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Winning Government and private contracts are a fantastic way for you to grow your business. First of all, most contracts typically last for a year or two, depending on the product or service you are providing, so it provides your business with certainty of income. Secondly, when you secure a government tender, there is limited credit risk as most government departments have very strong credit ratings. Finally, contracts are often of high value and increase your chances of securing other government contracts.
Here are four tips for small and medium businesses to grow by winning tenders:
1. Sign up for tender alerts.
First of all, and if you haven’t already, it’s important to sign up for tender alerts for your industry. It’s best to do this at all three levels of government. Federal Government, State Government and Local Councils in your area. A simple google search will ensure they come up, and when you register, tender alerts will be sent to your email. If you are looking for private sector tenders, one of the major tender search engines will do the trick, and most of them have free registration for restricted amounts of industries which is usually enough.
2.Submit a compliant response.
Once you identify which tender you want to go for, it’s critical that you submit a compliant response. Review the tender documents in detail and create a checklist of any supporting documentation you need to include.
Where they are asking about conflicts of interest, work health and safety and quality assurance, ensure that you respond to the questions correctly and comprehensively. If there is any ambiguity, don’t be afraid to ask. Procurement teams are highly critical when reviewing tenders for compliance, so it is important that you get past the procurement team by complying with all aspects of the tender to ensure you are considered.
3.Adopt a confident writing style with an active voice.
It’s important to write confidently when completing a tender response and adopt the active voice. That means, boldly declaring that ‘we will deliver’ and that you ‘have extensive experience in delivering ……”. It’s equally important that write confidently.
Detail all of your experience and talk about how it aligns with the requirements of the tender and what they are looking for. Remember, it is critical that you communicate previous experience in detail. When writing about the expertise of your personel, it’s important to write about their history and experience, particularly in servicing similar clients and projects.
4.Use graphics and infographics.
It’s a reality these days that most tenders have clear and consistent graphics. Luckily, you don’t need to engage a graphic designer to complete them, and using common software such as Microsoft Powerpoint can do the trick.
What is important is that your graphics actually convey meaning and that you have a professional cover page and consistent formatting. Think about what pictures support your thoughts. Infographics are also a great way to communicate complex solutions to problems in a simple and effective manner.
Check out www.thetenderteam.com.au for lots of other articles on how to write winning tenders.
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