Writing a tender response isn’t simply about explaining what your business does. Every question has been included for a reason, and your response needs to give the evaluator the information and evidence they need to award you marks.
You may know that your business can deliver the contract. The challenge is proving it clearly within the buyer’s question, evaluation criteria and word count.
Here are some practical steps to help you write stronger tender responses.
Before you start writing, break the question down.
Look for individual requirements such as:
A long tender question may contain several requirements. Missing just one can weaken an otherwise strong response.
Don’t write the answer you want to give. Write the answer the evaluator needs to assess.
If scoring guidance is provided, use it.
Ask yourself: What would the evaluator need to see in my response to confidently award a high score?
Use the buyer’s terminology where appropriate and make it easy for them to identify how you’ve addressed each requirement.
Avoid spending the opening paragraphs describing your company unless the question specifically asks for it.
Get to the answer quickly.
For example, instead of: “We are a highly experienced organisation that has been providing services for many years…” start by explaining what you will do and how you will do it.
Claims are stronger when they’re supported.
Evidence could include:
Rather than simply saying “We provide excellent customer service,” explain how you measure it and provide relevant results where available.
Generic answers are easier to write, but they may not demonstrate that you’ve understood the buyer.
Reference the specific service, contract requirements and desired outcomes.
If you’re reusing content from a bid library or using AI to create a first draft, check carefully that generic or irrelevant information hasn’t remained in the response.
A 1,000-word allowance doesn’t necessarily mean you need exactly 1,000 words.
Prioritise information that helps answer the question and demonstrate your capability.
Remove repetition, generic marketing language and information that doesn’t contribute to the response.
Once you’ve finished, read the original question again.
Then ask:
This final review can identify gaps that aren’t obvious while you’re writing.
When you’ve spent hours writing a tender response, it can be difficult to review it objectively.
askabidwriter.com Premium gives businesses writing their own tenders access to experienced bid professionals who can review individual responses and identify areas that could be strengthened.
You remain in control of the writing. We provide the experience, guidance and reassurance.
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