How to tender for a contract in-house – and be successful!

Do you want to know how to tender for a contract using internal resources?

The tendering process can be lengthy, complicated and – most importantly – expensive. To answer the buyer’s questions and meet their specifications takes a lot of resources.

What if you could make use of your company’s internal resources when tendering for work? To do this successfully, it all starts with the right training. Tendering requires a specific set of skills that most people will need to be taught.

Keep reading to find out how to tender for a contract in-house!

What are the benefits of using internal resources to tender for work?

If you’re wondering how to tender for a contract, you might want to know the benefits of using in-house resources.

One of the major benefits of using internal resources is that, in the long run, it will save you money. Learning how to tender for a contract is an investment in your business. Instead of hiring new talent or outsourcing the work to a Bid Management Consultancy, take care of the work yourself.

Now, there might be a cost associated with developing your internal resources. After all, to write a successful tender, you need to develop your skillset! This takes time, but once you develop the necessary skills, your company will be ready for future tendering opportunities.

What skills and resources do you need to tender for work?

So, now you’ve decided that you want to learn how to tender for a contract without any external help. What skills do you need to get started?

• Writing skills

Do you want to know how to tender for a contract using internal resources? First things first, you need to see if you have someone with excellent writing skills on your team.

Not just anyone can craft a successful tender response. If you want to write a winning bid, you’ll need a certain level of skill and expertise. It’s not just about what you say, it’s how you say it. In many cases, your tender response is the buyer’s first impression of your company. If that’s the case, your response needs to demonstrate your company’s professionalism.

A tender response full of mistakes and errors won’t impress the buyer – it could even cost you the contract.

Your response should be written in an appropriate tone and style. For example, if your writing is too informal, the buyer could assume that you aren’t taking the tender seriously.  And remember to meet the tender’s criteria, such as word counts or page numbers. The buyer won’t be impressed if you ignore these details, as they are a crucial part of their specifications.

That’s why you need someone with excellent writing skills to handle your tender writing needs.

If you want to improve your team’s writing skills, why not try a tender writing course? You can improve your team’s existing skills, so your internal resources are good enough to tender.

• A keen eye for detail

One of the most important things you need to know when you learn how to tender for a contract. You already know that it takes a talented writer to successfully tender for work. But did you know that you also need a keen eye for detail?

This skill will benefit you at multiple stages of the tendering process. Firstly, you need to take in every detail of the buyer’s specifications. If you skim over sections of the tender’s criteria, you might miss key details from the buyer. And the buyer won’t be impressed if you fail to meet their specifications! Even tiny details can be the difference between a win and a loss.

Not only do you need to take in every detail of the tender’s specifications. But you need a keen eye for detail to successfully proofread your tender responses.

It’s important that you proofread your response for any mistakes. If you submit a response full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, the buyer will question your company’s competency. They could even assume that your company will not be thorough when you deliver the contract.

• Effective time management

 Another vital skill that you’ll need when learning how to tender for a contract is effective time management.

There’s no doubt about it, crafting a tender response takes time. You need time to find a suitable tender for your business, read through the buyer’s specifications, and write your response. It’s not a responsibility that should be taken lightly!

Not only do you need to submit your tender response on time to meet the buyer’s deadline. But if you miss their deadline or ask for an extension, they might question your ability to deliver the contract.

When you learn how to tender for a contract, your team need excellent time management skills. Don’t just assume that you can juggle your tender writing with your company’s other responsibilities.

Do you have someone in your team that can commit to the tendering process on your company’s behalf? If your answer is no, then bidding contracts with internal resources might not be the best solution for your business. 

• Project management experience

Effective time management isn’t the only skill you need to stay on schedule during the tendering process. You also need project management experience.

To be successful when you tender for work, you need to plan and prepare for every step of the project. From sourcing the tender through to submission.

This is especially important if there are several employees working on one tender. You need to make sure that each employee is meeting their individual deadlines and working effectively as a team.

When you learn how to tender for a contract, you need to utilise your previous project management experience. Whether it’s you or another team member, someone needs to manage the tender to ensure a smooth bidding process.

• Strategic thinking

To successfully learn how to tender for a contract, you need to utilise your team’s strategic thinking skills.

When it comes to the tendering process, planning is key. To ensure you meet the buyer’s specifications, you need to plan what you’re going to write in your tender response. However, you also need to plan how you will overcome any hurdles that you might face during the tendering process.

Your tender response should demonstrate your company’s ability to deliver the buyer’s contract. To do that, you need to implement a bid writing strategy.

You won’t get very far by simply telling the buyer about your company’s achievements. Instead, you need to show the buyer exactly how you plan on delivering the contract.

Can you show the buyer any relevant experience or case studies that demonstrate your successful track record? Buyers are more likely to award the contract to suppliers that have completed similar projects in the past.

However, it is possible to be successful without any previous experience. Maybe you’re a new business, or your company is branching out into a different sector. Everyone has to start somewhere! And that’s where your strategic thinking skills will come in handy.

When you’re learning how to tender for a contract, you need to cover any weak areas in your tender response. How can you show the buyer that you are still the right company for the contract?

How can you develop your internal resources?

Now you know what skills you need to be successful when tendering for work. But if you’re new to the tendering process, you might be thinking, ‘how can I develop these resources in-house?’

Fortunately, you’ll already possess many of the skills you need to be successful. Time management, strategic thinking and a keen eye for detail are skills needed for various roles across many different industries. You can apply your existing skills to the tendering process, giving you plenty of time to develop in other areas.

But if you want to learn how to tender for a contract with internal resources, try a tender writing course.

A tender writing course will help you develop key skills. So, when you’re faced with your next tender, you’re ready to win!

Make the most of a tender writing course by identifying which skills in your team need to be developed. You can do this by:

• Evaluating your team’s existing skills by conducting a skills gap analysis.
• Conduct employee interviews, performance reviews and assessments.
• Introduce Personal Development Plans (PDPs) so employees can track their own learning.

What will you learn on a tender writing course? 

So, you’ve decided to learn how to tender for a contract with internal resources. But what can you expect from a tender writing course?

• How to submit the right evidence for the contract

When you’re learning how to tender for a contract, you need to learn how to impress the buyer with evidence. A tender writing course will help you select the appropriate evidence for each tender.

You’ll also learn what not to include in your tender response. The buyer only needs to see evidence that relates to the contract – not a huge list of your company’s achievements!

• Key terms and definitions

The tendering process is full of tender-related jargon, many of which you might not have come across before. If you want to know how to tender for a contract, you need to understand these tender-related key terms.

A tender writing course will explain all of the terms and definitions that you need to tender for work. So, you won’t be lost when you’re faced with an ITT or PQQ!

• About the evaluation process

When you take a tender writing course, you’ll learn all about the buyer’s evaluation process.

If you learn how your tender response will be marked, you have a better chance of meeting the buyer’s criteria. You’ll know exactly what they’re looking for, so it will be easier to impress them.

• How to choose the right tenders for your business

A key aspect of learning how to tender for a contract is knowing which tenders are right for your business.

Tendering for work requires time and resources, both of which are invaluable to your business. That’s why it’s important to only choose tenders that your company has a good chance of winning. Otherwise, your company’s time and resources are going to waste. And what’s the point of using your internal resources to tender for work if you’re just going to waste them?

A tender writing course will help you understand the buyer’s specifications. That way, you’ll know exactly what they’re asking for and can make sure your company is capable of delivering it.