Tender writing is a very distinct form of writing, and differs in certain important aspects to writing proposals. Specialists in tender writing support services can help by ensuring that tender responses are written and pitched in the right way.
Ticking the Boxes
Whereas proposal writing is primarily an exercise in persuasive writing, tender writing is more an exercise in ticking all the boxes. Writing persuasively is still vital, but it needs to be done in such a way as not to obscure a demonstration of compliance with the tender requirements – or ensuring that all the boxes are ticked. This is because the object of the exercise with a tender response is to get through to the next stage of the tender process. Tenders are marked on a scoresheet basis, so to get through to the next stage you need to score more than your competitors. The way to do this is to ensure that you demonstrate compliance with all aspects of the requirements. Hence the box ticking aspect of the task.
Demonstrating Compliance
The marking system is usually made known to all tendering companies. It will be graded – poor answers receive low scores, good answers, with lots of supporting evidence, score high points. Waffle counts for nothing – and, at worst, may obscure relevant material. Waffle is not just bluster, but may actually be good, but irrelevant material.
So all the tender documentation, and not just the questions, needs to be read very carefully. Furthermore, background research should be done into the tendering organisation. This may reveal insights into what they are looking for, and the type of company with whom they would like to engage. This will help shape answers, and could be instrumental in scoring points.
Specialist Help
Specialists in tender writing support services will be able to help with all of this – and to optimise the response accordingly, giving you the maximum chance of success.