How To Win a Tender or Bid in 8 Simple Steps

Tenders. They’re usually complex, often confusing and always time-consuming. But the reward for winning means a lucrative contract for your business. Sadly, no magic formula will guarantee success in the tendering process, and each tender or bid is different. 

Some tender issuers will focus heavily on price, while others will focus on your approach to health, safety, quality and the environment or how well you demonstrate your skills and experience.

But if you want to increase your bid success rate, you can take several steps to help you win.

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Here are my top tips:

  1. Don’t waste your time on the bids you can’t win (and if you’re struggling to find them, check out how to unearth them here). Not every opportunity will suit your business, so focus on the tenders that are a good match for your business, your resources and your schedule.

  2. Don’t just keep recycling the same old tender response material — make sure you answer the tender questions precisely as they are asked. I’ve seen loads of unsuccessful tenders where the business either hasn’t provided the evidence required or has simply added a heap of marketing material to the response and expected the tender evaluation panel to hunt through it to find the answers they’re looking for.

  3. Make sure your response is complete. Don’t leave any blanks on your bid submission letter —  even if the answer is no, try creating a story around it. For example, if the tender asks if your Health & Safety Management System is certified and isn’t, say something like — “We have invested significantly in developing and implementing our Health & Safety Management System. This system meets the requirements of ISO 45001 but has not yet been independently certified”.

  4. Make your response clear — don’t clutter it up with information they haven’t asked for, and don’t leave anything out if they have asked for it.

  5. Make sure it’s well organised and easy to read - write your tender response in a conversational tone and break up the text with headings, tables, charts and images where relevant.

  6. Make sure it’s accurate — although it’s okay to be a little aspirational in your response, it’s not okay to say anything you can’t live up to. Regarding accuracy, it’s always a good idea to triple-check your pricing, as a little mistake can mean the end of your bid or potentially the end of your business.

  7. Showcase your awesomeness. Yes, this is your time to shine, so make sure you really sell your competitive advantage and what you bring to the table during the bid submission process. Show how you reduce risk by offering complete solutions and superior customer service.

  8. Sell the value of a long-term relationship. This step is crucial if you are the incumbent supplier and you want to get your contract renewed. Point out that you have developed strong relationships with the tender issuer and add some examples demonstrating how you have gone the extra mile or been able to utilise your existing knowledge of the contract to resolve an issue quickly.

My Final Thoughts

That’s it! Follow those tips, and you can increase your chance at success. If you need a hand, though, I’m here to help. I’ll happily review your tender documentation and let you know what you could do better, or if you’re looking for someone to just take the whole tender or bid process off your hands, I’m your girl. Just give me a call at 0400 514579, shoot me an email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au or contact me here.

Want to know what my clients say about my services? Check them out here.