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How do you win contracts for your business?

Here are 5 things you need to win contracts for your business

Do you want to win contracts for your business but don’t know where to start?

When you first start tendering for work, winning contracts can be difficult. If your company has limited experience with tendering, how do you secure the bid?

To be successful in tendering, there are certain things you need to consider. Writing a winning bid takes a lot of skill and experience. However, certain things are absolutely crucial for tendering success.

This blog will tell you the top 5 things you need to win contracts for your business.

What does it take to win contracts?

  1. Find the right tender

When you’re trying to win contracts, it’s important that you choose realistic tenders for your business. Don’t waste time and resources on a bid you’ll never win.

However, finding suitable tenders for your business can be difficult if you’re unsure what to look for. So, here’s some things to keep in mind when you’re deciding to bid or not to bid:

  • Does the project align with your long-term goals?
  • Do you meet the financial standing?
  • Is it financially viable for your business?
  • Have you got relevant case studies?
  • Do you offer something unique in the market?
  • Will you need to outsource any work?
  • Do you have time for the project?
  • Would you choose yourself for the contract?

There are many different ways to find tendering opportunities. Our sister company, Hudson Discover, houses 11 sector-specific tendering portals:

In each portal, you’ll find all the tendering opportunities relevant to that sector.

  1. Writing skills 

You might think it goes without saying, but the importance of this skill shouldn’t be overlooked. To win contracts, you need to have excellent writing skills.

Your tender response could be the buyer’s first impression of your business. So, you need to demonstrate your high standards, professionalism, and expertise through your writing. It’s not just about what you say in your response – it’s also about how you write it.

Your spelling and grammar need to be perfect. Anything less and the buyer might think you don’t care about the bid. Then you’ll never win contracts for your business!

Your response needs to have a clear and logical structure and flow from one point to the next. If the buyer has to jump through hoops to find your answers, you won’t win the bid.

  1. Relevant experience

You won’t win many tenders without relevant experience. The buyer needs to see that you are capable of delivering the contract. Anyone can say they’re going to do something, so the buyer wants to see evidence of your past work.

Generally, they’ll ask for 2 – 3 relevant case studies that prove your business is capable of delivering the contract. Your case studies should include evidence of projects of similar size, scope, and nature to the contract at hand. You should also include any positive client testimonials that support your case.

If you can’t prove the buyer with 2 – 3 contracts, it’s still possible to win contracts. However, the projects you tender for will most likely have to change. Suppliers without experience are usually limited to smaller contracts. However, this is a great way to build experience, so you can bid for bigger projects in the future!

  1. Time management skills

To win contracts, you need to have excellent time management.

Tendering for contracts is a lengthy process. You have to source the bid, read the specifications, write and proofread your response, and submit to the buyer. It can’t be done in a day! So, to make sure you thoroughly complete each step of the tendering process, you need to manage your time effectively. 

This is particularly important as you approach the submission date. The last thing you want is to spend time and resources completing a tender response, only to miss the deadline! Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to submit. If the tender is due at 5pm, don’t wait until 4:58pm to submit. If the buyer’s portal crashes, your submission won’t count.

  1. Industry knowledge 

When you tender for work, you’ll be faced with lots of tender-related terminology. To win contracts, you need to know and understand this jargon. If you don’t, you won’t be able to write a successful bid.

Here are some examples of the terminology you’ll come across when bidding for contracts:

Want to learn how to win contracts? Tender VLE can help!

Tender VLE is the UK’s first virtual learning environment to offer a whole range of free tender-related videos. Whether you’re new to tendering or a seasoned expert, we have content for you!

Get in touch with the team to start your learning journey today!

Do you need help with a tender right now? Hudson Succeed are here for your business! 

With an 87% success rate and over 60 years of collective experience, Hudson Succeed are experts in bid writing. We offer services that will help you secure tendering opportunities for your business. Our expert Bid Writing Team can help you with:

Tender Ready  

Our Tender Ready package is a 4-week programme designed to introduce you to the tendering process. One of our highly skilled Bid Writers will work with you to make sure your business is ready to tender.

Tender Improvement

Have you tendered before but are yet to see the benefits of your efforts? Tender Improvement is designed for you. One of our Bid Writers will review your previous tender responses and work to improve them for further tender submissions.

Tender Writing

Choose Tender Writing if you want the whole package. All we need from you is information about your company – then we’ll do the rest. From writing through to submission, a member of our Bid Writing Team will take care of it all.

Tender Mentor 

If you’ve written your tender responses and just want a fresh perspective, then Tender Mentor is the package for you. A member of our team will proofread your tender responses, checking for inconsistencies, grammar or spelling errors. We’ll also check your responses to make sure they meet the contract’s specifications. Just ask a member of our Bid Writing Team!

Get in touch with Hudson Succeed and watch your business grow.

Discover Elite

Upgrade to Discover Elite to elevate your tendering experience. Find tendering opportunities for your business, even when you’re busy.

With Discover Elite, you can leave the work to your dedicated Account Manager. Get ready to watch your business grow!

Contact us to find out more.