subject: Producing A Winning Tender Response [print this page] The way you draft your tender response decides whether you win it or not. A well-prepared tender reply will maximise your chances of success. Read on to learn how to produce a winning response that has what it takes to pass the evaluation process.
While publishing tenders, public authorities in the UK have to meet contract regulations, making sure that all bidders are given equal opportunity to compete for the contract. Even the disqualified bidders are mandatorily debriefed about the evaluation, including the reasons why the tenderer was unsuccessful and the relative advantages of the successful tenderer. Following the debriefs, an additional Standstill Period is also required before the announcement of the formal award.
Public sector contracts in the UK are required to be compliant with European Union regulations which set out the procedures to be followed at each stage of the procurement process. The law requires the verification of the suitability of tenderers to be made with transparency. To ensure this, selection criteria is clearly mentioned in the tender bid.
For a successful tender bid, the bidder must demonstrate an understanding of the roles, responsibilities, liabilities and expectations in the supply process. They must put up a framework to provide and maintain quality services for the quoted price. Possible concerns about future maintenance and staffing implications must be taken into account. They must set reasonable targets and performance measures while planning for risk management. They must give details of the team, emphasising strength and highlighting success with similar projects. You also need to show that you have secured access to any necessary equipment required for the contract. You must be aware of the quality assurance standards which affect your industry and comply with these.
Your bid must clearly mention how you bring in value for money in procurement. It must be the optimum combination of whole life cost and quality to meet the projects requirements. You need to make it clear how you are going to provide quality, reliability, good design, safety, timely delivery and maintenance while keeping it within budget.
Use your companys accreditations, such as ISO 9000, as an indication of your commitment to quality. If your firm is not formally accredited, provide evidence that you have other types of quality and training systems in place. You can use any letters of appreciation you may have previously received for the similar projects.
If you need an explanation regarding the points mentioned in the tender advertisement, you can request further information from the authority. Do keep in mind that the presentation of information is as important as the content. Include a covering letter with your response to the procurement bid, summarising your message and explaining the organisation of the documents. Before you submit, check you have signed each page as required.
Place your tender response in a package which does not name your company. Make sure that your franking machine does not print the name of your enterprise and that the courier does not attach a label displaying any such information. You are also advised to never withdraw from any stage of the tendering process without offering a complete written explanation.
Draft your tender response, trying to optimise it for a winning bid. How you resource and prepare your tender response is a crucial factor behind your success.
