How to bid for large contracts

Aug 24 2009 by Carole White, The Journal

AS business owners, how many of you have submitted a tender or bid for large contracts? It is actually very common, especially when supplying goods or services to the public sector.

So, whether you are a stationery supplier, a minibus operator or in the construction industry, there may be opportunities on your doorstep to help you expand your business.

A good place to start looking for tendering opportunities in the North East is the North East Purchasing Organisation (www.qtegov.com). The Supplier Route to Government website (www.supply2.gov.uk) is also a useful resource, in addition to Press notices and advertisements.

Once you have found a contract you would like to bid for, what do you do next? Most organisations and public bodies have different tendering requirements which must be met, but in general there are some tips which may help you scoop those big contracts:

Is it the right contract for you? Don’t waste time and effort bidding for a contract which you aren’t going to be able to fulfil.

What is required to win the contract?

Don’t churn out the same information in each bid. Make sure your bid covers all of the required areas specific to that contract in order to meet the needs of the client. While time consuming, it may make all the difference.

Make sure you include all the benefits of using your business, product or service. Contracts should never be awarded on price alone.

Detail how you will manage and deliver the project. What makes you different from your competitors?

Include a timetable of when goods and services are to be delivered.

Include information on any accreditations or awards you may have won. It is the perfect time to promote your Investors In People success or ISO accreditation.

Include CVs on your team. Make sure that qualifications and relevant experience are communicated in the bid.

Present the bid professionally, in a clear and simple format.

Bidding for projects can be very time consuming and you won’t win every time. In fact, it often takes a business several attempts at different tenders before they are successful.

However, once you are familiar with the tendering process and have experience in the field, you may find that your business will go from strength to strength.

Why not look at the contracts out there and submit a bid? As they say, you have to be in it to win it.

Carole White is business support manager, TEDCO