Your document is terrific! The pages are beautifully printed and bound, and three copies are delivered to the client by the due date as required. Only trouble is, tenders closed at 11am, your documents arrived at 4pm – and your bid is rejected before it even reached the evaluator’s desk.
Don’t be a tender writer until you have key information on hand
Every request for tender or proposal has a unique set of requirements, but there are questions common to all that you need to get right at the start of the process to help your team build up a clear picture of what they need to do.
What tender writers should know from the outset:
- The tender’s name and reference number
- Who is the client, and where are they located?
- The description and scope of the works or project
- The name(s) and contact details of the client’s representative
- The name(s) of the person to address queries – can you phone them or do you have to email? Is there a close-off date for questions?
- Do we have to register interest before a certain date? What is the commencement date and required completion date of the project?
- When is the tender response due? Date and time? Address?
- Do you need to submit the response in electronic or hard copy form, and how many copies?
- Is there a word or page limit? Search carefully for this as it is not always where you might expect it to be.
- Any special format requirements such as fonts, type size, spacing, etc?
- Is there an on-site inspection? When is it? Do you have to register for it? Is it compulsory?
- Are there special requirements that are a prerequisite to winning the tender e.g. qualifications of key personnel, or ISO compliance?