Standing Out From The Competition
When we talk about 'standing out', quite often you think purely about bid design. However, this is only part of the solution...
It is also important to note that when we refer to 'tender document', we mean the tender response document, your bid submission or business proposals.
Getting that Tender Document to Shine
To make your tender response truly stand out from the competition, start by reviewing the tender pack in full and understand the buyer's exact requirements, priorities, and evaluation criteria. Use this knowledge to tailor your bid to the specification, weightings and scoring criteria, addressing each point comprehensively.
Next, ensure full compliance with the tender requirements by providing all requested information in the correct format. Go beyond just meeting the minimum standards - demonstrate additional research and value-add by proposing innovative solutions, offering extra services, or committing to deliver social value.
When it comes to presenting your response, use a clear, professional design and layout that is easy to navigate. Employ formatting techniques like headings, bullet points, and visuals to break up text and provide easy-to-read, compelling responses. A logical structure will help evaluators quickly find key information.
Demonstrate your company's relevant skills, capacity, equipment, and resources, highlighting how these align with the project requirements. Include clear plans with timelines, metrics and social value commitments to demonstrate your well-thought-out approach. Reinforce your capability by providing strong evidence and examples of past successful delivery of similar projects.
Finally, proofread meticulously to eliminate any errors that could undermine your credibility. Consider how your tender looks compared to likely competitors - aim to set yours apart through superior content, presentation, and demonstrable added value.
Standout from the Tendering Competition Checklist
Here's a checklist that can be used as a bid writing tool to support this approach:
| Step | Action | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Review tender documents to understand requirements, priorities, and evaluation criteria | |
| 2 | Tailor bid to specification, weightings, and scoring criteria | |
| 3 | Ensure full compliance with tender requirements | |
| 4 | Demonstrate additional research and value-add | |
| 5 | Use clear, professional design and layout | |
| 6 | Provide easy-to-read, compelling responses | |
| 7 | Evidence relevant skills, capacity, equipment, and resources | |
| 8 | Include clear plans with timelines, metrics, and social value commitments | |
| 9 | Provide strong examples of past successful delivery | |
| 10 | Proofread to eliminate errors | |
| 11 | Compare tender to likely competitors and ensure it stands out |
By following this comprehensive approach and using the checklist, your tender will evidence your professionalism, capability, and commitment to delivering an exceptional solution - all key factors in making your bid and tender document the standout choice for the buyer.
You may also be interested in how you can use tender feedback to calculate your competitors' pricing! Or why not take a look at our Bid Writing Ultimate Guide.
