finditinsandwell's Construction Commitments Awareness Training has been so successful that the Black Country LEP has adopted it as the region's skills development programme and we're making it applicable to businesses across all sectors.

What's this about then?

Skills Development Recognition - West Midlands is an affordable two-day training scheme which coaches you in creating a first-class PQQ (prequalification questionnaire) and online risk assessment. It helps you position your business in perfect stead for winning contracts in a competitive global market. It is suitable for firms in every sector.

During the two days of training (which are spaced out between a couple of weeks), you'll be coached by procurement experts in creating a first-class company profile. You'll gather robust information about your business performance, its capacity, supply capabilities, quality systems, environmental credentials and much more.

You may uncover areas in which you need to improve and, if this is the case, you will receive support in doing so.

What happens after I've taken part in the training?

Your organisation’s information will be independently assessed and, subject to meeting certain criteria, your profile will be shown as 'incorporated' in the finditintheblackcountry online directory of competent and lower-risk suppliers.

Potential clients (both public and private sector buyers) can log in and see instantly that you are suitable to work with them. It reduces the risk for them in using you for the first time and helps them make an informed buying decision.

What are the main benefits of signing up?

By taking part in the training, you will:

• Put your company in a solid position for winning work, by getting a thorough overview of procurement best practice and the latest legislation

• See what potential clients see. Improve your chances in any marketplace by reviewing your company’s risk profile and addressing the weak spots

• Make tendering easier for yourself by creating and maintaining your organisation’s secure online PQQ profile (based on UK prequalification standard PAS91:2010)

• Learn how to submit a clear and consistent PQQ, helping potential buyers to easily evaluate your suitability to work with them

• Become a serious contender in any tendering situation, by presenting the right documents and policies every time.

How much does it cost?

SDR makes up-skilling your business and improving your tendering prospects affordable. Training costs just £250 plus VAT per company and, subject to sponsorship availability, joining the online scheme is free. We have kept the costs low by asking larger organisations (such as principal contractors) who manage supply chains to provide sponsorship for micro businesses and SMEs.

Where and when is the training?

Training sessions take place on Fridays between 9am and 4pm at venues throughout the Black Country. You can get the latest available dates by contacting SDR on training@sdruk.co.uk

How do I find out more?

Phone 01384 563090 or email info@sdruk.co.uk

Praise for the training

(Please note that some testimonials refer to the training in its previous guise, as finditinsandwell’s Construction Commitments Awareness course. The new workshop content follows the same principles; now it is relevant for firms in every sector and not just the construction industry. Previous attendees will not need to do the course again.)

"An extremely enjoyable and informative training session. Thank you."
Richard Metcalf, Lifework

"As an international company in 14 countries and being new to the UK this training has set us in the right direction."
Amr Ghazzawi, Unitech

"I am grateful that I came as it was beneficial."
Elizabeth Nichols, Lift & Engineering Services

"After spending two enjoyable days on the SDR Construction Commitments PQQ course with Local SMEs, Morgan Sindall Plc were impressed and fully support the Skills Development Recognition WM scheme.

"This is a first-class course and will give your business valuable PQQ training. Once you obtain listed status and have been pre-screened by SDR WM it should enable your business to pass Morgan Sindall's Plc prequalification.

"I strongly recommend you develop and upskill your business by joining this scheme."
Mark Simpson, Regional Supply Chain Manager: Construction, Morgan Sindall

"We have found the initial SDR training to be extremely informative and it has assisted us in assessing and lowering our risk profile.  As a principal contractor we would recommend the course and we have requested that a number of subcontractors and suppliers undertake the training in order to gain approval to join our supply chain."
Vikki Overton, Harper Group

"The course was an eye opening experience to enable a clearer picture of our own organisation's strengths and weaknesses, and enabled us to identify the key areas for improvement and thus allow us to choose the correct course of action to take.  In the first week following the course we had improved three key areas and now have engaged an external body to assist with our future ongoing company development and improvement.  As you can see the course has had a positive impact.  Many thanks."
Lee Cox, A&S Glazing

"What a fantastic session that was. Speaking from someone who has completed hundreds of PQQs that was the beast of all PQQs and once you have filled that one out they will have no problems with any others.  Overall a very worthwhile session to attend and I have already recommended it to others and passed on your contact details. The CCA course is an excllent and worthwhile investment to any company.  I would recommend companies take the time to complete this course."
Lisa Beaman, Balfour Beatty Engineering Services

"This course although is a lot to take in is put across in a very professional manner.  I feel it can only benefit any organisation that is looking to move forward."
Phil Burgess, Electrite

"This course for me certainly was an eye opener.  I am new to all this and found it very interesting.  It has also helped me understand what different companies are looking for within PQQs and tenders. Roy was fantastic."
Cheryl Haywood, Lift & Engineering Services Ltd

"I joined the Construction Commitments training for two days to observe how the course prepares businesses for the rigorous pre-qualification processes adopted by most major contractors. I was really impressed by the comprehensive nature of the information provided. As a Supply Chain Manager I know that any business that has successfully completed this course should be able to pass the pre-qualification process undertaken by our approved subcontractors."
Claire Brown, Balfour Beatty Construction

"The course was very informative, highlighting areas that would benefit from improvement to generate a variety of innovative ways to develop a stronger business."
Sally Edwards, W Barratt Contractors

"I am already enthused to get going and have loads of ideas for moving the business forward. Thank you Roy!"
Joy Smith, Pascon

"I would recommend the two-day course to anyone, you are guaranteed to come out much more aware of the potential for your company."
Fred Rose, Need A Skip

"Excellent, the course will really push my business forward at a fast pace.”
Tom Billingham, T&L Commercial Interiors

"I was educated and enlightened and the course, I feel, will bring value to my own working life as well as to the company I work for and ultimately will lead to delivering superior value to all our clients.”
Pauraic Sweeney, Forkers

"Great initiative to encourage local trading and really well run and helpful course.”
Paul Hutchens, Eco2Solar

"Any companies that are thinking of going on this training, I can highly recommend it. It's been very well thought out and over the long run, you can see the benefits it will have.”
Paul Banner, B-Trac Services

"Affirmation of the course by a principal contractor who attended ... was also encouraging.”
Des George, Anglo Holt Construction Ltd

"This course has been very informative to me. The knowledge I have received will benefit my company a great deal.”
Carney Bell, C D Electrical Services Ltd

"Well prepared and interesting training programme, very well delivered.”
Andrew Stapleton, APiC UK

"Very interesting. Made me realise we need to set up some new systems and procedures.”
Richard Larner, RDS Construction

"Valuable information on how to cope with registration.”
Clive Hylton, Bazmatic Electrical

"Helpful eye opener to review existing practices.”
Dev Masih, JAW Business Solutions

"A thorough understanding of the Construction Commitments benefits us as a medium-sized company but also smaller companies that are here as well. It means really that we can all work together to a high quality and standard, and we're all able to provide services to
larger companies and organisations, and we know our standards will comply with their requirements.”
Ron Pinfield, CLM Construction Ltd

"Well delivered and very interactive sessions, pleasing atmosphere always.”
Mark Astbury, The Brass Group

"The course was informative and gave depth to levels of compliance needed and a wide perspective for forward planning and continuous
improvement of the business. It was very well planned and presented.”
Sam Williams, Allround Plumbing

"Very informative course and was a pleasure to attend as I have furnished myself with far more knowledge than I anticipated – well done to the tutors.”
Larry Mazic, Zicam Integrated Security

"I feel privileged working with such a broad range of companies to successfully attain a common goal of continuous improvement and helping them become more competitive.”
Roy Casey, Success Train (course facilitator)

"The course has encouraged me to get my business into shape.  There were a lot of things I was un aware of that I should be doing as a business which you pointed out to me during the course and since then I have improved my business by gaining the necessary policies I need to be in with a chance for the larger companies to take notice of a small company like Topspec. I‘ve also arranged training and assessment for myself and two sub contractors who work for me and we have all completed our GNVQ Level 2 diploma in plastering enabling us to get our CSCS cards, which in turn should improve our chances of getting work. With the new policies now in place I found it very simple to reply to a vender request from Midland Heart and Topspec Interiors is now on Midland Heart‘s database of contractors. All in all I think the scheme is great, it gave me the opportunity and kick start I needed."
Richard Hammond, Topspec Interiors

"Within six months of being involved with the 'Find It' initiative and the construction commitments scheme, we secured two big contracts and took on four more staff. I'd call that progress, I can safely say it would not have happened if not for this great scheme. It's seems to me there‘s only one way forward."
Gary Lakin, G L Mastics

"As an experienced professional (35 years +) operating a small business I have found your construction commitments awareness course to be invaluable to our company. I now understand the purpose of PQQs and precisely what customers are looking for in their service providers. We have been able to translate this information into our approach for all our potential clients. Your help and tips about how small businesses can initiate quality control procedures, approach health and safety to benefit both our business and its individuals and how to address environmental issues in a cost efficient manner has been particularly helpful. I feel sure that this knowledge is assisting our business in what remain testing times. I’m pleased to be able to advise that we are actively looking to take on a new trainee to help continue the progress of our business."
Tim Payton, FSC Consulting (Birmingham) Limited

"Having attended your course - Construction Commitments Awareness Scheme, our Company has taken on board the requirements to make us more stable and aware of our commitments. The following Companies  were impressed with our workmanship and attention to detail when we presented them with the portfolio of work, we acquired from attending your Construction Commitments Awareness Scheme:
In-Comm, Aldridge
ILX Group, Wolverhampton
Monaco Insurance, Birmingham
DRW London, who are an American company, but we were able to reassure them we are a competent Company.

I feel that you had a great influence in us receiving these orders. We have been able to keep our workforce active and create work for other trades locally. All our workforce have CSCS cards & 50% have First Aid training. The rest will be taking a First Aid course shortly. We really need courses that Sandwell have provided and other Councils need to take this on board."
Michael Wemm, Ashwood Office Interiors Limited

"As an SME we found the construction commitment awareness scheme extremely useful as it enabled smaller companies like Airguard Filters to become familiar with questions and requirements when seeking work from public sector or private large organisations. Not only did we gain skills in identifying and bidding for potential opportunities but also the scheme helped to streamline internal procedures and processes enabling greater efficiencies. Overall, I would thoroughly recommend this scheme to all SME as it is powerful tool to assist in trying to win new business as well as an assessment which highlights the weaknesses and strengths of a business."
Maqq Rafique, Airguard Filters

"We completed this scheme last autumn, and I represented my organisation. There were attendees from all sizes of organisation and across many sectors. The content of the course was invaluable. As an HSQE professional, I was heartened to see organisations at very much at the ‘S’ end of SME taking so much away from the experience. This was in terms of improved knowledge of their statutory obligations and, to follow this, a greater awareness of how they can then market themselves to the major organisations in the area. I have since seen every attendee at Sandwell business breakfasts, many of whom were in direct conversation with organisations offering opportunities in the area.

It is also an invaluable auditing tool. Although one of the larger delegates, I can vouch that I took away some good opportunities for improvement. I have also formed close professional relationships with the representatives from Skanska and we are in the advanced stages of becoming an Approved Supplier, thus potentially keeping work in the region.

We have also attracted the attention of Harper Group, and only a fortnight ago started a near 100k Civil Engineering work package for the Dartmouth Park Pavilion in West Bromwich. This has entailed taking on three new construction employees, all of whom reside in the West Midlands.  Two of these are father and son, so there is a Sandwell household that can thank Construction Commitments directly for putting bread on the table! A tangible example if ever there was one.

We are now CIAPS listed, and the presentation of the certificate was a very good way of raising our profile in the region. Construction Commitments also made us rethink our relationship with the local economy, and we now employ over 75% of our staff and procure over 50% of our goods / services within the West Midlands. We are proud to display the CIAPS logo when marketing.

This is a recession, and I think that it will be the SMEs that drive us out of it. Construction Commitments puts local SMEs in touch with local opportunities that they would otherwise never even hear about."
Ian Mitchell, Gill Group

"I have yet to finalise my profile on Sandwell Construction Commitments Awareness, although this is not through my own doing!  Following the course I completed to help complete our company profile, you provided such a wealth of excellent information that I am still plodding through trying to make JPB as desirable as a company can.  This involves modifying our marketing literature, ensuring we are members of various schemes, up-skilling our workforce (I have even pulled my finger out and set a date for my CSCS Professionally Qualified Person Health and Safety Test) etc.

Thank you so much - your training and advice has been most valuable and has opened up so many opportunities and ideas for us to change the way we operate, hence protecting our existing employees, marketing to new clients to create new work and income and to grow and hopefully, create new jobs in the future.  Attending your course and progressing through the completion of our profile is possibly one of the best things we decided to do last year, for these reasons.  I am certain that once our profile is complete, we will experience further positive outcomes to our business."
Fiona Townley, Johnson Poole & Bloomer

"Participating in the construction commitments awareness scheme has given us a much better understanding as an SME of the procurement process undertaken by the larger contractors and the councils. It has given us an opportunity to look at perceived risk, get all the relevant policies in place and also improve our profile. I think this type of cooperation - bringing together different types of organisation promotes an awareness on both side of issues, problems – but also of opportunities. It is key for the local supply chain to have a voice – but also appreciate the constraints of the Tier 1 contractor.

"Sandwell Council has been a leader in promoting networking. But networking on its own does not always bring understanding or improved knowledge. These types of courses do...

"I am very glad that we got the opportunity to participate since it has given us improved confidence – and we are better able to respond to the larger organisations."
Cecilia Pearce, Telecetera Ltd

"The course has far exceeded expectations – all of the supporting information provided (particularly on day 2) should prove invaluable in updating the company and moving it forward” 
Juliet McShane, Jack Moody Ltd