Request for Tender: Loving care Wednesday, 10 February 2016

A Request for Tender can inspire a sense of excitement and opportunity. Large amounts of money are potentially at stake. Your organisation’s reputation and your own are on the line. This could potentially be the best project of your life…so how do you submit the winning tender?

Here are 8 tips to help you:

1.    Do your research

In addition to what you think you already know, go further than the obligatory trawling of the organisation’s website: make sure your research is thorough. Seek other people’s opinions of the organisation. Search industry and competitor’s publications to identify gaps or weak spots.

“As an engineer, your expertise is your main competitive differentiator,” says bid and tender expert Robyn Haydon, author of The Shredder Test: a step-by-step guide to writing winning proposals. Robyn is the facilitator of EEA’s Master Class in Persuasive Tender & Proposal Writing. “So don’t just regurgitate the tender brief. Show insights into the customer’s problem that will exceed their expectations, and position you as the clear winner.”

2.    Follow the brief – and keep it brief

It is surprising the number of documents that are submitted without due attention to detail. Read what is asked for and provide that information in the most succinct way possible. Do not be afraid to use bullet points or tables to summarise information.

3.    Use images

Sometimes a picture really does say a thousand words. Ensure you have permission to use any images included and provide an informative caption. Ensure pictures are saved at an appropriate size if you are submitting tenders online.

4.    Use appropriate language

As a professional, you already know what acceptable business language to use in your organisation. However, you are writing a tender document for an external organisation. Bear in mind that the person reading your submission may not be as qualified in your area of expertise – hence their need for your services.

In her book The Shredder Test, Haydon says: “People rarely like to admit they don’t know what something means. So to avoid the risk that an evaluator may miss an important point, use technical terminology sparingly, and always include a definition for non-technical readers.  This won’t upset the technical people (they understand it anyway) but will be appreciated by those who don’t have your knowledge.”

5.    Show the love

Let your passion for your work show through. Use words and images that convey a positive feeling rather than using bland business jargon. You want your bid to stand out so portray yourself, your team and your organisation as enthusiastic and caring about the work you do.

6.    Use your time wisely

Some in the industry will say that submitting tenders is a numbers game, the more you submit, the more you can win. Haydon says that the opposite is actually true.

“When you’re talking about tenders for complex services like engineering, every response needs energy and enthusiasm to fuel it. And realistically, we only have so much of that to go around. Because of this, responding to tenders is like feeding coins into a slot machine – our chances of winning don’t necessarily get any better as our supply of coins goes down.” Using a methodical approach to bidding – like the one that Haydon demonstrates in her online program, From Chance To Choice – will help you allocate more time to submissions that have high net worth, high strategic value and/or high probability of success.

7.    Ask questions

Don’t be afraid to submit a question or two. If there is a discrepancy in the Request for Tender document or you simply want clarification, ask a question. Many organisations will reply within 24 hours and publish both the question and answer for all potential bidders to see. Ask any questions early enough to make changes to your submission if required.

8.    Be proud

Your response to tender should be something you are proud to submit - and remember to keep a copy of your work. There is always room to improve and refine your work.

Want to learn more? Visit the Engineering Education Australia website for online courses and master classes on contract management and writing for tenders.