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

How long does it take to know if your bid submission succeeded?

Waiting to find out if you’ve won that bid submission can be a painfully slow process. Some tenders will get evaluated, and the successful one (or tenderers in some cases) will be notified in just a few weeks, while others can take months….and months.

Why? Well, it depends on a number of factors, including: 

• How quickly the issuer needs to make a decision

• How complex the tender is (obviously, the more complex, the more information the evaluation panel will need to wade through)

• Whether the issuer wants more information from the short-listed candidates (including asking you if you want to update your pricing)

The good news is that if the tender issuer communicates with you, you’ve probably made the shortlist. Being asked for your best and final pricing is always tricky, given that you’ve probably already given it your best shot, and sharpening the pencil a bit more could be an easy way for you to price yourself out of business.

Some of them will let all respondents know who has won the bid submission, and some will also provide you with feedback so you know exactly how you rated against your competitor. If you find out that you haven’t been successful but haven’t been given any details why, always ask for feedback.

If you were left hanging and you don’t know if you’ve been successful or not, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask for an update. You can also check the tender website on which the tender was listed, as some of these will list the successful tenderer/s once selected.

Another option — if a local Council issued your bid submission — is to check the Councillor's monthly meeting minutes (these are always published on the Council website). You may have to trawl through a few months worth of minutes, but they will usually include a brief overview of each tender received, how they rated and who was successful. 

At the end of the day, no two tenders are the same, and there’s usually no hurrying the outcome. One of my clients recently waited nine months to find out they had been successful. It was worth the wait, though, as they were awarded three contracts with $18 million.

So be patient, hope for the best and always seek feedback so you know what you could do better next time. And remember, if you'd need an external pair of eyes to take a peek at your bid submission and provide feedback, I'm happy to provide a high-level review completely free of charge and obligation. All you need to do is shoot an email to pauline@tenderwise.com.au or call me on 0400 514 579.

TenderWise is ranked in the top 20 tender writing blogs in the world!

I was pinching myself when I learned I made it on Feedpost's top 40 global tender blogs list! I made it to number 16 in the world — so it's time to get busy doing more tender writing so I can make it into single digits and maybe even claim the top spot!

I obviously love to write, and there are so many things to write about when it comes to tenders. I understand that not everyone has the skills or the time to develop an excellent tender response so they can win lucrative Government or commercial contracts. And in the eight years I’ve been doing this, I’ve helped my amazing clients win businesses worth millions of dollars — including one land management company that has recently picked up 54 contracts worth $18 million.

Finding out last night that I’d made the top 40 and then checking the list to see I’d made it to number 16 made me realise just how darn important it is to get my message out there as a tender writer. I have to admit that — like many businesses — I’m so busy doing core business stuff that the old blog posts tend to take a back seat. Tenders always have submission deadlines, so it’s not like I can put one off while I take time to conjure up some musings to write about.

But the thing I’ve realised about blogs— particularly when they’re about a subject that you’re passionate about — is that they shouldn’t take long to write at all. Once you have a specific topic, don’t procrastinate, just sit down and get what’s on your mind onto that screen, then hit the publish button, and you’re done. Of course, all professional tender writers must check for errors and follow the steps for success before you send your post online for everyone and anyone to read and critique!

And with artificial intelligence like ChatGPT so freely available, anyone can get some inspiration and content ideas in literally seconds. A word of advice, though — it’s crucial to develop your own unique brand voice, so don’t just do a cut and paste, or you’ll end up with something that doesn’t really sound like you, and over time you’ll end up with lots of repeated content.

So that’s it from me — job done! This blog has taken me about 10 minutes to write and publish, and I’ll be adding to my blog page a lot more frequently now that I have that number-one spot in my sights!

Happy blog tender writing, and if you need a hand, just give me a shout! You can shoot me an email to pauline@tenderwise.com.au or call me on 0400 514579.

Wishing you all loads of business success.

Pauline

Didn’t win that tender submission? Ask for feedback!

None of us likes to lose, especially when you’ve put lots of time and effort (not to mention bucks if you’ve paid for professional help) into creating a tender submission. Although, as hard as it is to miss out, this is a golden opportunity to seek feedback so you can get some clues as to what you could do better next time.

Not all organisations will provide feedback, but you'll never know if you don't ask! Suppose your tender submission was for a local Council contract. In that case, it's also a good idea to search on the Council website for the minutes of the Councillor's monthly meetings - these are always publicly available and usually include a section relating to the outcome of tenders (aka who won what and why).

The level of feedback offered will vary substantially depending on who issued the tender. Some may offer a face-to-face debrief designed to provide honest feedback and insights on what parts of your tender letter could have been improved. This information is gold for your business, so use it well.

Other tender issuers may provide a ranking score against each evaluation criterion for all tenders received. Sometimes this will list all tenderers and their scores by name, and sometimes this will list all tenderers, with everyone but your business listed with a generic name (e.g., Company 1, Company 2, etc.).

Either way, it’s an excellent opportunity to see where you sat amongst your competitors and what areas let you down. If you don’t get much information, but you do get the chance to ask questions, it’s always good to know:

1. Who won the tender submissions? It will help you better understand your competition.

2. How many were received, and where did you rank? It’s always a good thing to know where you sit amongst your competitors so you know your relative position.

3. How you scored against the evaluation criteria, and whether there were any areas where you didn’t meet the standards required or made mistakes.

4. What areas the evaluation panel felt you should improve on next time?

Once you have this information, you’ll know what let you down and what you should improve when you start your next tender submission.  Any feedback should provide you with valuable insights, and it’s important to share this with your team as soon as you can so they can start working on creating updated content.

If you need a hand, I’m here to help, and I’ve also written my professional tender writing tips, which are free to anyone who wants them - just fill in the form on my home page, give me a call on 0400 514579 or shoot me an email to pauline@tenderwise.com.au. I’m also happy to provide you with a review of your unsuccessful tender - obligation and cost-free.

In the meantime, happy tendering!

Pauline

Key Cairns Tenders Take Outs from my Recent Visit Worth Sharing

I spent eight days in beautiful Cairns and Douglas Shire recently, where I was able to check out the local tender scene, catch up with tradies, meet local business owners at networking events and attend the FNQ Major Projects forum. Here’s what I learnt about Cairns Tenders I have the pleasure of sharing with you.

I spent eight days in beautiful Cairns and Douglas Shire recently, where I was able to check out the local tender scene, catch up with tradies, meet local business owners at networking events and attend the FNQ Major Projects forum. Here’s what I learnt about Cairns Tenders I have the pleasure of sharing with you.

Plenty of tender action is happening, with local Councils regularly issuing new tenders. You can find Cairns Regional Council tender opportunities on Tenderlink, and the Shire of Douglas uses VendorPanel. In the two months since I returned, I’ve seen many options posted for a wide range of services, including cleaning, earthmoving, trades (electrical, plumbing etc.), design and construction activities, manned security, HR services and IT services.

One thing I did notice is that many smaller businesses are hesitant to take their first step into the world of tendering, thinking that contracts are awarded only to the bigger market players. Not so — councils want to know that you have the skills, experience and resources to get the job done, and in many cases, prefer smaller businesses because they know that you will be more focussed on delivering quality outcomes than some of the larger companies for whom the contract represents only a small portion of total turnover.

The FNQ Major Projects Forum was a real highlight in the Cairns city council tenders and the QLD Government is in the throes of delivering a $1.3 billion capital works program across the region, with a further $2.43 billion currently being planned. The program is focused on providing essential infrastructure to meet the increasing needs of local residents. As I write this, I can see current tenders advertised for water treatment plants, sewerage pump stations, water security, and dam risk assessments.

Douglas Shire alone is currently managing 101 individual capital works projects for things as diverse as ferry infrastructure and replacement, bridge replacements, shared pathways for pedestrians and cyclists, playgrounds, emergency accommodation and smart water meters.

In Cairns, the pipeline of public and private projects amounts to $1.3 billion worth of construction activities to be undertaken over the next 12 months, with another $1.2 billion in projects planned but not yet committed. Historically speaking, this is a significant pipeline of work, with the majority of committed projects being in the heavy and civil sectors.

Cairns’ construction industry is now working through a pipeline of projects on a scale that has never been seen before in the region. This pipeline has materialised quickly and is impacting both the building and engineering sectors simultaneously, opening more doors for tender submissions.

FNQ capital projects committed into 2023 and beyond include a wide range of services required for roads, health, education, tourism, public safety, harbours, ports & freight, housing & community, environment, and energy & water.

If you’re not registered on VendorPanel yet, it’s time to do so. Register, and you’ll get a daily feed of relevant opportunities that may interest you. Tenderlink is a paid service, so you won’t get any notifications unless you pay a fee, but regularly checking the Cairns Regional Council website for tender opportunities is a good idea.

That’s it for now. If you’re reading this, I hope you find some awesome Cairns tenders to bid for. If you need a hand with your tender bid or want to chat about a response strategy, please get in touch. You can call me (Pauline) on 0400 514 579, email me at pauline@tenderwise.com.au or contact me here. I’m always happy to chat, and I love talking about tenders.

How to jazz up your tender submission for success

When it comes to winning tenders, content and price are both obviously critically important components.  But in a crowded marketplace you need to do more than just write a compelling tender response - you need to really stand out from your competitors.  

Here’s how to jazz up your tender submission for success!

When it comes to winning tenders, content and price are both obviously critically important components.  But in a crowded marketplace you need to do more than just write a compelling tender response - you need to really stand out from your competitors.  

Here’s how to jazz up your tender submission for success!

1. Use cover pages for your main submission and any appendices (see point 3 below).  I like to use Canva — it’s easy to use, doesn’t cost much, and comes loaded with heaps of existing templates, so if you’re a beginner with this creative stuff, you can start off by updating someone else’s design.  Pro tip: make sure you search for A4 templates, or you’ll end up with something that isn’t the right size for your tender submissions.

2. Add a cover letter. I always put this immediately after the cover page and use it to briefly outline the key aspects of the submission and why your business has the credentials and experience to deliver the tender requirements.

3. Add supporting information in Appendices. It is an excellent opportunity to include information such as evidence of qualifications, ISO certifications, your Capability Statement or resumes of your key staff. Always ensure that you reference everything in the main tender submission template, including the Appendix and the page numbers where the supporting information can be found. I usually have one Appendix for general supporting information and separate appendices for larger documents (such as your HSEQ Manual or sample Project Plan if requested).

4. Use headings to break up your text.  It’s a simple thing, but by introducing headings you’ll make your content easier to read and it will be vastly more visually appealing.

5. White space is a good thing. The team who sits on the tender evaluation panel reviewing your submission are all busy people and don’t have the time to read long boring chunks of text. So, for example, in a tender submission, along with headings,  keep your paragraphs short so you create plenty of white space, making it easier to digest the content.

6. Don’t be afraid to sprinkle through a few relevant images -  depending on your industry, think screenshots from your workflow management system, images of your vehicles, and photos of some of your projects or things you’ve delivered.

7. Celebrate your successes.  Most tenders I work on want to know about your approach and methodology to meet the tender requirements.  While you definitely need to go into detail about the process you’ll go through to deliver the services, I always try to add some real examples that showcase how well your operational expertise has resulted in positive outcomes for your clients (linking back as closely as possible to the tender requirements).

That’s it — simple but effective!  And if you don’t have the time or the inclination to jazz up your tender submissions yourself, that’s what I do all day long, so if you need a hand just give me a shout.  You can shoot me an email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au, call me on 0400 514 579 or contact me using this form right here.

8 reasons why you need professional resumes for your key staff

It’s not always necessary, but it’s becoming increasingly common for tenders to ask for copies of professional resumes for key staff to be included in the tender response submission.

I don’t think I’ve ever worked on a tender submission that hasn’t wanted to know all about the skills and experience of the management team and key staff members who will be responsible for the delivery of the contract requirements and the quality of the outcomes.

So, should you spend the time (and money if you get professional help) to get those resumes up to date and displayed in a company-branded template that demonstrates the continuity of information? In my humble opinion, the answer is very clear — yes. 

Here’s why:

1. Leaving it until the last minute to madly try to cobble together some professional summary resume for you and your staff will result in poorly written documents that don’t show you in the best possible light.

2. Most of the business owners I work with don’t have a resume since they’ve been running their own business for many years and have simply never had the need to develop one - so leave it until the last minute (refer to point 1).

3. Resumes for key staff may exist but are usually old. Don't include the current company and may not be relevant to the current position - so it gets left until the last minute to update (refer to point 1) or, even worse, gets submitted as a year's out-of-date document.

4. Even if everyone’s professional resume template is relatively current, they are likely to all be in different formats, which doesn’t do anything to reinforce your brand or the professionalism of your business.

5. Each resume is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your skills, qualifications, experience and achievements in far more detail than you can generally fit into the tender response schedule.

6. Well-written resumes provide a profile of team members and are the first building block to develop relationships and trust between your team and the tender issuer.

7. You can customise each professional summary for a resume for each tender - this doesn’t take much. Sometimes, it might be just changing the order of specific points, wording, or certain role responsibilities.

8. You can be concise. No one wants to wade through a 10-page resume when it should only take two. It is particularly relevant if the tender instructions include a page limit for resumes.

That’s it! If I can provide one piece of advice, it would be to start working on your professional resumes early on in the tender process (or before the next opportunity hits your inbox) so you have them ready to go (apart from any small bits of customisation needed). 

If you need a hand, I’m here to help! I’ve developed awesome resumes for loads of my clients, and I can help you too - just give me (Pauline) a call at 0400 514 579, contact me here or shoot me an email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au.

7 Top Tender Tips for Tradies You Should Not Miss

People often ask me what sectors I have experience writing tender submissions for. My answer is — just about all of them. I've written everything from catering and food outlets to consultants, IT, and construction. But the majority of the tenders that I write fall into three categories — Security, Cleaning, and Trades.

When it comes to writing winning tender submissions for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, builders, painters, HVAC technicians, plasterers, fencers, concreters, landscapers, civil construction, earthmoving and just about any other tradie, there are a few golden principles to keep in mind.

So, here are my top 7 tender tips for tradies you should not miss.

1. Read the tender requirements carefully and be mindful of any conditions or limitations relating to what you can and can’t include in your response.  Most tenders will include specific response schedules, so it’s important that you pay close attention to these and answer each section as clearly as you can.

2. It may be blindingly obvious, but how you present your experience in your tender submission matters. Don’t just list your contracts or the projects you’ve worked on — go into some detail and make sure you highlight the similarities between what you’ve done in the past and the requirements of the tender you’re bidding for. It’s always a good idea to include a sentence or two on any challenges encountered and how you overcame them.

3. Include as much detail as possible about your crew, and get some professional resumes done for your senior team (Tenderwise can help). You want to instil confidence amongst the tender evaluation panel that your team has the skills and experience to manage all aspects of the contract.

4. Break up your text with headings and images — this will make your tender submission much easier on the eye and read.

5. Ensure your health, safety, environmental and quality documentation is current.  If you’ve got some ratty old document that hasn’t seen the light of day for the last five days, it may be time to update.  These days, most businesses are embracing integrated management systems that combine health, safety, environment, and quality in one set of documents that meet the requirements of ISO 45001 (Health and Safety), ISO 14001 (Environmental), and ISO 9001 (Quality) — if you need new documentation, just give me a shout as I can source this for you from Safety Culture.

6. Most tender for tradies will also ask about your sustainability policy and what you are doing in terms of sustainable operations and support of sustainable businesses.  If you’re not already doing something in this area, it’s probably time to start putting some thought into it.

7. Suppose a local Council has issued the tender you’re bidding on. In that case, they will be very interested in how you will support local businesses and the local community if you are awarded the contract. It is your chance to talk about how many of your existing staff live in the local area, how many new staff from the local area you are likely to employ, and what local suppliers you will support. Even if your business is outside Council boundaries, you can still talk up the local businesses you will support (and don’t forget the local cafes, petrol stations, bakeries and the like).

Once I get started, I could go on and on about what you can do to improve your chances of success but in the interests of keeping this short and sweet, I’ll end this ender tips blog here. 

Don’t forget; if you need a hand with your tender, I’m here to help.  A chat costs you nothing, and I love talking to other small business owners, so if you’d like to talk about your tender, contact me here, shoot me an email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au, or give me a call at 0400 514 579.

Does the location of my tender writer matter?

It can be scary when faced with the prospect of parting with your hard-earned money and working with a total stranger on your tender response. So does the location of your tender writer matter? The answer is no — and yes.

NO - because relatability, experience, and proven ability should be your most important selection criteria when choosing one. YES - because it’s important that they are based in Australia (or at least have some solid knowledge of the Australian tender market and Government requirements).

TenderWise is a Queensland-based business, but I have clients spread across the country, and strangely enough, a relatively small percentage are in Queensland. Most of my clients are in WA and Victoria, so clearly, location is not an issue for them.

But there are certain requirements you must expect. My advice to all prospective new clients is to choose a bid tender writer who:

• Relates well to you

Right from your first conversation, you should feel that the tender consultant is engaged, interested in what you have to say, asks lots of questions, and is generous with their advice. If the writer doesn’t seem interested in you from the outset, it’s probably likely that the same attitude will prevail throughout your association.

• Is experienced 

Ask them what they’ve done, who they’ve done it for, their approach, and how they can help you. It doesn’t really matter if your tender bid writer doesn’t have much experience in your particular sector. However, a seasoned tender writing professional will have experience across various industries. Why isn’t it very important? Because you are the subject matter expert in your business - your tender writer doesn’t need to know the finer details, but they do need to know how to turn your story into a compelling tender submission.

• Has proven ability to perform and win

Every tender response writing business and all professional tender writers should be able to point you to testimonials (like these here) and put you in touch with existing clients who can tell you what the experience of working with them is like. It’s a good idea to ask how many of their clients are regulars so you can get a good feel for how much repeat business they have. Generally, a successful tender writing company won’t need to advertise their services since most of its business will come from existing clients and word-of-mouth referrals. Having said that, TenderWise does advertise (usually through Google Adwords) - but this is a pretty rare event, and my annual spend on paid leads is less than $300.

So, in a nutshell, location isn’t important, but relatability, experience, and proven ability are critical factors when hiring a tender writer. 

If you need a hand with your tender submission, TenderWise is here to help. Just give me (Pauline) a call for a chat on 0400 514579 or contact us here.

Can a good Capability Statement help me to win tenders?

A Capability Statement is an important business tool. It tells the story of who you are, what you do (what your core competencies are), who your core team are, and what you've done. You can use it for many purposes, including as part of a business pitch, a downloaded document on your website, a printable brochure, as part of a tender response, and of course, as a support tool for your tender submission. It's not called a Capability Statement for nothing — it shows you're CAPABLE!

Not so long ago, a standard copy was a largely text-based document limited to one or two pages. These days though, they are incorporating design elements to make them far more visually appealing — the written content may be the same. Still, spreading it over more pages and adding images and graphics is far more attention-grabbing.

But be warned — there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to including a statement of capability in your tender submission:

1. You can’t just attach it to your submission and hope that someone on the evaluation panel will be interested enough to open it actually. You need to check that it is relevant to the submission requirements.

2. ALWAYS check the tender instructions to avoid mistakes and ensure it’s allowable to include attachments as part of your response (usually, it’s fine, but some tenders specifically state that all information must be contained only within the tender response schedules.

3. ALWAYS reference it in your tender response. The best place for this is any section where you’re asked to provide an overview of your business. Here, you can give general information, then refer to the attached Capability Statement (I would usually add it as an Appendix) for more details.

If you don’t have one yet or your current one is a bit old and boring, it might be time for a new one. At TenderWise, we’ve written and designed Capability Statements for a wide range of businesses, and if you’d like to see a sample of our work, just contact us here, shoot us an email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au or give me a call at 0400 514 579.