Tender Preparation
The words ‘tender process’ can appear to be daunting and time consuming for many businesses, but it’s definitely a skill that’s worth mastering! By taking the time to get your approach and framework right, it can be hugely beneficial for future contract success.
With previous experience of composing tender responses for NHS, University and Council projects, this blog post looks at the different stages and the best way to approach the process.
What Is A Tender Process
A tender process is predominantly used by public sector organisations to ensure that they are achieving the best possible price, quality and social value outcomes for their contracts.
An invitation to tender (ITT) is produced to outline the key requirements of the contract and the standards that need to be met in order to become the successful bidder. Tenders are promoted across dedicated tender websites like The Chest (the North West’s Local Authority Procurement Portal) or are delivered to companies who have already satisfied recommended supplier status with the organisation.
Key Features Of A Tender
Weighting – tenders aren’t just about getting the best price, they’re about achieving a balance of price, quality and social value outcomes. Most tenders will feature a weighting chart which shows the percentage of marks associated with each key attribute e.g. Price 30%, Quality 40%, Social Value 30%.
Technical Skills and Professional Ability – you’ve got to prove that you can complete the contract. By producing case studies of your previous work that include the background, objectives, methodology and success, you’re demonstrating you’ve got the right skills and expertise. It’s like a testimonial of your ability.
Word Count – when submitting a tender response, you’ll often be asked to comply with the word count limit for each section. The aim of this is to ensure that the responses are concise and to the point, and achieve quality over quantity.
Timescales – There will be a number of dates outlined within the invitation to tender: deadline for questions, deadline for response submission, dates for tender interviews / presentations, project start date. It’s important to make a note of all these dates and to check that you and your team are available for them.
Register for local tender portals.
Contact your local Council to see how they approach their procurement process.
Websites like The Chest cover the North West’s Local Authority Procurement.
5 Top Tips For Composing A Tender Response
1. Understand the project / contract brief
Take the time to sit down with key members of your project team, to read the brief in full. Pay attention to the specific documentation requirements and compose questions to ask the tender team.
2. Ask the right questions
Research and try to get an understanding of how the submission will be assessed. Will the finance section go to a finance team? How would they like to receive the final documentation? Are they going to print out the document?
3. Collaborate
If you’re unable to fulfil the full tender brief, then collaborate. There’s usually a sub-contractors section within the tender document, so it shows that procurement teams are encouraging collaborations and partnerships.
4. Content is key
Don’t spend all the time on the aesthetics of the response document, focus on answering the questions and proving why you’re the right team for the project.
5. Don’t go down to the wire
Attention to detail is very important. Allow sufficient time for the response document to be proof read and checked for any spelling and calculation errors. If you aim to submit your response document 3 hours ahead of the deadline time, then you’re making allowances for any document upload issues.
Planning for future success
Every tender submission offers an opportunity to learn and get feedback. If you’re unsuccessful, make sure that you ask for feedback from the procurement team so that you can strengthen the next submission.
Get Organised
Have a dedicated ‘tender’ file with all your required documents. This could include public liability insurance, financial information, your company registration number and VAT number.
Create Case Studies
Create a case study for each new project that you complete. This will be easily transferred into the relevant section in the tender document information
Get Client Testimonials
If you’ve completed a project and you’ve received good feedback, get permission to create a testimonial. This is the perfect reference for proving you can do the job.
Do you help with your tender submission document?
Building on experience gained from tender process activity, from submission to presenting, ZAA Marketing can work with you to compose and submit your tender.
To find out more just click on the button below.
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