Mistakes to Avoid When Bidding a Tender

When you want to bid for a tender, there are certain common pitfalls that can scupper your chances of success. In this article, we will take a look at five mistakes that many businesses make throughout the bid-writing process.

Failing to prepare

When writing a bid, it’s not enough to provide a list of everything your company can offer and hope that they read between the lines. Take time out to review the tender documents and understand precisely what is needed. Create a strategy that will allow you to deliver a bid that meets your prospective clients’ expectations. If in doubt, raise any queries about the process as early on as you can.

Not having the right resources or expertise

We’re not talking about the work itself here, but the bid-writing process. Are you going to leave it down to a single individual? If so, does that person have the breadth and depth of knowledge about your company and its processes to create an accurate and effective bid?

Bid-writing is a collaborative affair. Key people from relevant departments should be assigned to the task, ones that know how their part of the business operates and can provide valuable insight into the process. Compiling and writing the bid may well take them away from their day-to-day duties, so you need to be sure they have the support to do so.

Inaccurate pricing

Don’t be afraid to attach a higher price to your bid, so long as you can justify it with your process. While you might think that the lowest bid is most likely to win a particular tender, this is rarely the case. Clients are looking for a good return on investment, but this isn’t always measured in pounds and pence.

You should demonstrate those areas where you offer greater value than your competitors outside of your bottom line. This could include using local workers and suppliers that will boost the local economy, or providing additional professional services that your team are qualified to deliver, rather than outsourcing to another contractor. 

Leaving things too late

We’ve all left work to the last minute from time to time, but it’s not something you can afford to do with a bid. By planning your bid from the very start and assigning the right people to the project, you’ve already given yourself a head start. Appoint a dedicated bid manager, either in-house or from a third-party consultancy. They will then be responsible for all other contributors fulfilling their part of the bidding process.

So, what happens if a deadline is fast approaching, with no end of the process in sight? Honestly, sometimes it can be best to give up on it and try another bid. Better, by far, than submit a half-hearted effort.

Not giving the client what they want

This is perhaps the biggest mistake and it stems from the previous four in this list. Failure to give the buyer what they want leads to more failed bids than anything else. You need to pay attention to what is being asked for, not what you think you can provide. If the tender documents aren’t 100% clear, ask for clarification to avoid ambiguity. Make a point-by-point checklist so you don’t miss anything. Invite an outside consultant to cast a fresh pair of eyes over your bid to ensure there is nothing your have left out.

If you need help avoiding these common mistakes, get in touch with Your Tender Team today on 0116 218 2700. As professional tender writers, we can make the process run much smoother for you and your company.