Response to Government Request for Information

We helped a creative agency shape an upcoming state government tender process. Our client wanted to use our experience relating to Victorian tenders.

Prior to releasing an Expression of Interest or Request for Tender, the Victorian Government released a request for information to potential vendors in the local creative services sector. While the department had a good idea of the services it would require, it sought industry’s input into the potential scope and commercial arrangements prior to seeking tender responses.

We helped our client with both its strategy and then its response to the request for information. Our initial strategy discussions focussed on the merits of responding (or not responding). Having made a decision to respond, we then helped our client determine which information they would provide and which information was best kept for the procurement process that would follow.

While potential suppliers for such requests for information can often want to tell the purchaser everything they know or describe all of their products or services – this can often be to their detriment. Part of our tender strategy and how we help respond to a tender is to determine what information to disclose at this early stage.

One of the key aspects of responding to a request for information is to strategically shape the purchaser’s view of the market and their approach to the upcoming procurement. The reason for this is to help to best position the respondent for success in the resultant tender or proposal process.

In this instance, we helped our client showcase general information describing several of their key products and services, while choosing not to disclose some of their new and innovative products. The reason for this was to ensure that when they participated in the tender process, they would be able to show a great solution without having previously made competitors aware of it.

Working as a team, we crafted a very informative response and our client is now awaiting release of the request for tender documents.