Here, Winning Tenders’ Bid Writer, Blaire Pretorius, talks you through the answers to some of the questions which our clients frequently ask us…

With increasing competition in the market place, it goes without saying – your bid needs to stand out. However, writing a creative bid response that stands out, whilst remaining compliant can be a challenge. From your response, you want to build a story whereby the buyer can understand who you are, what you have to offer and what makes you different from your competition – all whilst answering their core questions.

So what does a creative bid response look like and how can you stand out in your next bid? Here are the answers to our most frequently asked questions:

1. What is the best way to stand out in your bid response?

One of the best ways to help your business stand out in your bid is to have a well-planned response. A buyer can often detect which bidders have taken the time to plan out their response, over those that have rushed. The earlier you can start planning your response, the more time you will have and the more prepared you will be. Working backwards from the submission deadline, set realistic timescales and a progress checklist to assist you in staying on track. Prepare everything that you will need well in advance and make sure you review the ITT and tender documents, capturing all the important information and buyer requirements. 

2. Can I amend the bid response document, to be more creative?

A creative bid response can look very different depending on the industry sector. Whilst there are times where bidders are presented with a more open-ended bid format and given the freedom to edit the physical layout and design of their response, for the majority of tenders, buyers will have a set response format that needs to be strictly followed. Whilst there are many other areas where you can be creative in your response, amending the original bid response documents is not always advisable. Be sure to review the ITT instructions, submitting a clarification question to the buyer confirming what amendments are acceptable before going ahead.

3. With all bidders answering the same questions, won’t we all sound the same?

There are a number of ways to put together a bid response that is unique and that stands out. A bid response needs to demonstrate your full understanding of the buyer’s requirements, pain-points, vision and objectives. Doing as much research as you can on the buyer, will show how well you know and understand what they are looking for and by closely evaluating your competition you can demonstrate what makes you different and how you can personally add value to their business. Tailoring your case studies and testimonials, is another creative way of personalising your response and demonstrates your capabilities and alignment to the buyer’s individual values. Building trust in what you are proposing to deliver is important. Look at ways to demonstrate your experience and evidence this within your response.  

To conclude, we always advise our clients that you don’t need to have a fully designed bid, together with immaculate, professionally-designed illustrations and charts, but you definitely need to think creatively and write with some thought to allow you to stand out from the crowd. Our clients don’t always have the time or inclination to do this themselves, which is why they used to lose their bids.

Which is where we came in…. and then they started winning.

Winning Tenders writes creative bids for almost any sector and can help and advise you on any aspect of public sector tenders and the tendering process. Call us on 01392 247997 or email info@winningtenders.com if you would like to know more or would just like a chat about how supplying the public sector might be a good thing for your business.