Hi everyone,
I run North Wales Planters, a small manufacturing business based in Flintshire, North Wales, producing heavy-duty timber planters and raised beds for commercial and public spaces.
We manufacture our products in-house and are particularly interested in supplying local authorities, town and community councils, schools, housing associations, regeneration projects and public-realm schemes, as well as working with landscaping and main contractors.
We’re already receiving enquiries and submitting quotations for council and community-sector projects, while also monitoring opportunities through Sell2Wales and the wider UK procurement portals. We’re keen to make sure we approach this properly from the outset and understand how a small manufacturer can progress from these smaller quotation opportunities into formal tenders, frameworks and larger contracts.
I’d really appreciate advice from anyone with experience of public-sector procurement, particularly around:
What a small manufacturer should have in place before bidding
How important previous public-sector contracts and references are
How a new supplier can overcome limited tender history
Whether approaching main contractors and landscaping contractors is a good route into larger projects
Frameworks, supplier lists or procurement routes we should be watching
Common mistakes small businesses make when responding to tenders
We can manufacture standard products or work to individual project specifications, and our intention is to grow this side of the business steadily without taking on work beyond our production capacity.
I’d be particularly interested to hear from anyone who has successfully progressed from smaller council quotations into formal public-sector tenders and framework opportunities.
Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jamie
North Wales Planters