Tender Failed? Tender Writing Not Working?
You’ve spotted the right opportunity. You’ve worked hard to get your bid in. But then comes the all-too-familiar result: unfortunately, you’ve not been successful on this occasion.
It’s frustrating, but you’re not alone. We see it all the time. Businesses spend hours (and a lot of energy) pulling together a bid, only to find out it didn’t quite hit the mark.
So, what’s going wrong?
At Thornton & Lowe, we support hundreds of organisations with tender writing, from occasional bid help to full bid outsourcing. And we’ve seen the same pitfalls catch people out again and again. Our consultancy services extend well beyond this - acting as a key tool for growth for many businesses across the UK.
Here are six of the most common reasons tenders fail and what you can do about them.
1. You Don’t Know the Buyer
This one is a biggie.
If you’re bidding for work from a buyer you’ve never spoken to, never worked with, and know very little about, then it’s going to be hard to stand out. You might still tick all the boxes, but you won’t have built that all-important trust.
Engaging with buyers before a tender is advertised, through events, sector networking, traditional sales and marketing, or even by offering training, can make all the difference. It shows you're proactive, visible, and genuinely interested in their work. You may even get the chance to work on smaller projects with them beforehand, which gives you insight and credibility when the larger opportunity comes out.
2. You Haven’t Done Your Homework
Do you know who the incumbent is? What they’re doing well, or not so well?
Using a tool like Tender Pipeline can help you find out who currently holds the contract and whether it’s up for renewal. It’s a great way to understand the competitive landscape, spot opportunities early and avoid going in blind.
It’s also worth considering whether you can realistically compete.
Look at the questions, weightings and evaluation criteria. If 80% of the score is based on quality, but you haven’t got strong case studies or experience in that area, then you may need to think again, or invest in developing that evidence now for next time.
3. Your Responses Are Too Generic
If you’re copying and pasting from old bids, the buyer will spot it.
Tenders need to be tailored. That means using the buyer’s name, referencing their priorities, and giving examples that reflect their needs, not just what you’ve done elsewhere. This is where strong tender writing services come into play. A good writer will shape your answers to each opportunity, drawing out the detail that sets you apart.
You don’t need to be flashy, but you do need to be relevant.
If you need help building strong, tailored responses, take a look at our bid writing services.
4. You Haven’t Got the Right Resources
Bidding takes time. It also takes the right expertise.
Before going ahead, ask yourself if you have the capacity to do this properly. Have you got someone who understands how to write a compelling response? Have you prepared strong case studies that show you’ve done similar work before, ideally in the same area?
Being able to demonstrate you’re low risk, you understand the local context, and you’ve delivered similar results elsewhere gives the buyer confidence. That’s a big part of successful bid writing help, and it’s something we cover in our bid mentor service, working alongside your team to build a stronger bid.
5. You’re Not Writing to Score
You might answer the question, but are you writing to score?
There’s a big difference.
Great tender writing breaks down the evaluation criteria, considers the weightings, and makes sure every point is fully addressed. It’s not just about ticking boxes, it’s about hitting the top marks on each one. If 10 marks are available, you want to be aiming for all 10.
If you're not sure how to break down questions like this, our bid writing training hub can help you build the skills in-house.
6. You Didn’t Learn from Last Time
A lot of businesses don’t make the most of the feedback they receive. It might be vague, or you might not agree with it, but there’s usually something in there worth paying attention to.
Taking that feedback, comparing your previous bids to successful ones, and making real changes can have a huge impact.
We’ve worked with clients who thought they were doing everything right until we reviewed one of their old submissions together. A few tweaks, stronger evidence, and clearer messaging helped them move from average scores to winning bids.
You can see what some of them had to say on our testimonials page.
Speak with a bid writing expert today
Talk to usHow Thornton & Lowe Can Help
If you're reading this and recognising a few of the challenges, you're not alone - and you don’t have to fix them on your own either.
At Thornton & Lowe, we provide full tender writing services as well as flexible support for businesses of all sizes. That could be hands-on bid writing, one-to-one mentoring, in-house training, or helping you plan and deliver a clear bid strategy across your organisation.
Whether you need help preparing key case studies, improving your bid content, or simply making sure you're not missing anything, we’re here to support you. We’ll work with you to build your tender writing capacity and create a long-term bidding approach that works.
But we don’t just offer consultancy. Some for free! Some for £300 per annum and the full lot for £2750 per annum!!!
We also offer technology to make bidding easier. Tender Pipeline helps you monitor live opportunities across the UK, while Tender Library is our AI-powered bid management software. It helps you store, reuse and write high-quality content using AI-assisted tender writing tools, and even helps with bid evaluation and reviews.
Together, we can help you build a full bid strategy that doesn’t just improve your win rate - it becomes part of your wider business development plan and growth model.
Ready to Start Winning More Work?
If you're tired of chasing tenders without results, now’s the time to rethink your approach.
Whether you’re after expert bid writing help, tailored training, or a smarter way to find and manage tender opportunities, we’ll work with you to build something that works. No overcomplicating it - just clear, professional support focused on helping you win more work.
Get in touch today and let’s talk about how we can support your next bid and your long-term strategy.
