10 Great techniques for proofreading your tenders

It’s uber important to go through a quality check first before you submit your tender. So, here are some great techniques for proofreading tenders that will help you win those contracts.

Imagine spending hours and hours working on your tender submission that you even had a few sleepless nights, developing an awesome and compelling story about your business until you’re happy with how you shaped it. 

But it’s definitely worth having a different set of eyes to check your work because someone else may see what you’ve missed — so ask the wife/husband or a friend to read through and let you know what they think. 

But if you don’t have anyone to read it for you, here are a few effective proofreading techniques you can do:

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1. Read through the Conditions of Tendering

Start by carefully reading through the Conditions of Tendering and any information the tender issuer has included in the response schedules. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a critical requirement hidden away in the middle of a block of text that is easy to overlook. 

An example of this is a recent tender I worked on that stated a site-specific Safety Plan must be submitted with the tender and that any tender that didn’t include this would automatically be excluded from evaluation. 

That’s why it’s crucial to apply diligent editing and proofreading techniques because that point was hidden in a 2-page preamble at the beginning of the Health & Safety response schedule but wasn’t actually mentioned in the extensive Health & Safety questionnaire that followed. 

Something like that is easy to miss if you don’t pay close attention to the requirements.

2. Read everything you’ve written

Next, carefully read everything you’ve written. It can be exhausting to complete your tender submission, especially if you’re on a tight timeframe. Still, small mistakes are really easy to make, especially if you’ve been cutting and pasting from previous documents. 

One of the proofreading tips and techniques I insist you do to win that tender is to thoroughly check that you haven’t included any references to another tender issuer in your submission (I see this all the time when people send me their past submissions so I can give them some feedback about how it could have been improved).

3. Check your formatting

Formatting is a crucial element of any tender. These are the critical questions you must ask yourself while doing your proofreading techniques:

  • Are your fonts consistent throughout the document? 

  • Is your page numbering in the correct order? Will your punctuation placements pass the grammar test? 

  • Do you have the proper headings for the specific paragraphs? Do you have a table of contents? 

  • Did you do a spell check? 

For more formatting tips, check my separate blog about it here.

4. Ensure you’re compliant

Check that you comply with the legislation and regulations based on the tender requirements. Make sure that they are the suitable ISO standards or meet relevant Acts, and you can see that they are if you are doing your proofreading and editing techniques diligently. 

There’s a fine line between letting the tender evaluation panel know that you have an excellent quality management system in place and referring to the wrong standard or legislation in your tender. Bottom line — your document must be compliant.

5. Ensure your grammar is correct

Grammar is a critical factor when writing tenders, so scrutinise it closely as it should be a part of effective proofreading techniques. Those grammatical errors will reflect poorly on you if you don't prevent them. Fortunately, there are heaps of grammar tools you can use to help you check these grammatical elements, so when you do your spell check, make sure you check for grammar too.

6. Don’t rush it

And don’t try to proofread the minute you’ve finished the submission. Take a break — overnight if you can, but if not, then at least an hour or two to clear your head. This proofreading technique always works for me because when I return from a break, I have a fresh set of eyes that will usually pick up anything I missed before taking the break.

7. Read it out aloud

That's because our ears and mouth are fantastic collaborators. If something doesn’t sound right and not smooth when you say it, it’s most likely that there’s something wrong with it. It may sound odd, especially for people around you, but trust me, it works.

8. Check that you’ve used a conversational tone 

When you read your submission, it should flow well — almost as if you are having a conversation with the evaluation panel. With great proofreading techniques, you will have an equally great tender submission copy that is direct and straightforward.

9. Check the elements of your tender individually 

Yes, you can proofread the whole document all at once. Just make sure you focus on one element at a time. For example, run a spelling and grammar check through the entire document first, then go through and read your submission from start to finish.

10. Include a cover letter

Okay, this isn’t really a proofreading technique. But a cover letter is a good idea if the tender response schedules don’t require an executive summary. Your cover letter should include key points from your submission so the evaluation panel can get a quick overview of why you are the best company for the job.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! My top ten techniques for proofreading your own tender submissions. I know that it does take time, so I'm here to help if you need a hand. I've worked with hundreds of small businesses to develop tender responses, and you can read what my clients say about me here. A chat costs you nothing. So, if you'd like to discuss your tender response strategy, call me (Pauline) at 0400 514 579, email me at pauline@tenderwise.com.au, or fill out the form here.