How to prepare a tender document: everything you need to know to ensure success

What are tender documents?

Before we get into how to prepare a tender document, let’s have a look at what they are. There are several documents involved in the tendering process. They can include:

• Pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ)
• Invitation to tender (ITT)
• Request for tender (RFT)
• Bid proposal/response.

PQQ

A pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) or selection questionnaire ( ) is often the first stage of the  . This is how buyers can narrow down which suppliers are actually able to deliver the contract. Some will not be suitable for the next stages, so this is a way of making those stages easier. Eliminating the suppliers who cannot deliver the contract makes it easier to get through bid proposals.

ITT

An ITT is an invitation sent to suppliers, often those who successfully pass a PQQ, that invites them to tender. This document involves a lot of information about the contract from the buyer. It is crucial for suppliers to read this thoroughly to ensure they do not miss any details. If they do, this could be the difference between winning and losing the contract.

RFT

A request for tender (RFT) is most common within the creative sector. A buyer will present a concept for creative agencies to develop around.

Bid response/proposal

The bid proposal is the supplier’s chance to showcase their experience and previous work. As well as why they are best suited for the contract. It is important that the bid is well written, concise and meets the buyer’s specifications. If you do not break down the various requirements/questions from a buyer, you risk missing key information. You also need to ensure you meet their word count requirements. Otherwise, this gives them the impression you cannot follow briefs.

By knowing how to conduct these documents, you’ll understand the quality of work expected in the industry. Buyers are far more likely to choose to contract with suppliers that have high-quality bid proposals and other documents. Improving your own standards and quality of work is an excellent way to help your company stand out.

Make sure you can meet the requirements

One of the most important parts of how to prepare a tender document is making sure you meet the requirements. Many suppliers will bid for contracts they cannot actually deliver. This is a waste of resources and time. As well as that of the buyers, since they have to go through these bids. Things to consider are:

• Meeting the minimum financial criteria
• Having the required accreditations and memberships
• Possessing relevant experience.

We have a blog on whether or not to bid. It may help you decide if a tender is right for your business.

The PQQ was implemented into the tendering process to help eliminate these suppliers. It acts as a sieve to remove all the suppliers that don’t meet requirements, so less time is wasted.

If you need help in conducting your PQQ, our team can help you!

Project management and time management

Another crucial aspect in how to prepare a tender document is to be on top of project and time management. There are a lot of deadlines involved in tendering. So, it is important that you know exactly when documents are due. This ensures you do not miss deadlines, as this can easily result in losing the contract.

Conduct excellent writing skills

One of the most important things about how to prepare a tender document is that they are well-written. Tender documents are usually written by expert Bid Writers. So, if you want to stand a chance against the competition, you need to match and sometimes surpass their abilities.

Bid Writers know exactly what to include in tender documents. They know how to answer the buyer’s questions. After all, it is their job! So, if you are new to tendering, it is crucial that you give yourself a fighting chance. Our Bid Writers are always at hand if you would like their help.

Along with writing skills, you need to show excellent communication skills within your tender document. These documents are how the buyer can see if you are suitable for the contract. So, you need to keep your answers clear and concise. One of the key elements of how to prepare a tender document is making sure they are easy to read.

You should also be aware of word counts. Most of the time in a tender proposal, the buyer will specify a word count for your answer. It is important that you get as close to this number as possible. If you have a 500-word brief, submitting 200 words is not enough. This reflects badly on you as it gives the impression you cannot follow briefs and directions. If your answer is over the word count, it suggests you cannot condense your answer to its most fundamental points.

Make sure you answer the question

Perhaps the most fundamental point of how to prepare a tender document is making sure you answer the buyer’s question. Similar to our previous point, you need to make sure your answers are clear and concise. Waffling about irrelevant information will lose you points during the evaluation process.

Use case studies

Are you still wondering how to prepare a tender document? An excellent point is to make sure you use case studies within your documents. If you have experience and previous contracts that are relevant to the bid, they should definitely be included. This gives the buyer an idea of how you have conducted previous jobs and that you are reliable.

Use boilerplate responses

Our final point on how to prepare a tender document is to use boilerplate responses. These are sort of like templates. They are generic responses that can be used for multiple bids. They are an excellent way of saving time and resources. However, you do need to check these over. If you use any wrong information within the response, you will look unprofessional. This is because it suggests you do not check your work.

We hope our blog has been insightful and helps you to understand how to prepare a tender document. For those with little to no experience, tendering can feel a bit overwhelming. But being prepared is the key to success. If you need help with your bids, our team are on hand to help you in several ways.

How we can help you

If you want to know more about the tendering process, then talk to our dedicated team today.

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Want to learn more about tendering?

Tender VLE is the UK’s first virtual learning environment to offer free resources, dedicated to bid writing courses. Four of our course levels are still in development, but you can start your learning journey at level one now. Our instructors offer five levels of training to accommodate all levels of learning. Tender VLE offers the resources to help you whether you are new to tendering or an expert, looking to improve. We have training that is suitable for various learners including businesses, freelancers or aspiring Bid Writers.

Need help with writing a bid?

Hudson Succeed, our sister company, is a global provider of bid writing services. They have over 60 years of collective experience and an 87% success rate. Our team can support you with every step of the tendering process. Our services include:

Tender Ready

This 4-week programme is designed for companies that are completely new to the tendering process. One of our highly skilled Bid Writers will work with you to ensure that your business is ready to tender successfully.

Tender Improvement

Our Tender Improvement programme is designed for companies that have previous experience with tendering but are yet to see results. A member of our knowledgeable team will review your previous responses and aid you to improve them for future bids.

Tender Writing

Our Tender Writing service is the whole package. Once we have the required information from you, our Bid Writing Team will do the rest. We’ll take charge of the entire tender for your business, all the way from writing through to submission.

Tender Mentor

This package is suitable for companies that have already written their own tender response. A member of our team will review your work before the submission deadline, checking for inconsistencies, spelling errors and grammar. They will also check your responses to ensure they meet the contract’s specifications.

Get in touch with a member of our expert Bid Writing Team and watch your business grow.

Upgrade to Discover Elite

Enhance your tendering process with Discover Elite. The package ensures that you can still identify tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Forget pre-bid admin and time-consuming breakdowns, your Account Manager will take care of this for you.

Get in touch for more information.