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

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:

Contact us to find out how we can help your business SUCCEED!

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:

• Copywriting
• Marketing
• Branding
• Websites
• Design
• Illustration

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:

• How to win a tender
• What is a Bid Writer?
• Writing winning bids
• 7 tips for tendering for contracts
• Tips for bid management
• Bid writing services
• The types of tendering procedures
• Writing bids
• Bid Writing Consultants
• Submitting a tender response