Running out of time again? – how to beat tender deadline-itis

If you find yourself racing to meet a tender deadline, then you’re not alone. Most companies are incredibly busy, resources are often stretched and it can be easy to put things off as ‘real work’ pressures take over. Getting input for a tender, especially when it’s technically complex, can take ages. And, of course, many … Read more..

The CV problem – and how to fix it

Updating your own CV is a hassle at the best of times, but the problem gets a whole lot worse when you have to pull together multiple CVs for a tender submission. All too often, they’re out of date, don’t contain relevant information or just aren’t up to the job. So what should you do? … Read more..

‘Why aren’t all our bids equally good?’ – How to get consistency and better results

One of the most frequent frustrations of the bid process, particularly for larger companies, is that all tenders don’t reach the same quality level and therefore have wildly different success rates. This is often due to an inconsistency in the approaches taken by different sections of an organisation or by different teams within sections. It … Read more..

Wasting time on too many un-winnable bids? Time for a reality check.

Many companies base their tender strategy on the unrealistic expectation that every bid is winnable. While you definitely have to be ‘in it to win it’, a go-for-everything approach can waste significant time and resources. Having unrealistic expectations is not only counterproductive, it can also be massively de-motivating. If your bid team don’t think they … Read more..

Video Clips

Some clients are now happy to receive video files within bid and tender submissions. However as the majority of tenders are still evaluated in hard copy, you need to ensure that they will be accepted before sending them. If you do include videos, make sure the contents are relevant and tailored to the contract.

CVs and GDPR

It is a common myth that companies can no longer provide CVs in tenders due to data protection regulations (GDPR). This arose from inaccurate interpretation of the requirements, combined with unwieldy company processes. CVs can give you competitive advantage so challenge internal rulings and ensure they can continue to be used.

Refer to Spec

It is usual for a client’s tender to include a specification for the services they require. When writing your response, it is important that you refer to this specification, or elements of it. This shows that you are tailoring your solution to their requirements and not simply giving them an ‘off-the-shelf’ service.