Bid writing tips Archives - Tender Consultants

Win Tenders in the Hospitality Sector: Laundry, Catering and more!

John Hudson — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 14:47:28 +0000

Win Tenders in the Hospitality Sector: Laundry, Catering and more!

Winning hospitality tenders relies on a combination of experience and skill — both of which are needed in professional bid writers. At Hudson, we have an 87% success rate which means that we are highly skilled at winning tenders.

Many businesses, regardless of size, find that they simply do not have the time or ability to dedicate resources to train an in-house bid writing team. At Hudson, we have an expert bid team who are well-equipped to take on hospitality tenders.

So, if your business is based in the hospitality sector, we have some top tips for you!

Hospitality Sectors

As you may know, hospitality can be divided up into several sub-sectors. So, if your business falls under one or more of the following, rest assured that this blog is for you!

Catering services
Catering equipment
Event services
Entertainment
Laundry services
School services (school meals)

10 Top Tips for Winning Hospitality Tenders

Understand the tender requirements: Always check the details of the tender and ensure that you understand the full scope of the requirements. When responding to a brief, it is important to ensure that you have a full understanding of the scope and the expected response.
Research the competition: Always research the competition and familiarise yourself with the existing supply market. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and make sure that you have an edge when responding to the tender.
Offer a unique solution: A tender is an opportunity to demonstrate your unique offering, so make sure that this is apparent in your response. Identify any unique advantages that you may have and emphasise how these can add value to the tender.
Tailor your response: Always tailor your response to the tender, ensuring that you fully address the requirements. Avoid generic responses and personalise your response to demonstrate how you can add value.
Response deadline: Ensure that you submit your response before the deadline to demonstrate your professionalism and commitment. Deadlines are important and if you do not respond on time you risk missing out on the opportunity.
Check referrals: Ask for copies of recent references as part of the tender process. Validate the authenticity of theses referrals as part of your due diligence process.
Adhere to the instructions: Always follow the instructions provided and provide the information in the specific format asked for. Do not deviate from the structure given as this suggests a lack of understanding and an inability to adhere to instructions.
Emphasise compliance: Demonstrate that you can meet all relevant legislation and compliance regulations. Having a solid track record of completing projects and adhering to the law is essential when submitting tenders.
Show a clear understanding of the issue: Demonstrate an understanding of the needs of the tender specification in your response. A clear understanding of the issue helps to demonstrate your ability to meet the needs and provide the needed services.
Consider costs: Ensure that your tender shows that your services are competitively priced and offer good value for money. Showcase any cost savings, tax breaks, or services that you are able to offer.

Where do I find hospitality tenders?

If you are looking for hospitality tenders that are relevant to your organisation, without wasting time, visit Hospitality Tenders. Hospitality Tenders is our tendering portal where you can find opportunities to grow your business.

Your subscription entitles you to 24/7 access to our online portal. The portal can easily be filtered by keyword, sector, location, and budget to save you and your team valuable time.

You will also receive a daily bulletin, listing all the tenders that we have uploaded each day. This means that you don’t have to log into the portal every day to find new business opportunities – they land straight in your inbox.

As part of your subscription, you are also entitled to 20 minutes of free tendering advice, once a month, via our Hudson Helpline.

How we can help!

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found the perfect bid for your business, send it our way. Our Bid Writers can take care of the whole thing for you they’ll even submit it on your behalf. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown.

Tender Ready

Our Tender Ready 4-week programme is perfect for businesses that have never tendered before. A Bid Writer will work with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully. Tender Ready offers your business:

A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover
Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents. They will work with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to a Hudson Discover portal and additional tendering development services.

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your tender response and need it double-checked for errors, Tender Mentor can help. A Bid Writer will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar, or spelling mistakes. They will also ensure it’s in line with the specification before you submit it. This is a great way of improving your skills and understanding of how to polish your tender.

Contact us:

Additional support:

Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!

Submit the relevant information regarding the work you need, and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.

We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!

Our other divisions:

Vocal

Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!

Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!

From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!

Vocal specialises in:

Alpha

Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).

We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post Win Tenders in the Hospitality Sector: Laundry, Catering and more! appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Tender VLE: Our Virtual Bid Learning Environment

John Hudson — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:41:33 +0000

Tender VLE

It’s simple — to win contracts, you must have the necessary skills of a bid writer. Mastering the art of writing tender responses comes from strong written communication skills and experience. At Hudson, our bid writers are professionals and they have built up their skills over time. But if you are a start-up or an SME, you may have never bid before.

This is where Tender VLE comes in!

What is Tender VLE?

Tender VLE is the UK’s first virtual learning environment dedicated to bid writing. With five experience levels to choose from, you can take our free and paid tender courses so you can become an expert!

We will help you grow your tendering knowledge in an easy-to-follow dynamic of videos and worksheets, alongside being supported by our experts.

Good news! Our training is suitable for a variety of learners including businesses, freelancers, and aspiring Bid Writers.

When is Tender VLE live?

Our platform is almost ready to go live. After perfecting our development stages, we are making some final tweaks to our learning environment so it is the best platform for our clients. Please bear with us and keep an eye out for when our site goes live!

What Can I Expect from Tender VLE?

There is something for everyone!

From our free beginners’ courses to our expert courses, we cater to all tendering experience levels. Whether you want to kick-start your career as a bid writer, develop your skills as a freelancer or polish up on some areas missing in your expert bid knowledge, Tender VLE can help.

We will cover everything!

Our experts have been meticulous in their research for what to include on our learning platform. In short, we will cover all stages of the tendering process (PQQs, ITTs etc), break down questions, tender planning, management, writing skills, proofing, and branding your response.

How Can Tender VLE Benefit My Business?

This is the most important question — with Tender VLE you will gain the experience to help you win contracts!

Our remote learning experience is designed to suit your needs, wherever you are. This will be your learning journey, which means that you can also tailor your experience to suit your lifestyle. You won’t need to take the focus off running your business – learn as much as you need!

Why Tender for Work?

Guaranteed pay – the suppliers are guaranteed payment when they win a contract.
Goals to spend with SMEs – The UK government aims to spend £1 in £3 with SMEs.
Gain experience – Securing contracts means you gain experience to use for case studies to help you secure further contracts.
Make contacts – Securing contracts means you can increase your contacts and build relationships. This may lead to further work in the future.
Sustainability – Some contracts last for several years so they are a great way of sustaining your business.

How we can help!

Tender Writing

Tender Ready

A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover
Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

Tender Mentor

Contact us:

Additional support:

Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!

Submit the relevant information regarding the work you need, and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.

We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!

Our other divisions:

Vocal

Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!

Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!

From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!

Vocal specialises in:

Alpha

Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).

We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post Tender VLE: Our Virtual Bid Learning Environment appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Easy Tendering Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

John Hudson — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 08:00:19 +0000

Easy Tendering Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The tendering process can be daunting, particularly if you have never tendered for contracts before, or for SMEs who may lack the necessary in-house resources to complete the tendering process. However, outsourcing the process to a professional tender writer can take away that stress and help you produce a successful tender response.

In this blog, we will cover the tendering process, the easy-to-make mistakes that can be avoided, how to correct these mistakes and where to find tender help.

What is tendering?

Simply, the tendering process is a formal process that involves the selection of a contractor to provide goods or services to a company. It involves the company issuing a tender document outlining their requirements and the criteria they will use to evaluate potential suppliers. Companies then tender for the work and are evaluated based on the criteria set out in the tender document. The winning tender is then awarded the contract.

The process can also involve a number of stages, including pre-qualification, submission of the tender, evaluation of the tender and the contract award. The aim of the tendering process is to ensure that contracts are awarded in a fair and transparent manner.

Common Tendering Mistakes

Not reading the tender documents carefully: Before submitting a tender response, it is important to thoroughly read and understand the tender documents. If you don’t take the time to properly review the documents, this can result in the submission of an incomplete or inaccurate tender.
Not addressing the selection criteria: Most tenders include a list of selection criteria that must be addressed in the tender response. Failing to address all of the criteria can lead to the tender being disqualified.
Not providing detailed information: Tenders should provide detailed information about the organisation, the goods or services being offered, and the prices being charged. Vague or incomplete information can lead to misunderstandings and disqualification.
Not following the rules: Tenders must be submitted in the correct format, on the correct date, and with the correct paperwork as stipulated in the specification. Failing to comply with the rules can lead to disqualification.
Not being realistic about pricing: Tenders should provide a realistic price that is competitive and provides good value for the customer. Tender responses that show goods/services being too high or low priced can lead to disqualification or a lost contract.
Not seeking advice: Tenders can be complex documents and it is important to seek professional advice when necessary to ensure the tender is completed correctly.

How to Improve Your Tender Response

Follow these 7 top tips to save your tendering mistakes and submit a successful tender response!

Research the Tendering Process: Research the tendering process and familiarise yourself with the requirements of each stage. This will help you to submit a more competitive and compelling offer.
Understand the Buyer: Understand the needs and objectives of the buyer. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of the buyer’s requirements, and tailor your response accordingly.
Highlight Your Strengths: Highlight your strengths and differentiate your offering from competitors. Focus on the benefits that your offering will bring to the buyer.
Demonstrate Your Value: Demonstrate the value that your offering will bring to the buyer. Show how it will help them to achieve their objectives and how it is the right solution for them.
Provide Supportive Evidence: Provide evidence to back up your claims. This could be customer testimonials, case studies, or other forms of proof that demonstrate the effectiveness of your solution.
Use Clear Language: Use clear language and terminology that is easy to understand. Keep your writing concise and make sure that it is free from spelling and grammar errors.
Use Visuals: Use visuals to bring your response to life. Graphics, diagrams, and images can help. Also, investing in bid design can help your tender response stand out from your competitors who may also be submitting professionally designed tender responses.

How we can help!

Avoid tendering mistakes by outsourcing the process to an expert tender writer!

Tender Writing

Tender Ready

A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover
Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

Tender Mentor

Contact us:

Additional support:

Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!

Submit the relevant information regarding the work you need, and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.

We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!

Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can optimise your tendering efforts!

Our two new time-saving tools can improve competitor awareness and success rate when bidding for a contract:

The Ultimate Time Save Package (for those on the go!)

Five tender breakdowns per month.
Annual subscription to two sector-specific portals.
Dedicated account manager.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package

All of the above.
Seven tender breakdowns per month.
Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager (minimum five years experience). Our Global Bid Director will manage the bid strategy.

Our other divisions:

Vocal

Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!

Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!

From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!

Vocal specialises in:

Alpha

Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).

We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post Easy Tendering Mistakes and How to Avoid Them appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Bid Writing Specialists

John Hudson — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 10:40:28 +0000

Bid Writing Specialists

What is a bid specialist?

A bid specialist, also known as a bid writer, is an expert in the world of bids. Bid specialists are responsible for planning and writing bid responses — they may also be responsible for submitting bids. However, this responsibility usually lies with a bid manager. A bid writer will complete tenders in order to help a client secure contracts or funding — ultimately helping the success of the client’s business in the long run.

Some companies may employ an in-house bid writer to take care of all their bidding needs, however now many companies are looking to outsource this service. This is where we come in!

Bidding or tendering?

Many companies use the terms bid and tender interchangeably. This is because they mean the same thing! The term tender is used most commonly in the UK, whereas bid is used in the US.

Tendering Process

Tendering is a formal process whereby select businesses are invited to bid for contracts from public or private sector organisations, in need of specific skills for a project, goods or services on an ongoing basis.

How do bid specialists work?

Bid specialists often work alongside other bid writers as part of a bid writing team. Depending on areas of expertise, certain bid writers may be called upon to lead a project or to provide the more technical writing required. A bid manager will oversee each bid and mentor their team of bid writers, ensuring the best possible work is achieved. They will also quality-check the work before submission and often lead communications with the client throughout the process.

Depending on the client’s requirements, the bid manager will either submit the bid on their behalf or send over the work for the client to submit themselves.

Advantages of hiring a bid specialist:

There are many advantages to hiring a bid specialist. Here are just a few of them!

Exceptional writing skills

Our bid writers are trained to a high level to ensure that they always provide the best service for our clients. Every bid writer has honed their craft, as strong written communication skills are paramount when it comes to being a bid writer. As always, bid writing is a specific skill that not everyone has the time or resources to learn. This is why outsourcing to a bid writing company can be extremely beneficial and worth every penny!

Organisation

It should come as no surprise that you must have strong organisational skills to be a bid writer. Bid writing can be stressful, however, creating a plan with strict internal deadlines helps you to stick to that all-important final deadline for the client. A bid writer/specialist can, therefore, organise and focus solely on your bid while you divert your time and resources elsewhere.

No more stress!

Bid writing can be stressful at the best of times, even for professionals! The bidding process can be made even more stressful if you are already having to dedicate time and resources elsewhere in your company. Not to mention, costly! Outsourcing the bidding process to a bid specialist can take away the stress of the process.

Where to find a bid specialist?

At Hudson, we are home to many bid writing specialists who are highly experienced and successful. We are currently operating with an 87% success rate and have clients in over 40 countries across the world. Our bid writers are used to providing exceptional content for a variety of businesses in different sectors.

So, look no further and see our services listed below!

How we can help!

Tender Writing

Tender Ready

A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover
Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

Tender Mentor

Contact us:

Additional support:

Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!

Submit the relevant information regarding the work you need, and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.

We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!

Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can optimise your tendering efforts!

Our two new time-saving tools can improve competitor awareness and success rate when bidding for a contract:

The Ultimate Time Save Package (for those on the go!)

Five tender breakdowns per month.
Annual subscription to two sector-specific portals.
Dedicated account manager.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package

All of the above.
Seven tender breakdowns per month.
Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager (minimum five years experience). Our Global Bid Director will manage the bid strategy.

Our other divisions:

Vocal

Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!

Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!

From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!

Vocal specialises in:

Alpha

Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).

We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post Bid Writing Specialists appeared first on Tender Consultants.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Tendering

John Hudson — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 09:00:19 +0000

The Do’s and Don’ts of Tendering

The tendering process can be complicated at the best of times and you may be wondering how to avoid all the potential pitfalls that can occur for those new to the world of tendering.

If this is you? Keep reading to find out our top do’s and don’ts for success!

First, let’s start with the basics…

What is tendering?

The tendering process is the process of submitting a bid in response to an invitation to tender (ITT) from the buyer. The bid is typically for the supply of goods and services to the buyer, and the process involves researching the project and preparing a submission, which is then presented to the buyer for evaluation.

The process typically involves drawing up a tender document, including technical and financial details, which is then sent to potential suppliers. The suppliers respond with their offers, and the buyer evaluates the offers and selects the most suitable supplier.

Why is the tendering process so complicated?

The tendering process can be complicated, simply because there are so many factors to consider depending on the industry you are tendering for. But that’s not to say that it has to be complicated!

At Hudson, we help at every stage of the tendering process — even if you only need another pair of eyes to check over your response, a review or an end-to-end writing and submission service, we can help!

Top 4 Do’s

Read and understand the tender – this is the moment when you need to decide whether your business can successfully meet the requirements of this contract.
Read the tender specification! – a successful tendering process relies heavily on whether you meet the buyer’s requirements in terms of information provided, and in the style needed. Answer all questions set in a clear and concise manner!
Clarification – answering questions when you aren’t 100% certain what they are asking, can result in a low score. Make sure you always factor in time for asking questions and direct those questions wherever specified in the tender documents.
Accuracy – the buyer is trusting you to submit information that is truthful and accurate as to what you can supply. You will also need to provide evidence of important documents such as CVs, financial status etc.

Top 4 Don’ts

Leaving your submission to the last minute! – Rushing to meet the deadline or late submissions will either result in your response being non-compliant, scoring low or completely disregarded. It is vital that you stick to both internal and external deadlines in order to give yourself the best possible outcome.
Never assume that all tenders are the same! – every buyer is different, therefore every tender specification you receive will be too! Make sure that you follow each tender’s requirements to a T, avoiding the generalisation of your responses. Always provide evidence and detail!
Never include irrelevant material! – If you feel like you can’t answer the questions set and want to add evidence even if it’s irrelevant, don’t do it! You won’t score highly or at all depending on relevance. If you are unsure, always ask for clarification or seek advice from expert tender writers.
Never get overwhelmed! – the tendering process can be both complex and time-consuming, particularly if you are new to it! Make sure to seek out help when you need it and take a look at our services below.

How we can help!

Tender Writing

Tender Ready

A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover
Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

Tender Mentor

Contact us:

Additional support:

Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!

Submit the relevant information regarding the work you need, and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.

We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!

Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can optimise your tendering efforts!

Our two new time-saving tools can improve competitor awareness and success rate when bidding for a contract:

The Ultimate Time Save Package (for those on the go!)

Five tender breakdowns per month.
Annual subscription to two sector-specific portals.
Dedicated account manager.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package

All of the above.
Seven tender breakdowns per month.
Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager (minimum five years experience). Our Global Bid Director will manage the bid strategy.

Our other divisions:

Vocal

Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!

Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!

From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!

Vocal specialises in:

Alpha

Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).

We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post The Do’s and Don’ts of Tendering appeared first on Tender Consultants.

Top 10 Bid Writing Skills

John Hudson — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 10:00:18 +0000

Top 10 Bid Writing Skills

First…What is Bid Writing?

Bid writing, also known as tender writing, is the process of creating effective and high-quality content on behalf of a company in order to win a tender/contract or general business opportunity. Typically, bid writers will complete PQQs, ITTs and other aspects of the tender process for the client.

A bid writer is someone responsible for the success of this process.

Expert bid writers must be able to deliver persuasive, well-communicated content to win a tender. Also, they must have knowledge which is transferable across many different industries/sectors.

Our Top 10 Bid Writing Skills

Wondering if you have what it takes to be a bid writer? Here are our top 10 skills you will need!

Written Communication

An invaluable skill when wanting to become a bid writer. You must have experience communicating effectively through your writing. It is not simply about writing clearly, or concisely. You must be able to persuade the buyer that your client is the best possible option. You must also be able to write with considerable detail, to demonstrate your client’s skills and evidence of success through case studies. Striking the balance between being concise and detailed is challenging, however, an expert bid writer should be no stranger to this task.

Verbal Communication

Similarly, being able to communicate verbally is a valuable skill for a bid writer. The assumption that bid writers only need to be able to communicate through the written word is wholly inaccurate. Bid writers will often liaise with clients on the phone, face-to-face and on video meetings. It is, therefore, important that bid writers can update and query their client using their strong verbal skills. This satisfies the client that their bid writer is easily relied upon, accountable and effective in their planning process.

Attention to detail

As aforementioned, a bid writer must have strong attention to detail. This involves both the research and writing process as a bid writer must be able to swiftly pluck relevant information for the tender, write with sufficient detail to persuade the buyer of the client’s suitability and eradicate inconsistencies/errors in their written work.

Time management

Having excellent time management skills is crucial to the success of a bid writer. Not only must a bid writer be able to plan effectively, but also meet all internal and external deadlines they have been set at every stage. Failure to meet internal deadlines will result in a rushed tender which will likely not contain enough detail to meet the buyer’s criteria. Failure to meet the final deadline will absolutely result in a failed tender.

Note: It is always a good idea to leave yourself several days spare in your planning process for any internal/external factors that may occur and delay your bid. Submission portals are notoriously unreliable, so never submit at the last minute!

Strategic Thinking

The ability to think strategically is a valuable asset to have when becoming a bid writer. Before writing, as part of your planning process, you should already have a bid strategy. This means that when it comes to creating responses to the buyer’s questions, you are prepared to answer in a way that shows your client in the best possible light.

IT Software

A good knowledge of various IT software is vital for any bid writer. You will be required to communicate across platforms and have access to tenders as and when they become available. Opportunity tracking platforms are necessary to finding a client new bids.

Research

Bid writers must be able to conduct effective research and collate evidence on behalf of their client in order to develop and provide convincing arguments. They will research the client’s sector extensively to be able to tailor their argument to the client’s cause with confidence and accuracy. Conducting research will be included in their planning process before the actual writing begins.

Teamwork

Although bid writers have a great deal of independent responsibility, there is rarely one bid writer working on one tender at a time. A typical bid team will involve:

Bid management
Bid administration
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
Bid writers
Graphic designers

It is crucial for every bid writer to be able to work collaboratively with other bid writers and those involved at every stage of the tender/bid process. Good teamwork also involves strong planning and time management, to keep all those involved held accountable and knowledgeable of the deadlines met and the ones left to meet.

Adapt under pressure

Being a bid writer can be stressful. The combination of strict deadlines and the potential for juggling multiple bids can be challenging to the most experienced bid writers. This is why it is vital to be able to adapt under pressure and the key to coping is planning! Keeping on top of things but also knowing when to be flexible when a client changes their mind is vital. Plans change!

Independence

While you will work as part of a team as a bid writer, you will be expected to be held accountable for your contributions to the team. It is important that you can prepare, plan and write effectively without prompts from others, as others will also be relying upon you!

Why Be a Bid Writer?

There are several reasons why the career of a bid writer is advantageous. Here’s our top reasons:

Highly transferable skills

The skills required as a bid writer are skills which are needed/desired in most professions. Strong written and verbal communication skills will always be valued, as will organisational skills. Also, adaptability and coping under pressure are necessary for the ever-changing nature of most businesses in various sectors.

Work variety

Every bid/tender that a bid writer undertakes will likely be in a different industry than the previous one. Undertaking research on many different sectors is vital to a bid writer’s success. Therefore, work variety is part of the role and can be an exciting prospect if you enjoy researching and writing on a variety of topics.

Career progression

A bid writer will have great opportunities for career progression within their respective companies. Not only will your skills be transferable, but you can also progress to the role of team leader, senior bid writer or bid manager.

Highly valued

Bid writers are highly intelligent and hard-working individuals, which makes them attractive prospects to many employers. However, many companies simply do not have the means to employ an in-house bid writer and hire the services of a bid writer outside of their normal operations.

What if My First Bid Is Not Successful?

So, you know the top bid writing skills needed for success…but what happens if your first bid is unsuccessful?

Don’t fret, always ask for feedback from the buyer. All submitted tenders have flaws, unsuccessful or otherwise. Therefore, it is vital that you find weaknesses in your argument and improve. When approaching the feedback stage, ensure you are armed with questions to present to the buyer to achieve the best, most detailed review.

Some questions may concern the following topics:

Have you hit the relevant deadlines?
Did you provide all the information needed?
Did you give enough detail in your responses?
Was the client’s business eligible for that bid?

Once I’m a Bid Writer…What’s Next? Our 6 Top Tips!

Read all the documents before you start, including undertaking the relevant research
Plan and document your process – this will keep you and your team members accountable and in the know about deadlines!
Proofread your work before submission
Compliance – follow the buyer’s instructions to a T!
Relevant case studies
Strong written and verbal communication – this is the way to stand out against competitors!

Now you know our top bid writing skills, you may require our various tendering services…

Our services include:

Tender Writing

Tender Ready

A 12-month subscription to one Hudson Discover
Access to Global Bid Directors and Senior Bidding Professionals.
An Organisation-wide Bid library, including 3 case studies, 5 CVs and policies.
Additional flexible benefits.

Tender Improvement

Tender Mentor

If you’ve written your own tender response and need it double-checked for errors, Tender Mentor can help. A Bid Writer will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar, or spelling mistakes. They will also ensure it’s in line with the specification before you submit it. This is a great way of improving your skills and understanding of how to polish your tender.

Contact us:

Additional support:

Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!

Simply submit the relevant information regarding the work you need and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.

We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!

Discover Elite

Upgrading to Discover Elite can optimise your tendering efforts!

Our two new time-saving tools can improve competitor awareness and success rate when bidding for a contract:

The Ultimate Time Save Package (for those on the go!)

Five tender breakdowns per month.
Annual subscription to two sector-specific portals.
Dedicated account manager.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package

All of the above.
Seven tender breakdowns per month.
Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager (minimum five years experience). Also, the bid strategy will be managed by our Global Bid Director.

Our other divisions:

Vocal

Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!

Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!

From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!

Vocal specialises in:

Alpha

Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our own platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).

We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post Top 10 Bid Writing Skills appeared first on Tender Consultants.

How to Secure Government Contracts Without a Huge Bid Team

Charlotte Jarvis — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 07:00:19 +0000

How to secure government contracts if you don’t have unlimited resources

Wondering how to secure government contracts without the resources of Amazon, Capita or Deloitte? Well, we have good news! You don’t need endless resources to win government contracts. You just need to be:

Smart with your bid or no-bid decisions
Resourceful with your team
Knowledgeable about the tendering process.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at:

How to be smart with your decisions, using a bid or no-bid checklist
What you can do to prepare before you bid for work
How to break down the question
How to get the evaluator on your side with your writing
Where you can find support.

So, let’s get started!

5 boxes to tick for smarter bid decisions

Before bidding for work, you should set out a list of questions to ask yourself before diving in. These questions will form your bid or no-bid questionnaire. They will help you make quick and smart decisions and keep you on the right path.

By making better decisions, you’ll save yourself from wasting resources further down the line. You don’t want to write 10,000 words, then realise you’re not eligible because of an accreditation requirement on page 50.

*Can you tick ‘yes’* to the following?**
Do you turnover more than half the contract’s value?
Is the contract deliverable in your location/can you travel to the location?
Is the contract going to be profitable?
Do you have experience with delivering the services/goods required and can you evidence this?
Can you demonstrate how you will add value to the buyer?

There are plenty of questions to consider but these five are a good starting point.

If you tick ‘no’ to even one of these questions, you need to seriously consider whether you can win. Essentially, we’re saying don’t waste your time and resources on bids you can’t win.

4 things you can prepare before you bid on government contracts

Assign roles in your team

With a smaller team, it’s important that everyone understands the role they play in the wider project. We recommend assigning:

Someone who makes the bid or no-bid decisions
The project manager
Someone who designs the solutions
Someone who will write the bid responses
The person who will compile the pricing document
The person who will sign off the final bid.

Compile your policies and procedures

Even before you start bidding for work, you can pre-empt the policies you are likely to be asked for. For example, in the healthcare industry, it’s sensible to assume you will be asked to provide:

A safeguarding policy
A whistleblowing policy
Your business continuity plans
A risk management policy
And an infection control plan/policy.

You can see here how we have made this assumption based on the industry. You and your team can do the same.

Create consistent, branded company CVs

In the public sector, buyers often ask to see the CVs of the team who will be delivering the contract. We advise spending some time on preparing these CVs and trying to keep the design consistent. It’s easier for buyers to read and digest the information if they’re all formatted the same way. Take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on each member of your team and demonstrate their capabilities.

Create/compile case studies

And more importantly…relevant case studies! When tendering for work in the public sector, you need to evidence your previous experience. This is usually done through providing two or three case studies from the last five years. The projects in the case studies should be similar in size and scope to the tender at hand.

How to break down the question

So, you’ve found a tender, it passes your checklist and you’ve prepared your documents. How do you now breakdown the questions and answer them effectively?

Firstly, don’t just jump straight in and start writing…as tempting as it might be. Sit back and examine the question. Let’s look at an example question:

Please explain your risk management procedures, including what risks you feel are vital to overcome as part of this contract, as well as monitoring and mitigation approaches you would use. Please detail who will manage said risks and provide examples of where you have overcome similar risks.

Does it seem like there’s a lot to answer within this one question? There is! We would tackle it bit by bit, breaking the question down into subheadings, such as:

General risk management procedures – this would include risks, monitoring and mitigation.
Risk lead – risk management experience.

Under each subheading, you can address that section of the question.

How to get the evaluator on your side

When considering how to secure government contracts, it’s not just about what you’re saying, it’s how. Here are our top 5 tips for getting the buyer on your side:

Be definitive. Swap phrases like ‘we aspire to’ with ‘we have’ and ‘we could’ for ‘we will’
Stay positive, focusing on the benefits of your service/solution/goods and the advantages
Back up all your claims with indisputable evidence
Be confident in your writing and write with conviction
Keep your language simple and sentences short. For example, instead of ‘has been proven to be’ use ‘is’.

It might seem like these tips are too simple…what’s the catch? There really isn’t one.

Empathise with the evaluator. You’re reviewing 30 submissions; they all contain very similar information, but they’re written differently. The simple, definitive answers will stand out because they are easy to follow and understand.

Also consider that the evaluator is likely not an expert in your industry or service/goods. Therefore, avoiding the use of too much technical jargon will go a long way. The evaluator needs to understand why they should award you the contract. If they don’t follow your explanations, you’re unlikely to win.

Where can you find government contracts?

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how to secure government contracts. So where can you find the opportunities in the first place?

There are hundreds of websites across the UK that are updated daily with opportunities. The government has its own tender tracking website called Contracts Finder. The website is free to use but be prepared to spend a long time scrolling through irrelevant tenders.

That’s because the website uses CPV codes to categorise the opportunities which are often incorrectly used.

To speed up the process and make opportunity tracking more efficient, we created our Hudson Discover portals.

Hudson Discover houses our 11 sector-specific tendering portals. As well as being dedicated to one sector each, they’re manually updated by our Opportunity Trackers. They scour over 600 sources to identify new tendering opportunities and tag them with industry-driven keywords.

Visit your industry’s portal to book a free live demo:

In summary…

So, we’re at the end of our blog on how to secure government contracts. Hopefully you’ll take something away with you that you can apply to your next bid. If you need a quick recap, here you go:

We provided a list of five questions to help you form a bid or no-bid questionnaire. This will help you make more informed, smarter decisions and mitigate wasted resources. We understand that smaller businesses need to be smart with their resources. Assessing the bids before diving in will help you do just that.
We provided our top four tips for bid preparation:
1. Assigning roles to your team
2. Pre-empting the policies and procedures you’ll likely be asked to provide
3. Creating company CVs for everyone in your team who will be delivering the contract
4. Compiling three case studies from the last five years that will be relevant to the contracts you bid for.
Together, we looked at a sample question and thought about how we could break it down. We made sure to split the answer into subheadings so that we addressed every part of the question.
We provided five tips to help you get the evaluator on side with your writing:
1. Be definitive with your language
2. Stay positive, focusing on the benefits and advantages
3. Provide evidence to back up your claims
4. Write with confidence and conviction
5. Keep it simple! Short sentences and simple language will go down well with the buyer when they’re reviewing multiple bids at once.
We provided guidance for finding government contracts and recommended our Hudson Discover portals.

Still wondering how to secure government contracts?

Our team of consultants are here to help you. They have a thorough understanding of the tender process and government contracts, knowing exactly how to respond.

By outsourcing to professionals, you can improve your chances of winning contracts.

We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – we can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a government tender, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. We’ll provide a full Tender Writing break down and even submit the bid on your behalf.

Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once-over before you submit it. Our Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.

Tender Ready

During the Tender Ready service, our team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, we will review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. Once the programme is complete, you’ll have access to three days’ worth of bid consultancy. This can be used for bid writing, tender reviews, or general advice and guidance.

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Need help with searching for government tenders?

A subscription to one of our sector-specific portals will include:

Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See all the opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised, and easily accessible.
A daily email bulletin. When you sign up to a portal, you’ll receive an email alert when new tenders are uploaded.
A free 20-minute phone consultation with a Bid Writer every month. Our expert Bid Consultants will chat with you about anything tender related.

Upgrade to Discover Elite

If you want to streamline the process even further, you can sign up to Discover Elite via your chosen portal. With this service, a dedicated Account Manager will find live bids on your behalf. They’ll speak with you weekly to discuss opportunities that may interest you. This is especially helpful for those with little time to spare due to busy schedules.

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post How to Secure Government Contracts Without a Huge Bid Team appeared first on Tender Consultants.

How to Become a Government Supplier in the UK

Charlotte Jarvis — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 07:00:21 +0000

How to become a government supplier in the UK…if you’re an SME

Many SMEs wonder how to become a government supplier. They recognise the advantages and prospects of listing government bodies as clients and climbing the contract ladder.

It’s true that listing previous contract experience with government clients will help you to secure larger contracts. However, this is a bit of a chicken and egg situation, isn’t it? How can you win a contract in the first place to gain the experience you need? We all remember struggling to land our first job straight out of education, without that all-important experience. Well, this is similar.

In this blog, we’ll explain how to become a government supplier if you’re a small business. We’ll cover:

How to find the opportunities.
How to prepare and ensure you’re tender ready.
3 ways to make sure you meet the brief and have a good chance of winning.
How the government helps small businesses bid for work.
Social value – what is it and how to prepare in advance.
Our top 9 tips for how to become a government supplier.

Firstly, how do you find opportunities in the first place?

We’re not going to get very far without identifying an opportunity, are we! In the UK, there are hundreds of websites that publish new tendering opportunities, including the government’s own website, Contracts Finder. The problem is that these websites are not that easy to navigate and they’re not efficient to use.

Why? The main culprit is CPV codes (common procurement vocabulary). An eight-digit code, used for categorising opportunities into ‘subject matter’…in theory.

CPV codes are often used incorrectly by buyers due to the vast number of codes available. A study by the European Commission sampled 405 contract notices. They found that 23% had the wrong code associated with the scope of work tendered. This results in an inefficient sourcing process for you, the prospective supplier.

That’s why we created our own tendering portals, housed under Hudson Discover. We removed the use of CPV codes or algorithms and replaced them with manual opportunity tracking. Not only that, but the portals are also sector-specific, making them even more tailored to the user. More information about our portals can be found here:

How to make sure you’re tender ready before you begin

If tendering is new to you, becoming tender ready is an important step. In any tender, you will be required to provide certain documents and evidence. The savvier tenderers will spot that the same, or similar, documents are required by each buyer. Therefore, you can get a step ahead by preparing these documents in advance.

From our experience, the most commonly requested documents are:

Company CVs
Case studies – usually three from the last five years
Policies and procedures
Methodologies.

For help with getting tender ready, visit our dedicated Tender Ready service page.

3 ways to make sure you meet the brief

Before you jump into writing your tender responses and working out your pricing, we recommend:

Checking your economic financial standing

As a general rule of thumb, we advise against bidding for contracts with a value greater than half your turnover. This is your economic financial standing. For example, if a contract has a value of £50,000, you should be turning over at least £100,000. This is because you may struggle to prove that your resources meet the requirements. Often, buyers will ask to see your financial accounts during the tendering process.

Making sure you can evidence your experience

As we mentioned above, government buyers will often ask to see three case studies. They should be from contracts you have delivered within the last five years, in a similar field to this scope. If you can get testimonials from your previous clients, this will help to further demonstrate your capabilities.

Thinking about how you can evidence value for money

Government buyers are accountable for their spending. They have to demonstrate how they have delivered the best value for money because they’re spending public purse. This means that to become a government supplier, you need to evidence added value. It’s not just pricing that buyers consider to be good value. It’s a combination of quality and price throughout the life of the contract. So, make sure you highlight how and why your approach is cost-effective and helps the government make savings.

How to become a government supplier if you’re an SME…will the government help?

Becoming a government supplier is beneficial for both you and the government. The UK government is targeted with spending £1 in every £3 with small businesses. So, how are they helping small businesses secure contracts?

Lower value contracts

Since leaving the EU, there is more flexibility for lower value government contracts to be reserved for SME bidders. There is also more flexibility for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs).

Introducing the prompt payment code

The prompt payment code offers suppliers peace of mind. It states that public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in their contracts. They also need to ensure that this is passed down the supply chain. If this is not happening, businesses are encouraged to raise this directly with the Public Procurement Review Service.

If this was the case, interest becomes liable as set out in the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. This means that businesses can claim interest on any late invoices.

The Small Business Commissioner

The Small Business Commissioner is a free service that ensures fair payment practices for all small businesses in Britain. The body supports businesses to resolve payment disputes with larger businesses.

Social value – what is it and how can you prepare?

When SMEs research how to become a government supplier, they sometimes overlook social value. The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 became law on 8^th March 2012. It requires public sector organisations to consider the supplier’s potential to deliver services that benefit the local area and people.

In January 2021, new measures came into effect. Any public sector organisation procuring goods/services with a value of over £180,000 is obliged to ask bidders about social value. A 10% weighting has been placed on these questions in tenders and PQQs. Therefore, it’s worth considering how your business aligns with the aims of the social value measures, which are:

Creating new jobs and promoting skills
Encouraging economic growth
Supporting Covid-19 recovery
Tackling climate change
Levelling up the UK.

Our top 9 tips when tendering for work

If you’re wondering how to become a government supplier, read our top 10 tips:

Invest in the sourcing process

Allocate someone in your team to keep on top of new tendering opportunities. If you’re using the government’s website, they should allocate at least 15-30minutes per day to check for new tenders. If you’re using our Hudson Discover tendering portals, they’ll just need to keep an eye on their inbox. Either way, they need to take action immediately when they identify an opportunity. The rest of your team needs plenty of time to read the documents and write the responses.

Don’t rush in, weigh up the opportunity

Check our top three tips above and answer those questions before diving in. You should also assess the competition and how the new business would impact your current workload. Make sure that you have experience, and that the bid is realistic for you to win.

Familiarise yourself with the buyer’s portal

The portal will be used to:

Register your interest and download the tender documents
Ask clarification questions
Submit the final bid.

Make sure you know your way around and don’t leave it until the last minute to submit your bid. If you miss the deadline, the buyer doesn’t have to grant you an extension or even look at your bid. Even if you missed it because of technical difficulties – the buyer doesn’t have to make allowances. Don’t take the risk!

Make a bid plan

Break down the bid requirements and assign people in your team to take charge. This could be collating your policies, answering specific questions, or keeping your time management in line. Give each team member a clear role and deadlines for any input they will have.

Research the buying organisation

To make an impression on the buyer, it’s important that you understand them and their core values. This will help you demonstrate how your values align with theirs in your responses. If there is an incumbent supplier, you can try to find out who they are and how they are performing. Then, structure your responses around what the buyer is looking for.

Always refer back to the question and provide evidence

When you start writing your responses, always refer back to the question and make sure you’ve answered it. Use the buyer’s exact wording from the question to directly address their requirements.

Avoid empty or cliché statements such as ‘our people are at the heart of everything we do’. Fluffy statements like this are fine for marketing, but not bidding! Make sure you have evidence to back up every claim you make and demonstrate added value throughout.

Avoid jargon

The evaluator is most likely not an expert in your field. Using overly complicated jargon will only make your bid difficult to understand, and in turn, to evaluate. Keep the language simple and the sentences short – around 20 words per sentence is enough.

Don’t skip the proofing! Check for grammatical and spelling errors – they raise red flags with buyers for a lack of attention to detail.

Use clear formatting and design (where appropriate)

Some bids will follow a more rigid approach. The buyer will stipulate the font and point size for your responses and/or provide boxes for you to fill in. Others will follow a free-flowing proposal layout where you are given creative freedom to present the information. If this is the case, we always recommend having your bid professionally designed. It’s a great way to stand out amongst your competitors and make your bid easy to follow.

For help with Bid Design, see our sister company, Vocal.

Get feedback and carry on!

Unfortunately, you won’t always be successful in every tender. It’s important to not be too disheartened and use this as a learning opportunity. Ask the buyer for feedback if it hasn’t been provided and review it with your team.

If you’re losing multiple bids, it might be time to bring in a professional to assess how you could improve. See our Tender Improvement service for more information.

Summary

We’ve reached the end of our blog on how to become a government supplier. We hope our information was helpful. If you need a quick recap, here you go:

Choose an easy-to-use platform to help you identify opportunities quickly and make sure you never miss out.
Spend some time getting ready to tender for work before you dive straight in. Get your company CVs, case studies and policies in order and file them away so they’re ready to go.
Make sure you meet the brief. Check your economic financial standing, ensure you have evidence and that you can offer value for money.
The government needs to work with smaller businesses to meet their targets. They offer support through:

The prompt payment code
Making interest liable if the terms aren’t met
Offering free support through The Small Business Commissioner.

Do your social value research and make sure you can provide examples of how you meet the aims.
Review our top 9 tips for how to become a government supplier:

Invest in the sourcing process
Don’t rush in
Familiarise yourself with the buyer’s portal
Make a bid plan
Research the buying organisation
Refer back to the question and provide evidence to back up your claims
Avoid jargon
Make your bid easy to read through formatting and design
Get feedback and carry on!

Need help with becoming a government supplier?

Our team of consultants are here to help you.

They have a thorough understanding of the tender process and government contracts, knowing exactly how to respond.

By outsourcing to professionals, you could improve your chances of winning contracts.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a government tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. We’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit the bid on your behalf.

Tender Mentor

Tender Ready

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Need help with searching for tenders?

A subscription to one of our sector-specific portals will include:

Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See all the opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised, and easily accessible.
A daily email bulletin. When you sign up to a portal, you’ll receive an email alert when new tenders are uploaded.
A free 20-minute phone consultation with a Bid Writer every month. Our expert Bid Consultants will chat with you about anything tender related.

Discover Elite

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post How to Become a Government Supplier in the UK appeared first on Tender Consultants.

What to expect from tender specifications

John Hudson — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 09:00:25 +0000

Understanding tender specifications can improve your chances of success…here’s how

Tender specifications are probably the most important part of any bid proposal. You need to ensure that you fully understand what you are reading when it comes to the tender documents.

Basically, the tender specifications are there to provide you with a detailed description of the overall contract. It will outline the purpose of the contract, what is required and the solution the buyer is seeking. It will also go into detail about what is required from you, the supplier, to win the contract.

In this blog, we go through some of the common tender specifications you could see when responding to a bid.

What is included in tender specifications?

Here is a breakdown of some of the common tender specifications that you can expect within a tender document:

Description of the contract

This is where the buyer will briefly outline the intent of the contract. This will highlight what will be involved in the contracts, and the services it will require. There will also be a general description of the contract. This is to give you context of why the buyer issuing the tender, and what they are expecting from you.

Service requirements

This tender specification will define, in detail, what the requirements are for the contract. But it will also highlight what you will need to do to meet them. This will outline the following:

Timescales
Budgets
Quantities (if it requires the delivery of a product)
How the products/services will be delivered
Quality expectations
Contingency plans
Reporting structures, and who will be the contracting authority.

You may find that the tender specification is split into two sections: functional requirements, and performance requirements. This will be down to the buyer, and how they want to establish their specifications.

Functional requirements – define the desired result of the contract, highlighting what the overall goal is. The buyer will be looking to see if you put forward any innovative solutions that will meet their requirements effectively.

Performance requirements – goes into detail about the inputs and outputs of the solutions that will be put into place. For example, it will look at the standards of the products. Ensuring it meets to the relevant European Standards (or equivalent).

Mandatory requirements (if any)

With some tender specifications, you may find that there are mandatory requirements. These will be essential criteria defined by the buyer that you will need to meet when responding to the tender. If you do not, you may be rejected early in the process. An example of this would be security regarding company information. If your services require data handling, then the buyer will want reassurance that their data is well protected.

Contract length

The buyer will clearly highlight the length of the intended contract. They will also inform you if it is a recurring contract, so that you can tender for it again. You will also need to state what your exit plans are. This is the plan you will have in place when the contract is coming to an end.

Sustainability considerations

This is to ensure that your services/products are in accordance with the Programme for Government commitments. Buyers will want to see detailed plans to ensure their sustainability targets are met.

Contract management plans

For this tender specification, the buyer will be looking to see your management plans for the duration of the contract. Will there be a need for regular meetings? Is there a requirement for regular reviews? These are just some of the questions you will need to answer.

Summary

So, by now you should probably have a better understanding of what tender specifications are. But also, what the buyer is looking to see within your tender response.

Here is a recap of some of the tender specifications you could come across:

Description of the contract – will outline the intent of the contract.
Service requirements – what the buyer requires from the supplier.
Mandatory requirements (if any) – that you need to be able to provide to the buyer, this is non-negotiable.
Contract length – so you know how long the contract will run and when you need to reapply if it is recurring.
Sustainability considerations – outline how you will meet the buyer’s sustainability goals.
Contract management plans – how will you manage the contract.

Now you know what to expect from tender specifications, you can begin to prepare your bid proposals.

Want to improve your win rate? – Enter Hudson Succeed

Understanding tender specifications is one thing but knowing how to respond to them can be tricky. Why not consider a professional bid writer to help you with your response? By outsourcing to professionals, you could improve your chances of winning contracts.

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. We’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit the bid on your behalf.

Tender Mentor

Tender Ready

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Need help with searching for tenders?

There’s no shortage of websites offering multi-sector tendering opportunities and leads.

Ideally, you should be searching for a sector-specific site that posts all unique, public and private sector opportunities.

Our sister company, Hudson Discover, has 11 sector-specific tendering portals. One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

You’ll also get an email alert when new and relevant tenders are uploaded to your sector.

A subscription to one of our industry-specific portals will include:

Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See all the opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised, and easily accessible.
A daily email bulletin. When you sign up to a portal, you’ll receive an email alert when new tenders are uploaded.
A free 20-minute phone consultation with a Bid Writer. Our expert Bid Consultants will chat with you about anything tender related.

What opportunities can I expect from a tender search on a Hudson Discover portal?

Hudson Discover hosts all kinds of tenders in both the public and private sectors. These are inclusive of, but aren’t limited to:

Open tenders
Restricted procedure tenders
Competitive dialogues
Negotiated tendering procedures
Innovation partnerships
Single supplier contracts
Framework agreements
Dynamic Purchasing Systems.

Discover Elite

Vocal

Our support doesn’t end there! Our creative content agency, Vocal, are on hand to help.

The Vocal Team are not afraid to stand up and be heard. And we make sure our clients aren’t either! From small, micro-businesses to large organisations, we are vocal about the things that make your business unique.

Our creative service is dedicated to growing your business through striking and thought-provoking content. We’ll take your bid and give it a complete makeover. With professionally designed tender documents, you’re sure to make an impression on the buyer!

Our team specialise in six areas, including:

If you’d like to know more about what we can do for your business, introduce yourself to the team!

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

The post What to expect from tender specifications appeared first on Tender Consultants.

8 Tips for Submitting Electronic Tenders

John Hudson — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 09:40:38 +0000

Electronic tenders: 8 tips from bid writing experts

Electronic tenders have become standard practice in the procurement industry, with more buyers adopting online processes.

It is not only buyers who yield benefits from this technology, but suppliers too. This online process presents easier access to tendering opportunities and a clear, structured procedure to follow. Here we run through the e-tendering process, along with some core benefits for suppliers.

The digital transformation towards electronic tendering

As technology continues to evolve, e-tendering processes now dominate the procurement industry. With this move to online processes, the question is no longer “is e-tendering right for my company?”. Suppliers must now adapt to the digital transformation of procurement.

Software solutions are now no longer exclusive to larger, more resourceful companies. Small to Medium Enterprises are now able to access these electronic procurement solutions and reap its benefits. This transformation typically aims towards goals such as cost savings, greater efficiency, and improved strategic and competitive decision-making.

Like all digital transformations, electronic tendering also has its share of advantages and disadvantages. Despite its cons, it is rapidly taking over paper-based solutions. It is important for suppliers to not only understand the benefits this yields, but how to successfully navigate them.

The e-tendering platform

There are a number of online portals that are used for submitting your tender online. These portals provide a secure online platform that improve the speed and efficiency of submissions. Such portals include but are not limited to: ProContract (Proactis), YORtender, DELTA eSourcing, and Oracle iSupplier.

Once you are registered on one of these portals, there are multiple utilities at your disposal. You can:

Express interest in opportunities
Complete and submit a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ)
Complete and submit a tender proposal
Access the tender documents, such as the buyer’s specification
Ask the buyer clarification questions
Receive notifications of any changes to the tender requirements
Upload any appendices to support your bid.

What are the key advantages for suppliers?

The electronic tendering process provides a structured approach to submitting bids. While each portal may have different formats, they often abide by a sequential process. For example, when taking you through the tendering process you will often be required to complete parts before moving on. This mitigates the potential for error, such as accidentally missing out important parts of the proposal.

Depending on the tender portal used, there are also the following structural benefits:

Formatted text fields

Not all online portals require you to submit your bid in the form of Word documents. Portals such as ProActis provide text boxes for question responses. This removes the burden of formatting from the supplier, putting all of the focus onto the content. This also means that no bidder can be at an advantage due to unique formatting or design.

Clarifications and post-clarifications

Electronic tendering systems have processes in place to allow both buyers and suppliers to seek clarification from each other. If a requirement in the specification is unclear, the buyer would be able to clarify this in a timely manner. Buyers often get in touch with suppliers for clarifications post-submission. This reduces the chances of the submission quality being marked down automatically due to error. Additionally, all communications are within a clear, legally binding trail.

Easy-to-use interface

While the online procurement process can take some time to adjust to, most interfaces are user-friendly. This greatly simplifies the submission and information acquisition process for suppliers. Not only is the paper-based alternative more costly, but it is also more tedious in general. Using this interface, it is also easier to manage documents for submissions and make edits where necessary. This is something that would be far more tedious with the paper-based option!

Fool-proofing

As touched upon previously, the e-tendering process is usually fool-proofed to reduce error. This is achieved by dividing the proposal up into mandatory sections, requiring you to complete each section. Using an e-tendering portal also means that it is much easier to pick up where you left off. This is typically done with a completion tracker or visual cues indicating which fields still require responses.

8 tips for submitting electronic tenders

Electronic tendering improves access to opportunities with a structured format. However, it is still worth noting these e-tendering tips:

Don’t wait too long to submit clarifications

There is typically a deadline for submitting clarifications to the buyer before the official submission deadline. By getting your clarifications resolved early, the sooner you can submit your bid. You should aim to be clear about which part of the tender you are referring to. Taking too long to seek clarifications also means there is less time to make the amendments in question. It would be ideal to get these sooner rather than later.

Try not to submit your tender at the last minute

Leaving the submission of your bid to the last minute can run you into problems. If there is something wrong with the portal or the submission, you may not have time to resolve this. It is always good to submit the tender a decent length of time before the deadline. When it comes to the submission, if you do run into problems, it is important to evidence this. This can be done in the form of screenshots relayed to the buyer or portal administrator. It might also be worth submitting different parts of the tender when they are completed – instead of in one go.

Don’t forget your login details

While it may be obvious, losing access to your account can cause you to miss looming deadlines. Some electronic tendering systems will put a lock on your account after too many incorrect attempts. If you anticipate going on leave, it would also be worth passing these details over to colleagues. Losing access to your portal account would also mean any opportunities curated need to be found again. Avoid the unnecessary stress by keeping your login details handy!

Monitor your system notifications

Online portals will send you system notifications for various reasons. You will receive notifications when clarifications are responded to, or the buyer has relayed an update. You will also receive responses to clarifications made by other bidders for fairness reasons. It is important to keep on top of these so you don’t miss any crucial information. If you miss a notification about amendments to specification criteria, you may then be at risk of rejection.

Check grammar before you submit

Consider drafting your responses up in MS Word before pasting them into the text boxes. This yields the advantage of a visible word count, and a spellchecker. This will also ensure you have access to your proposal drafts should a problem occur with the portal. Have a look at our Tender VLE video for information on the editing process and proofreading tips!

Be careful of timeouts

Most electronic tendering systems have an automatic timeout system. This logs the user out after a period of inactivity (typically 10-20 minutes). While many portals have an auto-save feature, you should ensure your progress is saved before leaving it for this long.

Double-check portal submissions

Before you click that “submit response” button, it is definitely worth checking over your response to ensure accuracy. It may also be worth handing over to another team member to check over with a fresh pair of eyes. This reduces the chances of something being missed or completed incorrectly. Take note of the submission requirements in line with the documents you have attached. If something is out of line with the specified requirements, this can result in automatic rejection.

Opt-in to notifications for relevant opportunities

Many online tender portals boast a feature that automatically presents you with opportunities in your industry of choice. This is typically based on inaccurate CPV codes, and it is not always sector-specific. If you’d like more help finding tenders that are right for you, get in touch with the Hudson Discover Team.

Developing technologies in e-tendering

At Hudson Outsourcing, our goal is to help every business we engage with grow. We aim to propagate this by using innovative procurement technologies and smarter methods of working.

Currently in development is our Procure Smart software. This is a prospective technology and compliance solution that uses Artificial Intelligence to bolster procurement efficiency. Procure Smart will use this AI to not only improve the procurement process, but keep in adherence with regulations. The end-goal is to equalise the procurement process and make it more accessible for both suppliers and commissioners.

Need help with electronic tendering?

Many of the mentioned tender portals can be difficult to understand at first. It can take some time to get used navigating them comfortably without detrimental mistakes.

For help and support with the electronic tendering process and writing persuasive bids, contact our Bid Writers at Hudson Succeed.

We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – they can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

Tender Writing

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. They’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Mentor

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. The Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.

Tender Ready

During the Tender Ready service, our team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, we will review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. This service also helps businesses who are new to tendering with terminology and industry knowledge.

Tender Improvement

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

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