Tender Writing – Case Study 5

Price price price is all that most tender writers concentrate on when putting their tender together. There is a misnomer in the tender writing world that price is all that matters. In this article we will discuss the importance of price because yet it is important but also discuss a number of other issues that are also essential considerations for those entities offering the tenders. 


In our view price is important in your tender response. It however is not the overriding consideration for the tender assessment panel but the quality tender writer will know that unless your price/pricing strategy is not in the general ball park and if your price is too expensive then you really are going to struggle to win the tender. That doesn’t mean you have to be the lowest price – just hopefully don’t be the most expensive unless you are offering a massive range of add ons and value adding components which blows your competitors tender response and offer out of the water. A pricing strategy in the middle of the pack is certainly a decent strategy but obviously if you can offer the lowest price AND you deliver quality products/goods/or services AND you have the experience required then you will have a great head start on the competition.

But what other issues do you need to consider in your tender writing approach? One of the key issues especially for Government and Councils is your commitment to Quality and the principles of Total Quality Management and continual improvement. Some tenders require as a mandatory condition of having your tender accepted and considered is that you have a Certified Quality system to the ISO standards. Government entities though seem to have moved away from this being a mandatory requirement and now seem to accept informal tender systems which align with the requirements of ISO. Obviously the more technical the tender – the more that ISO will come into play. But if you are tendering for the local Council lawn mowing job then having a Certified Quality system generally will not be required.

Another key issue is what value adding can you offer. Value adding is all about making an offer that exceeds the minimum requirements of the tender. For instance the tender documents might require a specific type or size of pipe, or require contact with the successful tenderer between the hours of 9 to 5 or might require a service to be delivered one day per week. Value adding means that you would offer a better pipe or an increased size, that you would be available 24/7, 365 days per year or that you will deliver the service two or three times per week as opposed to one. Value adding shows that you are offering above and beyond the bare minimum and hopefully you can clearly demonstrate that your offer is better value than your competitors.

These are just a few of the issues we focus on in our tender writing processes. There are many many other strategies that the skilled tender writer can implement to enhance the chances of success. And in summary – yes price is important but it is not the only aspect to focus on in tender writing. 

Contact us at Red Tape Busters - http://www.redtapebusters.com/ should you require more information about this article or if you require specialist grant or tender writing experience to help your organisation or business win grant funding or achieve successes with tenders.

We are specialists in providing the following services :-

Lobbying

Tender Writing

Grant Writing

Resumes/Job Applications

Organisational/Business Development.

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