How to do a tender and win contracts for your business

If you’re wondering how to do a tender, Tender VLE is here to help!

Writing a winning tender response can be tricky, especially when you’re faced with so much competition. But if you’re successful, a winning bid can lead to business growth and profit generation.

But how do you write a tender that stands out from your competitors? Keep reading to find out!

Here are seven ways to write a tender that will help you stand out from your competitors.

1. Show the buyer that you understand their priorities

If you’re wondering how to do a tender, showing the buyer that you understand their priorities is crucial.

Writing a tender is all about impressing the buyer. To do that, you need to put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.

Look at the opportunity from their perspective and think about the bigger picture. What are they trying to achieve with this work? What are their long-term objectives? Show the buyer that your company will be the one to achieve their goals. 

2. Show that you align with their core business objectives

The buyer needs to ensure that the supplier they choose is worth the cost.

To stand out from your competitors, you need to appeal directly to the buyer. Chances are, they’ll be drawn to a like-minded business – and a long-term partnership creates more opportunities for work. Show them that your company’s goals and objectives align with theirs. You never know, this could be the thing that persuades the buyer to choose your company over another!

But how can you do this?

To write a winning bid, you absolutely have to do your research. Don’t just read the tender specification – learn about the buyer! Find similarities between their business and your own and see if you can build on these in your responses.

3. Do MORE than answer the question 

If you want to know how to do a tender, you need to do more than answer the question.

Every tender response that the buyer receives will hold answers to their questions. To stand out from your competitors, you need to do more than that.

Your tender responses should include information that the buyer can’t get from anyone else. Show them that your company – and your company alone – is the key to completing that particular contract.

Inform the buyer that you aren’t just thinking about this specific contract – you’re looking at the bigger picture too. Show them that you understand what they’re asking for and your company is willing to take it one step further.

And make the most of the word count! If you find yourself with words to spare, think of other details that are relevant to the buyer’s questions. This is your opportunity to prove your company’s value – don’t waste it!

4. Don’t just tell them. Show them!

If you’re learning how to do a tender, remember that evidence is key.

According to tender evaluators, tender responses usually fit into one of three categories:

• They simply answer the questions.
• They tell the buyer how they will meet the requirements of the contract.
• They explain how they’ll deliver the contract AND submit evidence to prove that they’re the best business for the job.

Which category of tender responses do you think wins the most contracts?

Anyone can say they’re going to do something. But not many people can show exactly how they’re going to do it.

And the best tender responses include both quantitative and qualitative evidence as well as relevant case studies. Show the buyer your company’s performance statistics and back them up with client testimonials.

If you want to stand out from your competitors, show buyers that your company will get the job done.

5. Don’t be afraid to market yourself

Learning how to do a tender could be the key to growing your business. But in order to win contracts, you need to know how to market your company.

Your tender response is not the time or place to be modest. This is your chance to show buyers that your company is the best choice to deliver the contract.

Don’t be afraid to market yourself – your competitors will be doing it too! Include any evidence of recent projects, relevant qualifications, staff achievements or available resources. But make sure they’re relevant to the tender you’re applying for. The buyer only needs to see evidence that relates to their specific project. Anything else is just eating up your word count.

And don’t forget to mention your company’s unique selling point (USP)! Your USP will set you apart from your competitors. Show the buyer that you have something that no one else does.

6. Don’t overlook the details

When you’re learning how to do a tender response, it’s important that you pay attention to every little detail.

Your response needs to comply with ALL the tender’s specifications. This means that, as well as meeting the buyer’s requests, your response must be formatted correctly and free of errors.

Even if your tender responses meet the buyer’s expectations, they won’t be impressed by poor grammar and incorrect spelling. No buyer will choose a sloppy bid.

You should ask someone else to proofread your work. It’s easy to miss mistakes in your own work – especially if you’ve been reading the same words over and over! If someone else proofreads your work with fresh eyes, they should spot any mistakes or errors you might have missed.

And remember that small details – like the wrong font size – could void your response.

Therefore, it’s crucial that you read and follow the tender’s instructions before submitting your bid.

7. Mark your tender response 

So now you know how to do a tender that stands out from your competitors. What’s the next step?

When you’ve completed your tender response, don’t submit it straight away.

We suggest that you put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and review your response from their perspective.

Ask yourself these key questions:

• Have you shown how you’ll complete the contract?
• Have you included sufficient evidence?
• Have you followed the tender’s specific instructions?
• Does your tender response meet the buyer’s specifications?

Work through each question and mark it yourself – just like the buyer will do when they receive your response. The evaluation criteria will differ from tender to tender, so make sure you keep the buyer in mind.

And don’t be afraid to be critical. It’s better that you spot – and correct – any mistakes you find before the buyer evaluates your response.