Tender Proposals - Tips and Tricks

Winning a tender contract can make and break businesses - especially small business and companies that rely on the regular and ongoing work.  Sometimes competing with larger multinational companies can be scary, especially when they often have people employed for the specific purpose of winning contracts.  As a small business it is the little things that help you win contracts.To make sure your company is noticed it is vital that a professional, accurate and specific tender is submitted to ensure you are assessed suitably.   Here are 3 common mistakes to avoid when preparing your submissions:

1. Be specific - If the tender asks for a specific format, or template - follow it!  I can stress enough how important it is to write your submission to the specific tender.  Too often I have seen companies submit a generic response to a tender.  There is few times this will result in success - follow the guidelines, ask questions and answer all criteria.
2. Abide by the time lines - Time lines are in place for a reason, and with government contracts, usually legislated and highly regulated.  Not only is it important to meet the time lines to ensure your submission is considered - it looks unprofessional if you cannot submit a tender proposal on time.  The reflection on your company for being late is poor, and more often than not will be remembered by the tender panel for all the wrong reasons. 
3. Tailor your submission - Generally the tender evaluation process has specific criteria to assess all tenders against to ensure fairness, comparability and an equatable process.  Answer all sections, provide all copies of documentations and specifically address price criteria.  Provide examples of similar work, not just your whole portfolio, examples need to be comparable.   If a tender asks for a specific fee breakdown address this specifically - do not just provide a general price list.  Even if your prices are not different to general rates, provide the rates in format/template that is requested. 

Tender submissions are not designed to be easy to win - they take time, commitment and dedication, however the rewards the reap often outweigh the effort.  As with most parts of business the effort you put in is reflected in the results.