You’re busy and the deadline is looming. Writing tenders, bids and proposals is not your day job nor expertise, but you know how great it would be to win this contract. You’ve tendered for business in the past and maybe you could re-use some content… But where is it? You’re trawling through lengthy documents, frantically … Read more
Writing a tender can be a big undertaking: there’s a lot of documentation to amass and a big time commitment to plan and articulate your offering. The good news is that when you’ve written your first tender, you’ve helped set yourself up for the next one. Here are some tips and tricks for tender writing … Read more
For any tender writer or proposal writer, writing an executive summary is an absolutely crucial part of the success process. Many moons ago when I first started writing tenders, I was taught to write the executive summary last. But as my experience developed, I found it easier to write a draft executive summary first, before … Read more
A check-up on the health of your proposals and tenders is always beneficial. It helps you to understand the effectiveness of your proposal and tender process, and identify any room for improvement. Our health check below will help you to measure the current fitness-for-purpose of your tenders and proposals. 1. Do you generate new tenders … Read more
Starting to submit tenders is often on the to-do list of SMEs. If this sounds like your business, here’s some advice to get you started. Policies, processes and procedures It’s a rare tender that doesn’t ask for evidence of your quality management processes, diversity and inclusion policy, risk management strategy and sustainability credentials. And, if … Read more
The two factors that most deter a business from putting together a tender are lack of time and lack of resources. Responding to a request for tender is a big ask and almost always means additional input by team members already working at full capacity. But if it’s a plum contract that would really make … Read more
Imagine your engineering company is pitching for a large bore-drilling contract. The RFT says that the prospect wants an air-head and push-tube hammer capable of 250mm+ HQ/8-inch DTH, right? Wrong. They want a bore hole that’s the right size. It’s an important distinction to understand. Here’s why. How does the prospect benefit? All your prospect … Read more
If you’re still wondering if tendering is worth all the time and effort, then here are ten good reasons why you really should consider it. 1. You’ve got to be in it to win it. Seriously. If you don’t tender, someone else will. They’ll end up winning a contract that could have advanced your business … Read more
Not winning the government tender you’ve worked so hard to put together can be a bitter pill to swallow. But before you drown in a sea of disappointment, make sure to request a debrief to ascertain just how well your proposal went down. There’s much insight to be gained if you ask the right questions. … Read more
When submitting a tender, score extra brownie points with the assessment panel by taking care to include some well-constructed bios of key team members. Doing so helps add a more personal aspect to your submission, giving your tender bid a more well-rounded approach. What are the key elements of a good bio? Tone. A conversational … Read more
