Look before you bid
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by Amanda Bradbury • The CBI is among employers' organisations warning operators they could be wasting their time competing for this year's .1.:10Ornworth of civil service transport contracts if they do not demand more information before bidding.
The move comes as CM exclusively reveals details of the Government's further E50mworth of transport contracts in the two most lucrative Central Government departments—the Ministry of Defence and Home Office--up to 1996 (see table).
Exel Logistics, BRS, Peter Lane, Beck & Poll itzer are among those gearing up to grab the business. They have been advised to demand Government guidance on employee terms and conditions before bidding.
Already investing in dedicated staff to assemble bids for contracted out Central Government functions, operators admit they are worried by lack of official guidance on the Transfer Of Undertakings regulations which could scupper some deals.
Exel Logistics hopes to appoint
a dedicated sales Peter Lane: one of several hauliers manager to hangearing up to grab civil service business. die market tested
contracts within two months. It says before bidding it intends to establish whether the Government wants the company to offer civil service staff the same terms and conditions. This would be taken into account in Exel's bid.
The CBI considers transport the area most vulnerable to confusion: "It is important that transport contractors should be given information like numbers of staff, how they operate and their full terms and conditions before the firm makes the considerable investment of making a bid."