How to Write a Tender: Advice from Some Industry Experts

Tender writing is an essential skill for all public sector contractors. When you are involved in bidding for government work, you must understand how to write a tender proposal and get it right.

Tenders can be written in various formats—from straightforward requests for information to complex proposals that outline exactly how you plan to fulfil your obligations. But no matter how different they are, all tenders have one thing in common: they must be written well.

If you want to find out how to write a tender, you’ve come to the right place.

This blog post will look at some top expert advice on tender management and how to propose the best tenders in Melbourne.

Tips from The Experts on Putting Together A Tender Document

Tendering is a process that many businesses and organisations must undertake, whether for projects or services. Writing a tender can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done it. However, writing a winning tender can get much easier with the right advice and guidance.

The following tips by the experts at Bidsmith will help you learn how to write a successful tender:

• Make it easy for yourself by starting with an outline

If you’ve ever been asked to write a report, essay, or letter, you know that one of the most challenging tasks is getting all your thoughts and ideas in order. The same applies to tenders – even if you’re bidding on something relatively straightforward, like a construction job or an IT project, there’s still plenty of research and information to digest and get onto paper. But if you’ve got a clear plan of what needs to go into your tender document, everything else will fall into place.

Start by carefully reading the tender documents and making a list of the requirements. Then, next to that list, make another list of possible ways to answer the questions and what you consider to be your unique selling points. Once you have these down on paper, you’ll be in a much better place to start writing your proposal more persuasively.

• Use the right tender template

When writing your tender, it’s essential to choose the correct format. Short-form tenders are usually just one page and bullet points instead of paragraphs. Long-form tenders are more detailed and typically include information about your products or services.

Make sure you’re using the correct template for the type of tender you need to write. Look at several templates before deciding which one suits your needs. The buyer may provide a ready-made template for you to use. In this situation, you follow the template to a T, as deviating from it could cause you to lose points in the evaluation.

• Keep it brief and simple but impressive

You don’t want to bore potential clients with too much information or jargon – but nor do you want them to think that you’re not taking the bid seriously enough or that you’re not up to the task at hand. That’s why it’s essential to strike the right balance between providing enough detail. By doing so, they have all the information they need while making it easy for them to understand what they’re reading and giving them confidence in your ability as a supplier/service provider/contractor/etc.

• Research the market and your competitors

Research is crucial when writing a tender. You need to know what other companies are offering to ensure that your price is competitive and that your USPs are truly unique. You also need to research your audience and find out what they want from their suppliers – this will help you understand what sort of information they need from bidders.

• Make sure everything is clear and precise

One of the most important things you can do when writing a tender document is to ensure everything is clear and precise. Don’t use jargon or acronyms unless necessary (and even then, only use them if there’s no other way). Be as specific as possible, too.

• Be thorough with your research; don’t miss anything out

You need to research before you start writing your tender document to know what kind of product or service the customer wants. If any aspect of their requirements isn’t clear from the brief but could be crucial for making sure your bid is successful, make sure you ask about it (and include it in your response).

• Get some help from an expert 

If you’re looking to put together a tender document, the most important thing you need is expert advice. If your company has an internal team for putting together bids, they’ll likely be able to give you pointers. If not, you can hire someone to help: companies like Bidsmith exist specifically to assist with putting together bids. We’ve spent years honing the art of writing tenders for all industries and know precisely what goes into a good one.

• Get feedback before submitting your proposal

Ask someone else to read through your tender document and give you feedback on how it flows and how well it communicates what you want to say. This person should be someone who isn’t involved in writing or editing the document but rather someone who will give you an objective opinion about its structure, flow, and clarity. Having a second or third eye look over your document will also help you identify any lingering spelling or grammatical errors.

Takeaway

As you can see, there is much to consider when you write a tender. But the most important thing to remember is that it’s not about winning—it’s about doing your best and ensuring your company looks good.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how Bidsmith can help with tender management in Melbourne, don’t hesitate to get in touch!