The Deal is Decided Before the Tender is Published
The Hidden Rules of Public Sector Buying: Part 3
Most suppliers assume the opportunity begins when the tender goes live.
That’s when they engage. That’s when they activate. That’s when they try to win.
But by that point, a large part of the decision has already been shaped.
This is part of our series exploring the hidden rules of public sector buying. Rules that many suppliers overlook and often realise too late.
Procurement Feels Like the Starting Point
rom the outside, procurement appears to be the start of the process.
A requirement is published.
Suppliers respond.
Evaluations happen.
A decision is made.
It feels structured, transparent, and competitive.
And it is.
But what procurement doesn’t show you is everything that happened before it.
Because by the time something reaches procurement, the organisation isn’t starting from zero.
They already have context. Direction. And often, a strong sense of what they’re looking for.
The Real Process Starts Much Earlier
Before anything is formalised, organisations are already working through the problem.
This stage is rarely visible externally, but it’s where most of the important thinking happens.
Over a period of months, sometimes longer, teams are:
trying to understand the problem properly
exploring different approaches internally
aligning multiple stakeholders with different priorities
navigating budget constraints and approval cycles
This isn’t a linear process.
Priorities change. Projects stall. New stakeholders get involved. Internal politics come into play.
But throughout all of this, one thing is consistent:
They are gradually shaping what the eventual requirement will look like.
What This Actually Looks Like in Practice
Take a typical NHS Trust exploring a new digital solution.
At the start, there’s no defined requirement. Just a recognition that something isn’t working as it should.
Over the next 9–12 months:
clinical teams raise challenges
digital leads explore possible approaches
internal discussions happen around feasibility and cost
different stakeholders align on what “good” could look like
During this time, they’re also engaging externally.
They might:
attend events to see how other Trusts are approaching similar problems
speak to peers about what has worked (and what hasn’t)
come across suppliers presenting ideas or showcasing solutions
build an informal view of which organisations seem credible
No procurement has started.
No tender exists.
But by the end of this phase, the Trust has:
a clearer definition of the problem
a direction they’re leaning towards
and a set of suppliers they recognise
When procurement eventually begins, it isn’t the start of the journey.
It’s a formalisation of everything that’s already happened.
The same pattern exists across government
A central government department exploring a new service or technology follows a similar path.
The difference is often scale and complexity, not behaviour.
Before anything is formally commissioned:
internal teams assess policy objectives and operational challenges
multiple departments or units need to align on direction
budget and approvals are worked through over time
external insight is gathered to understand what’s possible
During this period, suppliers are already being encountered.
Not through formal sales processes, but through:
industry events and forums
discussions around innovation and transformation
exposure to ideas that help shape internal thinking
By the time a programme reaches procurement:
the scope has been influenced
certain approaches feel more credible than others
and some suppliers are already familiar
So while the process remains structured and fair, it isn’t starting from a blank slate.
It’s building on a foundation that has been forming over time.
External Influence Happens Before Procurement
During this stage, buyers aren’t operating in isolation.
They’re actively, and often informally, engaging with the market.
Not through formal RFPs or structured processes, but through:
conversations with peers in other organisations
exposure to suppliers in industry environments
discussions at events and forums
content and insight that helps frame their thinking
They’re not “buying” yet.
But they are learning.
They’re building a picture of:
what solutions exist
what approaches are credible
what outcomes are realistic
And crucially, who they recognise.
Familiarity is Built Long Before Evaluation
By the time procurement begins, certain suppliers already feel familiar.
Not because they’ve been selected, but because they’ve been:
seen multiple times
heard in relevant conversations
associated with the problem being solved
That familiarity creates a subtle but important advantage.
Because when evaluation happens, buyers aren’t starting from a blank slate.
They’re comparing options against a backdrop of prior exposure.
Suppliers who have been consistently visible:
feel lower risk
are easier to understand
and are more readily trusted
Suppliers who appear for the first time:
require more scrutiny
need to prove credibility quickly
and are operating without that context
The Compressed Disadvantage
If you enter at tender stage, you’re trying to do in weeks what others have been building over months or years.
You’re trying to:
establish credibility
communicate value
build trust
and stand out
All within the constraints of a formal process.
At the same time, other suppliers may already have:
recognition
familiarity
and a degree of trust
That doesn’t mean the outcome is predetermined.
But it does mean you’re operating from a less favourable position.
Procurement Validates Decisions, it Rarely Creates Them
This is the shift most suppliers need to make.
Procurement is not where ideas are first introduced.
It’s where decisions that have been forming over time are formalised and justified.
By that point:
the problem has already been framed
the direction has been shaped
and certain solutions already feel more aligned
The process still needs to be fair. It still needs to be structured.
But the context around that decision already exists.
And that context influences how every response is perceived.
What This Means for Your Approach
If you treat procurement as the starting point, you’re always reacting.
You’re stepping into a process that’s already been influenced, without having contributed to that influence.
The alternative is not to bypass procurement.
It’s to recognise that your role in the market starts earlier.
It means:
being visible during the exploration phase
contributing to conversations before requirements are defined
building familiarity before it becomes critical
Because once procurement begins, your ability to shape perception is significantly reduced.
Where This Plays out in Reality
For most suppliers, the challenge is that this part of the process isn’t clearly defined.
There’s no single moment where “pre-procurement engagement” begins.
Instead, it happens across a range of environments where public sector stakeholders are:
exploring challenges
sharing experiences
and shaping their thinking over time
This is where suppliers become familiar before they’re ever formally evaluated.
Not through a single interaction, but through repeated exposure across different contexts.
Platforms like DigiGov Expo and HETT Show operate within this stage of the journey. They create environments where suppliers and public sector stakeholders interact regularly, often well before a requirement is formalised.
Alongside this, more targeted engagement through GovNet’s bespoke events enables suppliers to engage earlier and more directly with specific audiences, contributing to conversations as priorities are still being defined.
The impact isn’t immediate or transactional.
It’s cumulative.
And over time, it shapes how suppliers are perceived when procurement eventually begins.
Final Thought
If your first meaningful interaction with a buyer happens at tender stage, you’re not starting from a neutral position.
You’re stepping into a decision-making process that has already been shaped.
The suppliers who understand this don’t rely on being present at the right moment.
They focus on being present before the moment exists.
Because in the public sector, that’s where position is built.
In the next part, we’ll look at what sits at the centre of all of this: visibility, and why most suppliers are absent for the majority of the buying journey.