Winning Tenders - Invitation to tender

Tenders? Aren't they rather boring things, to be avoided if at all possible? Ian Smith doesn't think so, in fact he thinks they can be very exciting - when you win one!

Ian's 'Winning Tenders' business helps smaller companies win sizeable chunks of public sector and corporate business – and he has plenty of successful examples to prove that his approach works. He says: 'Public sector and corporate organisations award tens of billions of pounds worth of contracts every year to successful bidders. Many others would like to bid, or improve their success ratio, but often find the process of putting together a formal bid document difficult. SMEs don't normally have a 'tendering team' so the onerous task falls to someone who ought to be doing something else.'

Ian explains: 'Winning Tenders' provides vital bid support for SMEs that want to grow by securing lucrative contracts. We help them to identify the right opportunities then provide them with the bid support and tendering expertise that can secure valuable long-term contracts that will take them into a different league.'

He adds: 'The Government is keen to encourage SMEs to do business with the public sector and already, around 80% of contracts listed in the EU Official Journal have been won by SMEs. 'In terms of growing a business, winning a major contract, whether with the public or private sector, is like making an acquisition - but the only costs are that of producing the bid.

'We have a success record that includes winning contracts for SMEs with large organisations such as oil companies, the Department of Health, NHS Trust hospitals, famous brand drinks distributors, major engineering consultancies and London boroughs. We recently helped to win a £10 million contract with one of the London boroughs for an office services company.'

How do you find out about tender opportunities?
'Private sector tenders may be advertised in local or national papers and the trade press for the relevant industry. Public sector contracts above a certain value have to be advertised in the Official Journal of the EU. You can trawl through their website, Tenders Electronic Daily, - but you might get lost! You can subscribe to email tender notification services, or we can find them for you - and we'll only suggest tenders that you really stand a chance of winning.'

What goes into a tender?
'The invitation to tender document, and in some cases the prequalification document that you need to complete first, ask questions about your company's eligibility to carry out the tendered services as well as for your response to the specification and of course pricing. It's the supporting documentation that often acts as a barrier for some - quality accreditations, policy statements on health & safety, equal opportunities and diversity, environmental standards and so on. This is where our help can be invaluable.'

What defines a winning tender?
'You have to demonstrate how your bid matches and preferably betters the stated requirement. As with any sales opportunity, the crucial thing is to develop a clear understanding of the client's needs and respond appropriately. We are experienced in preparing 'best of breed' tender documents, working with you to make your bid stand out, to differentiate your proposal from that of your competitors.'

How much will it cost?
'Depending on the scale of the bid, there may be several days' work for us but we are committed to your success, and, to prove it, we will work with you on a shared risk basis. That means that we'll prepare and submit your bid at half-price – on condition that, when you win, we get the other half of our fee plus a modest bonus.

You'll be happy to pay because you will now have a sizeable chunk of extra business with guaranteed revenue for several years! That's what we mean when we say tenders can be exciting!'

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[ Invitation to tender ]