Tender Documents: Getting it Right

When bidding on tenders, it is fair to say that everything hinges on how well you deal with the tender documents. While there may be chances for you to make an impression on the contracting company through tender briefings, or attempts that you have made in forming a personal relationship with the contracting business, the majority of us just have the forms.

The first and lasting impression that you will give of yourself and your business will come from the tender documents that you submit as part of your tender bid. Therefore it pays to do a good job, and to make a start on doing a good job your should get organised as early as possible. Once the tender opportunity is announced, time is of the essence. You should register your interest in the tender opportunity with the contracting agency as quickly as possible and have them send out all of the relevant documentation. Registering early ensures that you will also be made aware of any changes or further information about the tender bidding process when it becomes available.

One such notification may be that there is a pre-tender briefing to attend. Not all tenders have these, but if one comes up it is advisable to go. If you really can’t go, make sure you follow up afterwards to find out what was discussed. This will show that you are interested but just unable to attend. If you can go, prepare questions to ask the people giving the briefing. Make sure they know who you are and which company you are from, that way when they come to deal with the forms themselves they may remember you, and more importantly, remember that you were keen.

Before you start filling out the forms, there are a couple of things that are worth considering:

1) Go through the forms and make a checklist of everything that you need to include or do before the forms are complete. This will ensure that nothing is left out and also give you some idea of the amount of time that you are going to have to spend on the forms.

2) Seriously consider what the buyer is looking for with this tender and make notes. Along side this, make a list of pros and cons about the solution you are going to offer. If you happen to lose sight of the end goal mid-way through the forms then you have something to come back to in order to help you focus.

When it comes to actually filling in the tender forms there are both technical, and content based points to consider. To start with, follow all instructions, no matter how trivial or insignificant they may seem. If the tenders forms stipulate that you must use black ink or a sans serif font then do so, otherwise the inability to follow simple instructions may go against you. Also make sure that you use appropriate, professional language that is suitable for the target audience throughout. Avoid spelling and grammatical errors by getting someone else to proof read the tender forms before you send them. Furthermore, do not miss out any questions on the forms, even if you do not have a full answer for them. The person that reviews your tender forms is more likely to ask for clarification about your bid then that are to start looking into an incomplete bid.

Another thing to remember when filling in the forms is to be straightforward and concise in your answers. Consider each statement that you make about yourself and your business and ask whether is it relevant for this tender opportunity. If it isn’t then leave it out. The contracting agency is going to have a lot of forms and information to get through, so a tender bid that cuts to the chase is going to stand out.

Lastly, make sure you know when the deadlines are, and stick to  them. After putting in a lot of hard work to get the tender documents just right, you will want to make sure that you can actually submit them. Aim to have the forms handed in at least 48 hours before the deadline.

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Filed under: Conquest Authority

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