Bid Strategy

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.

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.

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.

Inserting pages of very detailed terms and conditions to an otherwise concise bid can create a very negative impression with the client. Although it depends on the sector in which you work, it is rarely a good idea to append these to a proposal. It is more common to wait until the client is interested … Read more..

When writing a winning bid, you need to justify the price you intend asking. Delivering the client’s stated requirements will only command an average price; to charge more you must describe what else they will get. This can be anything the client values and might cover areas such as risk-avoidance, increased scope or exemplar service.

When pitching for work, there are different names for the documents you produce: these include tender, proposal and bid. A tender usually responds to specific questions as part of a rigid procurement process, while a proposal or bid tends to be more flexible in structure and format. There is no finite definition for each term … Read more..

The later stages of some projects cannot be defined either in terms of technical scope, resource or price until the earlier stages are complete. When tendering for this type of project, it is important that you reduce the uncertainty to the buyer as much as possible. While it is important that you retain flexibility for … Read more..

There is a proverb about giving a man a fish and feeding him for a day or teaching him to fish and feeding him for life. Engaging a consultant to help write a single tender is a short-term fix which may be effective.  It is usually quite expensive. Effective training, which is tailored to the … Read more..

I am sure many of you have decided that ‘things will be different’ for the next tender. It is common to resolve to be more efficient, learn from feedback, write more concisely and/or plan more effectively. January is a good time to put new processes in place so think about where you can improve and … Read more..

A good bid library contains multiple well-referenced documents including stock answers, CVs and policy documents. The generic material must be topped and tailed to make it specific to the opportunity, however having captured the core material ahead of time, this task becomes relatively straightforward. Why not take a day in early January to review your … Read more..