As a prerequisite you must firstly be able to provide the product or service for which tenders are invited and, secondly, be able to provide this competitively. It sounds obvious, but many tenders have been lost by companies who haven’t had a demonstrable track record. These are absolute essentials.
Over and above these you need to be able to offer full compliance with the requirements of the tender on offer – including all policies, procedures, accounts, insurance, certification and so on. You also need to have the basics in place from which you can create compelling method statements on all aspects of how you will deliver the requirement.
Once you are satisfied that all the above are in place you are in good shape to work on how to tender contracts. Once you have identified a good opportunity and embarked on the tendering process (for more on the tendering process click here) there are certain aspects of good practice that should be observed. Always work to a defined plan, describing who is responsible for doing what and by when. Above all answer the questions that have been posed. in order to score maximum points with responses to these questions, which are vital for tender success, always;
- read the question carefully
- answer exactly what is asked
- check the rest of the tender documentation for relevant information which may help you shape your response
- re-read the question
- check your answer
Once you are happy that you have provided the best possible answers to all questions, submit your tender.
Always ask for feedback. If you have failed you will want to know why. Perhaps even more importantly, if you have succeeded you should want to know how. This way you are establishing a solid base for yourself in how to tender for contracts – successfully.