Winning a public sector contract is not as unachievable as you may think. With a good understanding of how the system works and a clear strategy in place, the process can be completed within reasonable timescales, with minimal strain on resources.
Using my experience of evaluating tender responses, I have put together a quick checklist of dos and don’ts to help you navigate the tender process. Good luck!
Do
- Complete the tender in full and do exactly what is asked of you
- Complete the tender in a particular format, if asked to do so
- Contact the buyer if you are unclear of any aspects of the tender
- Be creative – work out your USP and make your response relevant to the requirement
- Price at a point that is sustainable for your business
- Submit your tender 24 hours prior to the deadline
Hire a consultant to help you complete your bid if you do not have the time/experience (Bidbetter are a local company specialising in winning public sector tenders)
Don’t
- Go for contracts that you cannot fulfill
- Confuse the Selection Questionnaire (SQ) and invitation to tender (ITT) phases. The SQ is about selection criteria and shortlisting. The focus is backward-looking, so you need to demonstrate your credentials as a company before getting the chance to bid. The ITT is forward-looking and focuses on how you will seek to perform the contract
- Ignore the word count or fail to fill in any part of the tender document
- Submit stock corporate sales material and standard copy
- Include bold statements that cannot be backed up with evidence
- Introduce inappropriate or ill-prepared people. If you are invited to undertake or receive a presentation, your representatives should be well versed in the requirement and in your company, be presentable and affable
- Submit your tender late, even by a minute
- Forget to inform your nominated referees, as this gives a poor impression and you may even end up with a bad reference.
Philip Norman is founder and MD of Bidbetter, a local business which wins public sector contracts for large and small businesses (with an extremely high success rate winning places on framework agreements). He was previously a CIPS-qualified public procurement professional. For public sector bidding advice, visit bid-better.co.uk