Tender Responses Traps That Can Catch You Out If You're Not On The Ball

I’ve written hundreds (in fact - although I’ve never counted - I reckon I must be getting close to a thousand by now) of tender responses, and one thing I’ve learned over the years is that there are plenty of tender traps that can catch you out if you’re not on the ball.

These usually come in the form of information requests that are hidden in the guts of the tender documentation but not explicitly included in the tender submission process and schedules. Yeah, thanks a lot for that, Mr. Tender Issuer!

Let me give you a few examples:

1 Hidden Mandatory Requirements

I once worked on an ATM (Approach to Market) tender with several mandatory requirements. One of these was the inclusion of a “valid and satisfactory Statement of Tax Record, or a receipt demonstrating that a Statement of Tax Record has been requested, from the Australian Taxation Office for the Potential Supplier”.

A receipt for the request for the Statement of Tax Record was received from the ATO and duly attached to the tender submission as part of the submission of tender documents.

What this sneaky little tender issuer (ok, that’s probably not a very polite way to refer to one of the Australian Government’s largest federal departments) did, though, was to reference (in a rather obscure manner, in my humble opinion), a clause in the Conditions of Participation. 

This clause, which was pretty obscure, stated that the response would be excluded from consideration if the Statement of Tax Record wasn’t received within four days of the closing date.

Fortunately, I checked with my client, who had received the Statement of Tax Record just before the bid submission was lodged. So, I was able to swap out the request receipt with the actual statement. My point is that this could have been easily missed, and it would have resulted in my client missing out on a lucrative tender.

2 Not including key requirements in the response schedules

Another example relates to a recent tender I completed for a construction company in the Northern Territory. The RFT document included a clause stating that an ASIC Company Search and a Bankruptcy Clearance Search were to be included with the tender response. But neither of these was included in the tender response schedules - so again, this requirement could have been very easy to miss. 

The point I’m making here is that it’s super-important to thoroughly read every clause in the RFT document and Conditions of Tendering so you can pick up any hidden surprises like the two I’ve just outlined.  The last thing you want to do is put in a heap of effort only to find you’ve been excluded from the evaluation process because of an avoidable omission.

I know how easy it is to overlook these things while preparing those tender responses. So, if you ever need some tender assistance, just give me a shout so I can provide feedback on what you’ve missed and fix it for you. Don’t hesitate to contact me — call me on 0400 514 579 or shoot me an email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au.

In the meantime, happy tendering!

Pauline

Thinking of engaging a tender writer? Here's what to expect

Tender writing is a specialised technical skill — it can be hard work and laborious, and many businesses choose to take the DIY route.  But if you’re thinking of engaging a professional tender writer, here’s what you should expect from them.

They remain calm under pressure

The process of writing a tender submission comes with a certain amount of pressure, particularly if the deadline is tight (tight to me generally means less than a week). Tension can get high, especially if you are dragging the chain with getting much-needed information through to your tender writer. Remember, you’re the expert in your business, and there’s only so much they can do without getting information from you. 

But no matter the situation, a good writer remains calm and cool-headed to avoid any confusion or loss of direction. Rather than asking you to write comprehensive answers to their questions, they’ll ask you just to do a brain dump or send them any relevant documentation you may already have that they can read through to get the necessary details.

They have excellent time management skills

Most of the time, tender writers have more than one tender submission to accomplish, and all of these have a deadline. But regardless, they must have excellent time management skills to complete your tender responses before the deadline. As a professional writer, I never accept a tender job if I have any doubt about my ability to complete it at least two days before the deadline. That gives my clients time to review it and let me know if they want any changes before they submit it. Usually, my clients have only minor changes to make, if any, and the draft I send them is always pretty much the final version.

They know how to ask the right questions

You can expect that your bid tender writer will ask you lots of questions so they can write an accurate and compelling submission for your business. A good one will also tell you that if you don’t have the answers, let them know as soon as possible — creativity is an essential skill, and they are there to make your life easier, not harder.

They are creative

Some of the questions asked in tender response submissions are way beyond reality for many small businesses. Questions such as how you ensure modern slavery isn’t evident in your supply chains, industrial relations plan, or indigenous reconciliation action plan. Good and professional tender writers won’t expect you to have all of the answers. They will use their creativity to develop something for you that’s believable and relevant to your business.

They are assertive

An effective writer is polite but assertive, so if they think changes need to be made to your strategic thinking, they won’t be afraid to speak up.  They should be confident to challenge internal stakeholders and propose alternatives to ensure you’ll have an outstanding tender response submission to put forward.

They have very effective writing skills

Writing tenders isn’t just about filling in the response schedules. It’s about being effective and persuasive and developing a highly compelling story that demonstrates exactly why your business meets all of the tender requirements.

They communicate regularly

Two-way communication is essential, especially if you engage a tender writer who will be working remotely. A professional will communicate the updates and status of your submission regularly. I usually communicate by email, regardless of their location, because it helps ensure nothing gets lost, and it’s also less disrupting for my clients (and me) than constant phone calls. I also tell my clients before we get started that I’m about to become their best friend for the next week or two as the submission develops, and I keep asking for clarifications where needed.

They are dependable

Dependability is a crucial factor for any tender bid writer. You don’t want to part with your cash and then find them failing to deliver, or not deliver to a high standard. How do you determine their dependability and reliability?  Check their past work and client testimonials as a starting point. I ask all of my clients to provide me with a testimonial about the service I’ve delivered and these are placed verbatim on my website.  I’m always happy to put a new client in touch with any of my previous clients so they can chat to them about what the experience of working with me was like.

They are personable

It’s important that you connect with your bid tender writer — you should feel comfortable with their tone and approach, and the best way to judge this is through your first phone call (prior to you making any commitment). Are they generous with their time? Do they talk about the strategic approach to developing the response? Do they raise items that you should be considering? My personal opinion is that the first phone call is vital for both of us so we can feel comfortable with each other and develop some rapport. Following that, I always ask my prospective new client if they would like me to send them a proposal to build their tender response submission.

Wrapping up

So there you have it — what you should expect from your tender writer. If you need a hand with your tender submission, TenderWise is here to help. Just give me a call (Pauline) or chat on 0400 514579 or contact us here.