Being Ready to Tender: Preparing for Success

  • Posted in Tender Tips under
  • Respond to a Tender
  • Tender Preparation
  • Tender Writing

As in any walk of life, when it comes to tender writing, tender preparation is key. Regardless of if you’re an experienced tenderer, or you’re looking to break into tendering for the first time, there are various considerations you should keep in mind when preparing tender document.

Whether you’re waiting for a particular tender to drop, or you’ve identified tendering as a core focus through your business planning, there are things you can do right now so you are prepared to respond when a tender request that suits you is released.

Getting your documents together

While every tender is different, there are various key items you are likely to be asked for in most private sector and government tenders, including documents such as:

  • Insurance certificates of currency.
  • Resumes for your key personnel showing their qualifications and experience.
  • Safety, quality and environmental documentation – while the nature of your business and the work you’re looking to tender for will determine how simple or complex this needs to be, at a minimum it can be handy to note down dot points on how your business handles safety, quality and environmental management.

Another item that is usually required is referees – while you generally won’t need written references, having a list of referees ready in advance who are happy to go in your tenders will save you time during the tender process.

As previous experience is often assessed, you might also consider having important details recorded for the contracts associated with these referees:

  • What the contract was
  • Who it was with
  • When it was
  • Where it was
  • How much it was for.

The importance of time

Another important aspect of writing winning tenders is time. Purchasers will generally set the length of the tender period to match the complexity of the tender, which could range from three months for major construction projects, to a couple of days for a simple quote.

This means that your best chance of delivering a compelling tender is by using the entirety of the time provided to develop your tender response. Having a core of common documents ready to go gives you more time to ensure you tailor your response to the purchaser’s requirements. Likewise, making sure that you have the resources on hand to get everything together will maximise your chances of success.

Of course, for many small to medium businesses, dedicating personnel entirely to a tender is not a possibility – engaging Bidsmith can help you solve this problem.

Our team of expert tender writers is here to help you with the heavy lifting in your tender, meaning you can have a strong response without detracting from your day-to-day business.

You can get in touch with Bidsmith even in the early stages of preparing to tender, when the tender documents you’re planning to respond to are still to be released. Contact us here to discuss how we can assist you with your tender submissions, and that way you know we will have the resources that you need from the day the tender comes out.