introduction of a series of downloadable procurement and negotiation guides.
The advice will cover four areas - tendering, negotiation, making an impact on buyers and VAT. The Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo) developed the guides.
The guide to negotiation encourages suppliers to identify areas of influence they have in negotiations and to think of purchasers as customers. The advice on tendering suggests the third sector be careful in selecting contracts and give real thought to a buyer's objectives.
On making an impact, the briefing encourages vendors to constantly prove the value of their service and consider outcomes if business is won.
Acevo said it hoped the documents would dispel the myth among public sector buyers that the third sector is "not fit" to deliver services. The guide on impact said purchasers should consider the long-term value the third sector could offer, rather than just securing quick wins.
Orli Gorlenski, head of the full cost recovery programme at Acevo, said in a statement: "This project is timely to address concerns from the public sector that the third sector is not 'fit for purpose'."
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