Key steps in the public tender process

Each year, the public sector usually invites businesses to submit competitive bids to supply goods and services. These government tender requests target small, medium, and large companies from a wide range of sectors. This can give you the chance to do business with the government. Tender processes in the public sector tend to have many common elements. You need to know these elements so that your bid can be successful. This article discusses some of the key steps in the public tender process.

Attend tender information sessions

First of all, you need to follow the instructions that are in the tender document. This can help you to register your interest with the government purchasing agency. This step can also keep you updated on tender information sessions.

If you decide to register through a tender website, then you can check the website for updates associated with the tender. Alternatively, you can use the Tracker Intelligence to check updates about the tender.

Sometimes, the public sector offers tender information sessions, so make sure you attend them. This can give you the chance to ask some questions and contact the government agency. This also allows you to meet potential subcontractors or even meet contacts that can attend in a consortium. You should remember that government agencies may not provide copies of information or presentations that can be offered at information sessions.

Create a tender response strategy

If you decide to bid for a high-value tender, then you need to plan your tender properly and look at the resources and requirements involved. Some of the things you should think about are the costs involved to prepare the tender, the information you need to collect, the resources that you have to get to fulfil the contract, the people who will manage the tender project, and many more.

That said, you also need to review recent awarded contracts. But if you are unsure about the requirements in the tender request, then you should contact the person responsible for the tender to seek clarification. 

Write a compelling bid

Now, you must prepare your tender proposal. This can include planning, drafting, and editing it. You should always make sure that you utilize the response forms offered and answer all questions. Ideally, you need to word or page limits that are required. You should also avoid altering things, such as fonts and font sizes or numbering unless it’s allowed. 

Above all, you should be clear when it comes to your propositions and structure. And, you should decide on various key propositions you want to utilize to make your tender stand out from the competition. You can also review the evaluation criteria so that you can have a better understanding of the needs of the government agency. The agency may be looking for specific things, so make sure that you understand them. If you are not a good writer, then it’s a good idea to hire someone who has the experience writing bids. Nowadays, there are also many professional writers who provide their tender writing services.