Helvor Probate Research is an organisation based in Birmingham which traces relatives of those who have died without leaving a will and with no known next of kin. They had won a 5-year single supplier contract with Cheshire East Council back in 2015, which was released again to tender for the contract to begin again in September 2020. Helvor required support responding to the tender, which included the completion of an information security questionnaire, as well as quality questions and a standard PQQ.
Helvor found Hudson through a Google search, browsed our website and was impressed with our testimonials, reviews and 87% success rate. After an initial call with Head of Bid Management, Daniel Hall, about the service we provide and what to expect, Hudson provided a quote based upon the works involved.
The work included the completion of a standard PQQ, six quality questions and an information security questionnaire. Hudson would also be responsible for the submission on the ProContract portal.
Our main challenge was that the questions were extremely focused around the service delivery and Helvor’s internal processes, meaning that client input was paramount to every question. We also had to liaise with Helvor’s external data provider, adding an extra element of responsibility and information to draw together.
As per our usual bid development processes, an initial bid plan was developed within 48-hours of payment. This document outlined Hudson’s approach to each quality question, the sections of the specification to be incorporated and questions for Helvor, detailing information necessary to feed into the response. Having sent this to the client, we completed the PQQ.
Prior to beginning the responses, an initial phone call with the client enabled Hudson to fully understand Helvor’s service offering, an overview of their processes and their organisation as a whole.
To liaise with the data security provider, we set strict deadlines by which the information had to be returned and asked targeted, specific questions to ensure that the correct information was obtained.
We worked closely with Helvor to ensure that all relevant information was incorporated into the tender responses. This entailed additional phone calls to drill down into specific processes when needed.
Hudson then developed the responses based upon the approach detailed in the bid plan and the information provided by the client, ensuring that the question was fully answered and that Helvor’s processes were clearly explained in a way that met the Council’s requirements and reflected what they could deliver.
Helvor was notified that they had won the contract in August 2020, securing stable income for the business for the next five years. The feedback from the Council stated that almost all of the responses exceeded their expectations, that the structure was easy to follow and that key points were easily identifiable due to the paragraphing used. Helvor also contacted Hudson for additional support to complete a further information security questionnaire issued post-contract award, which was completed through liaison with both Helvor and their data network provider.
Having built relationships both with the Council and with those in the community, the team at Helvor was overjoyed to have the contract secured for the next five years.
“I found the team (Olivia and Dan) very easy to work with, we were able to exchange ideas very effectively. This gave me a lot of confidence when they were putting the bid together.” Helen Ball, Managing Director – Helvor Probate Research
