Finding and bidding for contracts is not a juvenile thing nor for a ‘chicken hearted’. It can be very tiring and brutally competitive especially if you go about it the wrong way. Nevertheless, the challenges faced in securing these contracts should not be a dissuading factor, given the fact that there are a lot of opportunities with less bottlenecks out there, especially as it concern NGO tenders and international bodies contracts.
Several international and local NGOs, international bodies, and foreign embassies in Nigeria seek contractors and suppliers of goods and services from time to time.
It is also pertinent to note that the bidding process for NGOs and private institutions in Nigeria is more effective, quicker, fewer requirements, and is more transparent than the bidding process of government agencies. Experts have attributed this discrepancy to the impact of bureaucratic bottleneck and interference inherent in government parastatals.
For example, in several NGOs, the use of competitive bidding is a priority practice. The first criterion in choosing a supplier is mostly based on the lowest bid. However, if a supplier does not provide the required level of service or an adequate guarantee, then other criteria shall also be considered. These organizations also seriously frown, with warning of blacklisting any companies that tried to subvert or influence the procurement and bidding processes, thereby providing a level playing field for companies to compete.
One of the foremost things to do before seeking contracts is to register one’s company. This is because unregistered individual bidding is disallowed, especially when seeking government contracts.
To seamlessly access tenders and contracts from NGOs and top international agencies in Nigeria, here are the things you need to know;
- Build a reputable profile or brand name: The concept of branding and goodwill cannot be overemphasized in business. For any agency to reach out to you or to even stand a chance of securing contracts, it is pertinent that one’s past records are clean. It is important to note that while building a name for one’s business, money should not be prioritized. Emerging entrepreneurs, who lack the clout or profile to demand mouth-watering contracts, can volunteer to work for free or low prices, just to build a channel of record one could refer to.
- Don’t toy with information and research about the prospective organizations: A lot of people lack access to contracts and tenders due to what is termed ‘information asymmetry’ in economics. In this age and time, it is a big slap if one misses out on life changing opportunities due to information gap. To bridge this gap, naijabusiness.com.ng has a dedicated portal where we constantly publish tenders and various contracts from top NGOs and International agencies. See details on NGOs and International bodies that we publish frequently: CLICK TO ACCESS LATEST NGO AND INTERNATIONAL BODIES TENDERS
- Testimonies abound from users on how they have been able to secure contracts from these organizations. After researching the institutions, then you send out many Requests For Proposals (RFPs) and what contract categories their proposals usually cover, and much more.
- Explore the internet: In this digital age, the role and importance of the internet cannot be overemphasized. You could use it to find out which organizations have REPs and contact most procurement departments.
- Bid for contracts: After getting a Request For Proposal (REP), it is essential to meticulously study the different conditions to know the basic requirements of each organization, failure to do so might get you disqualified. It is important to reemphasize that irrespective of the capacity in participation-whether as main contractor (the big organizations) or as a subcontractor (local independent contractors), one’s business must be duly registered in the country. The basic eligibility requirements for bidding in Nigeria is captured below;
- Evidence of Incorporation of the Company with Corporate Affairs Commission and updated Annual Returns;
- The company must show evidence of fulfilling its Tax obligations as follows:
- a. Current Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) for the last three (3) years ending 2014; VAT Registration Certificate; and TIN Number (Tax Identification Number).
- b. Audited Account of the Bidding Company for the last three (3) years duly endorsed by a firm of Professional Accountants.
- Evidence of financial capability (Statement of Account or Turnover) and reference letter from a reputable bank.
- A letter authorizing the Authority or her representative(s) to conduct Due Diligence on all the documents submitted by the company from any source with the view of confirming their genuineness or otherwise.
- In some instance, proof of partnership with OEM’s as regards equipments supply.
Other steps necessary to boost visibility and attract further contracts and tenders from NGOs and international agencies are;
- Prepare your proposals such that it will align with the organization’s goal. In the course of the presentation, do not forget to make your model feasible and realistic. You could try to adopt the SMART method.
- Defend your bid if invited.
- Factor in costs and ensure that your bids are well calculated. It is important to capture the overhead costs and your profit margin accurately.
- Execute the contract well to stand a chance of being considered for future contracts.
