If you’re wondering how to respond to public tenders so your bid can stand out from the rest and win you new business, Tracker has all the information you need.
Winning public sector tenders can be difficult, but one of the best things your business can do to set itself apart from the competition is to gain insight into how the public sector marketplace works and what buying authorities care about.
Find out how your business can win more tender opportunities in the public sector in this guide from Tracker.
6 Tips on How to Answer Public Tenders
If you want to improve your chances of winning contracts from public sector organisations, there are a few guidelines you should follow:
1. Ensure you Understand the Tender Process
The public procurement process may seem overwhelming at first, but once you understand the various types of procedures and processes, you will be better equipped to write compelling bids and, ultimately, increase your chances of winning more government contracts.
The tendering process you will need to follow when bidding for public sector tenders will fall into one of these 5 categories:
Open Procedure
Restricted Procedure
Competitive Dialogue
Competitive with Negotiation
Innovation Partnership
The ‘Open’ and ‘Restricted’ procedures are commonly used in the public tendering process, but which one is used will typically be determined by the thresholds set out by the contracting authorities (e.g. central government) and other factors.
2. Engage Early with the Buyer
Engaging with the buyer early on in the tender process gives you a chance to find out what their requirements are and what they value so you can tailor your tender response accordingly тАФ this is key if you want to increase your chances of winning the contract.
It’s important to remember that as a supplier, you do not need to wait for an opportunity to be published to get in touch with a buyer. Early engagement allows you to build a relationship with buyers that are relevant to your industry. By doing this, you can benefit from a pre-tender engagement that may not always be available during the official bidding process. This will enable you to find out about the buyer’s procurement plans and introduce them to your innovative products long before any contract opportunities are formalised.
Through early engagement, you can make more informed and strategic decisions, helping you to identify which business opportunities are worth bidding for. This approach reduces the risk of wasting valuable time and resources on tender opportunities that are not right for you.
3. Attend Events & Network
Start conversations with public sector buyers.
Attending events like Procurex and Meet the Buyer Days will give you an opportunity to meet buyers that are specifically looking for your goods or services. Speaking to public sector buyers face to face as a potential supplier will give you real insight into what their requirements are when reading a tender submission.
You can then use this advice when you are writing your tender response, making sure to include the small but important details that the contracting authority is looking for but may not have mentioned in the tender documentation.
4. Showcase the Added Value You Offer
Sometimes, in trying to follow the tender document and evaluation criteria to a T, you can forget small details that could help you stand out from other suppliers.
Make sure that when you are tendering for public sector contracts, you explain fully how your product or service works. For example, if your business sells furniture, does it also set up the furniture? Do your employees remove and dispose of the packaging carefully? Do you offer a guarantee?
These extra elements may be the reason why your price is more expensive, but by giving the buyer details of all the added advantages your product or service offers, you are differentiating your business from the competition and giving the buyer more reasons to prefer your bid over your competitorsтАЩ.
5. Upgrade Your Tender Responses with Bid Writing Courses
If you want to win public tenders, your business must submit high-quality tender responses that meet the requirements of the tender documents and impress the evaluator. The way you respond to an invitation to tender can play a major role in determining whether your business is awarded those high quality tenders or not.
Some training in procurement will only benefit your business moving forward. Why not try a bid writing course? Understanding where your business is going wrong is the first step to improving your chances of public tender success.
This type of course will help your business write a tender response that will match the contract award criteria and gain a higher score, enabling you to put your best tender forward.
6. Enlist a Bid Consultancy Service
Bid consultancy is another option if you want to improve your bids and make the most of each new contract opportunity.
Having a procurement team on your side that understands the tender process and can offer insight into how your response will be evaluated is invaluable if you want to turn those tender opportunities into new business.
You can have an expert consultant from Tracker visit you onsite to review a wide range of procurement-related data. Once this review is complete, they will deliver a verbal report with suggestions on how your business can better position itself for working with the public sector.
Find out more about our procurement consultancy services and how Tracker can help you business improve its bidding process and win more public tenders.
Win More Public Sector Contracts with Tracker Core
As a Tracker Core customer, you will have onsite access to a Procurement Consultant who will work with you to improve your chances of winning public sector tenders.
Request a guided demo of this service to find out more.
Not a Tracker customer?
Sign up for a free 3-day Tracker trial to see how our tender tools can strengthen your bidding technique and improve your chances of being awarded high-value government contracts.
Read our other procurement guides to learn more about how to create the best response to public sector tenders and other valuable procurement advice that can set your business apart.
With Tracker, you have all the information and procurement solutions you need to find, bid for, and win more public sector tenders.
