The bid process creates a solid application for work, a reply to a buyer’s request. This is also called tender writing. This includes preparing the proposal, drafting it, getting feedback from other team members, and submitting it.
A critical step in the bidding process is to have the proposal assessed by a third party before submitting it. Even if it’s only a coworker, this person could be in a position of authority. It’s easy to overlook fundamental spelling problems or repetitive information when you’ve been working on the same answer document for a long time. Even if you’ve covered all of the buyer’s needs, you may have missed out on specific essential details that make the solution stand out from the competition.
Plan a response to a tender or offer
As with any endeavour, careful preparation is required before preparing a bid or tender. Don’t focus just on the submission deadline when making your preparations. Even while this is critical, a lot more comes into play when winning the bid.
At the very least, you should think about the following before beginning the tendering process:
- Do you fully grasp the service/requirement requested in the bid and demonstrate that you can meet it?
- Are the evaluation criteria, specifications, and question sets tailored to your abilities?
- Are you able to meet the buyer’s expectations?
- Do you know how your solution can compete with your competitor’s?
- Are you able to meet the deadline?
Consider including the following in your strategy if you can affirmatively respond yes to these questions:
What portion of the proposal is written by whom? Various team members may be better suited to create the first draft. Make a schedule for meetings with health and safety specialists (for example) ahead of time in case you require their assistance; these persons are known as “subject matter experts.”
It is crucial to ensure that the response has “one voice” when multiple people are involved in a bid. For example, a single individual may pull in all elements and then re-write them to ensure they are consistent.
What date and method are you using to submit the bid? How much time is required in cost, coordination/management, and tender writing? Whether the request is at the head of your to-do list is up to you. Is there someone else who can assist you with the bid filing process? Do you need to design the bid, upload it online, or post it in person?
What would be your winning strategies and themes? The points that make you stand out from the competition must be displayed in the tender document. It is focused on the customer’s needs and how your solution meets those needs better than the competition’s.
Who will decide whether or not to accept the proposal? Is this person a specialist in this field? Is it necessary to translate technical jargon for non-technical audiences? After the evaluation, how long do you think you’ll have to put any recommendations into action? Storyboarding or designing the format of tender questions might save time if this person is involved early on.
What documents, and are they current, should be included in the bid? Policy documents that have been signed or dated recently are considered current. Who has access to the files, where are they stored, and how do you know? The information in the files is dated if it is time-specific.
Are you going to provide any evidence to support your claim? Where can you find proof of how you can either add the required documents or include them in the body of your bid? Quantitative data, methods, performance, or even testimonies are all acceptable sources of information.
Tips for submitting a compliant bid
Your offer must be in line with the rules. Follow the instructions in the letter, as omitting important details could jeopardise your chances of winning. It would help if you thought about these things:
Word and page restrictions are to be adhered to: Even the tiniest detail, such as making the lettering a tad larger, will invalidate your bid.
Are you sure you’ve covered everything? It’s critical to take note of any details that aren’t clearly apparent in the guidelines or specifications while looking over a tender opportunity. When you are in doubt, ask for clarification from the buyer or contractual authority.
Have you answered all of the questions to the best of your ability? It does not matter how good the offer is if you haven’t answered all the questions. Specific confirmation of your ability to meet or exceed the specification and requirement should be included in inquiries.
Do you have all of the needed documents? Make sure you include all the necessary attachments before emailing. This could consist of the “form of tender,” a confidentiality agreement, or other parts of the solicitation for proposals, as well as responses to method statements and other documentation that support them.
Do you have the most recent versions of all of the papers you’re submitting? Ensure they’re up to date and relevant before users send them off! In some cases, this may entail customising policies and practices to meet the specific needs of individual clients. All procedures must be signed and include a record of any modifications made after they were last updated, and they should not be older than a year.