How to Write a Bid
So, you need to know how to write a bid. An opportunity has arisen and now it's time to shine! But where to start when bidding and tendering for contracts?
You know you can deliver your service. You know you can price the tender competitively. The only thing is, you don’t really know is where to start when writing a bid. This can be a common problem and businesses can often get overwhelmed when it comes to approaching how to write a bid, or bid writing.
What is a Bid?
A bid is a formal proposal to provide goods or services. It includes details on how you'll meet the client's needs, your qualifications and costs. Bids are submitted in response to a tender or an Invitation to Tender (ITT) from an organisation looking to purchase goods or services.
How To Write A Bid
This article provides further detail, however, to write a bid you must:
- Understand Requirements - Read tender documents carefully.
- Plan Your Bid - Highlight key points and benefits.
- Gather Info - Collect project examples, team details, and pricing.
- Write Clearly - Answer requirements simply and concisely.
- Review - Check for errors and completeness.
- Submit On Time - Follow guidelines and meet the deadline.
Can I write a bid myself?
Yes you can write your bid, or ITT response, yourself. The challenge is knowing what a good bid looks like, understanding how it will be evaluated and the quality of the responses of your competition.
As writing a bid will largely be for a competitive tendering exercise you need to ensure you respond to the tender better than anyone else. Large companies will employ bid writing teams and have developed their bid management expertise over years.
Many small and medium businesses still need to complete when it comes to writing a bid, so due to a lack of expertise, bid writing capacity and experience, they will often outsource it to bid consultancy.
If you would prefer to write a bid yourself you may also consider our wider support options, such as:
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Contact usHow To Structure A Bid
To execute a successful written bid, you first need to prepare and plan accordingly. Writing a stellar bid doesn’t happen overnight.
Every tender response needs to be uniquely catered to the tender document in question. You must analyse the tender document carefully and confirm that your business is the right fit. If your business cannot fulfil the needs within the tender, bidding may not be the right move for you.
To decipher whether your business is suited to the request, you must list the requirements of the job and decide if you can confidently meet them.
- Do you have previous experience in delivering similar services?
- Are you an expert in the field?
- Does your business have the sufficient resources?
These are some questions you will need to think about as well as timing, costs, ROI and any risks.
You should spend a good amount of time gathering as much information on the buyer as you can. Understanding the buyer, and having a solid profile of them, will allow you to cater your bid to their specific needs.
You will also need to prepare your staff.
- Are certain people going to write certain sections?
- How much time do you need to set aside to complete the document?
Organisation is key and critical to bid writing success.
Bid Writing For Your Audience
Knowing your audience is vital when it comes to writing persuasively. Bid writing should, in no way, be a copy and paste job.
In order to increase your chances of winning, conduct in depth research into the buyer and see how you can structure your answers in a way that will connect with them. Put yourself into the buyer’s shoes.
Who are the decision makers in the company and can you get a better understanding of how they make their decisions?
Understand the perspective of the buyer and the problems that they currently face, then convince them that you have the right solution to their problem.
Does the buyer have financial concerns? Are they risk-averse? Do they want strong creative control over the project?
Ask yourself these types of questions before you begin writing and then cater your bid around the answers you come up with. The further you delve into the mindset of the buyer, the higher your chances of writing a bid that will evoke a response from them.
Writing A Winning Tender
Number one - everyone wants to be there. Outperforming the competition when tendering is no easy task. But, you can increase your chances of coming out on top by exercising your persuasiveness.
Ultimately, the goal of the bid is to persuade the buyer that your company is the best option to fulfil their needs and offer you the contract.
Writing in depth about every detail of your company is great but if you don’t clearly demonstrate why your company will deliver better results than the rest then you simply aren’t going to win.
A great way to backup your winning statement is to provide evidence. Give examples of your previous success and showcase how you have delivered similar results in the past.
By focusing on preparation, structure, understanding your audience and showcasing your talent, you will be on the right path towards winning bids!
For more information on how to write a bid, check out our bid writing guide!
Speak to a bid writing expert today
Contact usStoryboards and Win Themes
Storyboarding is a crucial technique in writing a bid that helps you plan and organise your content effectively. By breaking down the bid into manageable sections, you can ensure that all necessary information is included and presented logically. This method involves creating a visual outline or 'storyboard' of your bid, detailing each section's key points and how they connect. This approach helps in maintaining a clear structure and flow, making it easier for evaluators to follow and understand your proposal. Storyboarding also allows you to spot any gaps in your content early on, ensuring that your bid is comprehensive and convincing.
Win themes are another important element of successful bid writing. These are the main messages that set your proposal apart from the competition and highlight why your organisation is the best choice. Win themes should be woven throughout your bid, emphasising your unique strengths and benefits. They should address the client's key needs and concerns, showing how your solution meets their requirements better than others. Effective win themes resonate with the client and create a compelling narrative that persuades them to choose your bid.
By combining storyboarding and win themes, you can create a well-structured, persuasive bid that clearly communicates your value. This integrated approach ensures that your bid is not only logically organised but also strategically focused on winning the client's favour.
