Stories and anecdotes about bids, tenders and proposals.
For small and medium-sized construction firms, competing for contracts through construction tenders can feel like a significant challenge. However, by focusing on the basics and developing a systematic approach, you can increase your chances of winning and secure more opportunities for growth. This article will explore the essentials of tendering in construction, the benefits of … Read more..
Winning construction contracts can feel like a daunting task for small and medium-sized construction companies. Whether you’re new to the tendering process or have tried before without success, understanding how to tender effectively is essential for growth. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics, highlight common mistakes to avoid, and share insider advice … Read more..
‘Our Case Studies are letting us down!’ How to make them work for you. Case studies are a vital part of any bid, whether they are stand-alone elements or incorporated into your answers. Writing a case study can act as a key way in which you can prove your capabilities, experience, expertise and resources. However, … Read more..
‘We want to win the bid, but don’t want to give away the farm!’ The fine art of adding value. When you’re putting together a tender it can often feel as if your arm is being twisted to offer too many extras, add-ons and other ‘freebies’ to sweeten the deal and get your company picked. … Read more..
A Tender Presentation is a key part of most bids. Getting asked to do one normally means you’ve made the short list. So it’s vital to get them right, as, at this point, the bid is yours to loose. Presentations throw up a number of challenges. Often preparation time is short. It can also be … Read more..
All too often companies lose tenders to competitors that undercut them on price, even though they offer a superior product or service. If you’ve experience this frustration, then it could be because your bid contained no obvious reason for the client to choose you over your cheaper rival – even though you knew that you … Read more..
‘I just don’t know what they’re looking for!’ The challenge of reading between the lines. Far too often, the questions in a tender document can be poorly worded or vague. Even more frustrating are those questions that are open-ended or which seem to be asking you to ‘read between the lines’. This means that it … Read more..
Not sure what details to include when writing your bid? Think about your different audiences. Bid writing is an exercise in persuasion. You have to give the people you’re talking to a good reason to hire you. But it’s difficult to know what to write – what level and scope of detail to include – … Read more..
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..
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..
