Expert Bid Writing & Bid Surgery Service (WS5796)

Tuesday, 30th October 2012, Leeds City Centre

Overview

In response to demand from our clients, NTRL can now confirm that we are pleased to provide a follow on event to our highly successful ‘Writing Even Better Bids – Advanced Level’ Workshop. The event will combine an interactive and practical top level workshop with a 1 to 1 bid surgery service. The event will be facilitated by 2 Bid Writing Experts, and delegate numbers limited in order to guarantee valuable face to face time throughout the day.

We recognise that in an ever increasingly competitive landscape, applicants for funding have to negotiate complex and diverse criteria. In addition to these barriers, your understanding and command of ‘additionality’ and ‘added value’ will play a significant part in ensuring that your organisation’s applications are successful. Whilst the workshop will help you better understand these concepts enabling you to confidently write exceptional Bids, the Bid Surgery Service will offer immediate 1 to 1 critique and assistance on your current bid(s). 

This intensive 1 day event will offer you a cost effective solution that will enable you to compete effectively with companies that are maximising their potential through the use of consultants and funding experts.

The event is also suitable for responses to tenders through commissioning and procurement and recipients of the service can be guaranteed a significant improvement in their chances of securing successful outcomes.

Content

These one day workshops draw on the experience and knowledge of bidding, appraising and commissioning experts with considerable success in their fields. Delegates are recommended to bring with them; 3 printed copies of any current bid, pre-qualification questionnaire or tender response. The criteria for funding should also be available and electronic versions may be presented using delegates own laptops. All submissions and applications are treated as commercial in confidence and no written drafts will be kept by your facilitators. These surgeries have been developed to offer professional help and advice on a one to one basis with bidding experts.

The service provided includes:

• Analysis of application strengths and weaknesses
• Appraisal of applications presented
• Compliance with programme / funder objectives
• Assessment of cross-cutting theme integration
• Assurance check of strategic approach to planning
• Quality and risk assessment checks carried out
• Drafting and re drafting support
• A personal report aimed at identifying bid improvement areas

Objectives

Delegates will be able to:

• Focus on the key quality responses required by funders
• Determine key factors that will maximise their bid potential
• Translate the language of funding into accessible bid responses
• Practice quality appraisal of a bid response
• Redraft bids and responses to include deal breaker components
• Reorganise bid responses to fit with scoring criteria
• Analyse and replace weak language, structure or components

Supporting Materials to be Used

• Programme guidance notes
• Written worksheets
• Action plan toolkits
• Memory stick containing web addresses, resources, links

Who Should Attend?

All staff responsible for the submission, design and writing of bids and tenders for Registered Charities, Community & Voluntary Sector Organisations, Colleges, Universities, Arts Organisations, Faith Organisations, Non-Government Organisations, Local Authorities, Research Institutes, Council for Voluntary Services, Learning Partnerships, Business Links and Associations and training providers, Prime contractors, private sector sub- contractors, PCTs, NRF and other regeneration partnerships.

This event will be particularly useful for delegates engaging with our bid and tender improvement workshops; Introduction to Bid Writing, Developing Your Bid Writing, Writing Even Better Bids, and Writing Winning Tenders.

Linked Workshops

This course is part of a series of four Bid Writing events designed to cater for the needs of delegates at all levels. The series offers a clear progression route through the workshops; however they also work well as stand alone topics:

1 – Introduction to Bid Writing – Beginner Level

2 – Developing your Bid Writing – Intermediate Level

3 – Writing Even Better Bids – Advanced Level

4 – Expert Bid Writing & Bid Surgery Service

Facilitator

In order to maximise one on one tuition/consultation time, this workshop will be jointly facilitated by two of NTRL's consultants.

Facilitator 1

He is a London based trainer and consultant with over 20 years experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors. He is an approved consultant for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and previously a visiting lecturer/ research associate at the University of Central Lancashire in Community Regeneration and Health, in the Health & Ethnicity Unit.

He is a graduate and qualified trainer, who has developed & delivered fundraising training programmes for many community and non-profit making organisations & regularly writes and researches funding proposal for community groups, local authorities, social enterprises and universities & colleges. He has also undertaken consultancy work with several housing associations and works as an Independent Tenant Adviser on fundraising to tenants & residents groups in London.

Currently working with a range of third sector organisations on various public Funding programmes to research funding sources and other development opportunities. He has significant experience of working on and managing EU funding programmes, especially ESF and is also an associate member of both the Institute of Fundraising & the Institute of Economic Development.

Facilitator 2

This facilitator brings a diverse and significant range of skills, knowledge and abilities to the development of leaders and managers. Previously, he was head of external projects at Greenwich Community College and was a Senior Lecturer in Post-Compulsory Education and Training at the University of Greenwich. Until recently, he was Deputy Director at London Voluntary Sector Training Consortium, responsible for third sector access to the structural funds and has held directorships in the private training sector as an NCVO approved consultant. He has worked closely with the SFA, London Councils, DWP, and LDA and has scored bids for GOL in his varied career. He has also represented the voluntary sector on Moderation Panels for the CFOs from 2002 - 2007, and was a member of the Support and Advisory Group [SAG] to Government Office in the last ESF programme. Stewart is a member of the Institute of Fundraising and registered to provide consultancy services by the NCVO and NACVA.

Venue and Travel

Venue details and travel information will be included in your confirmation email. If the venue has not been confirmed at the time of booking, then the information will be emailed to you closer to the event.

Booking & Confirmation

Bookings will only be accepted on receipt of full payment PRIOR to the event via cheque, BACS or credit card.  Cheques to be made payable to ‘National Training Resources Limited’.

All reservations will be confirmed by email within two days of receipt of your completed booking form and payment in full and will include venue details and times.

Please direct all conference queries to the Conference Team.
Tel:  0845 130 6152 or 01827 63919.
Fax:  01827 60836 or 01827 61428. 
Email: conferences@national-training.co.uk

Terms & Conditions

Please read our full terms and conditions. Completion and return of the Booking Form constitutes a contract between yourselves and National Training Resources Limited.  Delegate cancellations/transfers are only accepted up to 3 weeks prior to the event and are subject to a small administration charge. Delegate substitutions can be made at any time.  We reserve the right to cancel or alter the event at any time.