Preparing for tenders can help you to win BIG orders, but it can also be time consuming, cost money and tie up valuable resources. Therefore you would need to weigh up whether or not a tender is worth bidding for.
This document can be used as a guideline when preparing for a tender.

Points to consider: 

• Analyse the bid documents carefully
• Make sure you can match the skill and experience requirements
• Estimate the costs involved, and whether or not you would make enough money to justify it
• Would the work fit into your strategy and positioning for your business
• Assess how the contract would affect other work, staffing and ability to take on new business
• Do not make misrepresentations or false statements in your bid, remember it is a legal  document and therefore enforceable by law
• Enquire about the bid

Find out exactly what the client wants:
Focus on what the client is asking for, if you have queries contact the client, which also helps to build a rapport before the tender document it submitted.

How to Manage your Bid:
Decide:

• Who gathers information and does research
• Who co-ordinates all the material you need
• Who writes the drafts
• Who checks them  

Crucial Rules for your Tender Document: 

• Talk about the clients needs and how YOU can contribute, prove that you have the skills and experience to fulfill the clients requirements
• Help the client by coming up with ideas
• Consider including some protection of your information, you may wish to indicate which information you consider to be a trade secret. You may want to include a non-disclosure agreement. 
• Show you have the resources to carry out the contract and a feasible, cost effective way to meet the client’s needs. Make deadlines and respond positively to changing situations. 
• Give details of your team, emphasise strengths. Highlight successes with similar projects as well as qualifications and experience. 

Ensure that you match the tender specification:

• State purpose and origin of the bid
• Summarise your work, past experience and credentials for the proposed tender
• Explain how you will carry out the work clarifying when and how the client’s aims will be achieved
• Provide a timetable of when services will be delivered
• Explain how you will manage the project
• Give details of your pricing 
• Be practical - Identify potential problems 

Writing a tender: 

• Tenders can be found online – metering.com (only available to Professional and Professional Plus users)
• Obtain a copy of the tender – Please contact : tenders@metering.com
• Decide whether or not you are suitable for the project – read the tender document carefully and familiarise yourself with the conditions of tendering, conditions of the contract and all requirements
• Completing your tender forms – Ensure that you have completed all the necessary fields in the document and have the relevant supporting documents attached
• Ensure that your tender is delivered on time! Late submissions are not usually considered.

Tips on editing your tender:

• Pay attention to the presentation; spend some time working on the format. 
• Decide on a typeface, layout and type size – stick to this format throughout the entire document.
• Use appendices for supporting documentation
• Include a contents page
• Number paragraphs so material can be easily located
• Check the documents, get a colleague to read through it for meaning, typing errors and omissions
• Include a covering letter that responds to the bid invitation which emphasises your main message and explains the document order. 

While care is taken to ensure accuracy, Metering.com cannot guarantee that information expressed here is correct and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. Metering.com makes no warranty or undertaking, whether expressed or implied, nor does it assume any legal liability, whether direct or indirect.