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What is a tender proposal?
A tender proposal is the step in the tendering process where you put forward your case and bid to try and gain the contract.
Public tenders and the tendering process is a system in which public sector organizations who require goods, services or works advertise their needs for any company to bid on to win the contract. They are used to ensure that there is transparency in the procurement of goods, services and works, as it ensures that every company is given a fair chance to compete for the work available.
A key part of the tendering process is the need to submit a proposal and a bid. Bid management is done through a bid consultant and often requires the help of tender writing services in order to maximize the chances of winning the bid.
A tender proposal is made after the contract notice is advertised and the companies interested in the job have to write up a proposal to send to those advertising the job. It is important to write a good tender bid proposal in order to increase your chances of winning a successful tender. However, writing a tender document and proposal is not always easy as the process itself can be quite daunting.
Everything you need to know about calls for tender
What should be included in a tender document?
What should be included in a tender document depends on the type of document you are creating. Below are the most common types of tender proposal documents and examples of tender submissions formats and what should be included in each one.
Select Questionnaire or a Pre Qualification Questionnaire
This kind of question has three straightforward sections that should be included. The first section included in these kinds of tender documents is a short questionnaire that asks for your company’s information. The second section wants to know your financial situation and the final section wants you to prove three previous contract examples.
Invitation to tender
The second kind of tendering document is in the form of an invitation to tender. Invitations to tender usually fall into two categories, one is more structured, the other has more freedom to its format. A pre-designed buyer document has clearly defined questions and areas for response, whereas free format proposals have a free format.
Request for proposal
Requests for proposals have a free format, meaning you have more freedom over what you include in your proposal. These are often used in creative industries.
Tips for writing a successful tender response
Regardless of the format of the proposal, it is integral that the content and the way in which you construct and write the proposal is professional and impressive. It can often be difficult to know how to do this, so here are some expert tips to help you write a tender proposal.
1. Use the proposal template
In most cases, when a contract opportunity is posted, it will be done with a template. It is always recommended that you use the template that is presented to you as it is the way in which the original poster wants your bid and information to be portrayed.
There are often specifications to these templates that you need to adhere to. For example, you might have a word or page limit, have specific sections that you need to fill out and might be asked to submit certain aspects in certain formats, such as a PDF document as opposed to a word document.
Following and adhering to the template will ensure your proposal is taken more seriously. It is easier for those assessing the proposal to do so if your proposal is in a format that they can easily search through.
2. Read the document
This should be a given, but it can be easy to jump into the tender proposal writing process without properly reading the document first as you just want to get it done and showcase what you have to offer. However, if you do not thoroughly read the document first, you will likely miss things out.
Before you start writing your proposal, you need to make sure that you fully understand what the company is asking for and are aware of all the specifications necessary. You might not even qualify to send in a bid, which means submitting a proposal could be a waste of your time.
3. Writing skills
Good writing skills are integral if you want your tender proposal to be taken seriously. Poor writing looks unprofessional. This is the first impression the company will have of your business, and if they are presented with a poorly written proposal amongst perfectly written proposals, it very well might be the thing that prevents you from getting it. Poor grammar and spelling will convey the idea that your business does not prioritize a high quality finish and is careless in its execution.
4. Provide all necessary details
It is integral that you provide all the details that you are being asked for as forgetting something might just cost you the contract. There is a long list of things that you might need to include in your proposal, from company proposals, to price range, to taxes and insurances.
If you are unable to provide the exact information they require, you should still include something in the space provided. Make sure you include information that is as close as possible to what they are asking from you and explain why you cannot give them the exact information they are requesting.
5. Be clear
Although it has been made clear that writing skills are extremely important, it is equally important not to go overboard. Using language that is too over the top and difficult to understand can cause the services you are trying to sell to get convoluted in the grand scheme of your proposal.
In addition to being clear with your language, you should also be clear with your structure. Set the tender proposal out in a logical way that is easy to follow and ensure that it flows well. You must have a well-structured overall proposal, but the most important thing is to have a strong opening and closing summary to sell yourself and your services.
6. Make good referee choices
Referees are more important than many people realize, which means that choosing the right referees to vouch for your business is integral. You want to hand pick referees that hold your business and services in high esteem and know you well.
It is also important to ensure your referees know that you are putting them down as referees and that they are comfortable with it. It is also a good idea to make sure they know what you are bidding for so that they can specify and tailor their comments to what is needed.
How to win tenders with the right pricing strategy
Find public tenders
Public tenders are a brilliant opportunity for companies because they can provide a constant stream of work. Most tender contracts actually last at least three years. Therefore, looking for tenders should be something that you are interested in.
Whilst there are websites that allow you to search for tenders, they are often difficult to navigate. Moreover, there are tenders in a multitude of different sectors, meaning finding ones that are specific to your business can be difficult.
Thankfully, with Aloha Tenders, you can browse public sector procurement opportunities which are specific to your sector. Our huge database will allow you to see relevant public tenders in both the American and Canadian markets. Moreover, if you do not have the time to search for tenders yourself, you will receive daily emails that give you a recap of tenders that you might be interested in.
If you are looking for an innovative and dynamic way to find tenders, Aloha Tenders is the solution you’ve been waiting for! You can test out our platform with a free trial which offers you three months of free use.