Tips From Tender Writing Experts

15th April 2019

Sharing the Secrets of Tender Writing Experts

Last updated: Jul 13, 2022 @ 05:00 pm

 

Are you looking for a tender expert? Perhaps you want to know more about what they are and how they support businesses. You’re in the right place if so!

In this blog, we will tell you some of the essential details about what makes a tender expert. We will also cover some of the ways to identify the best ones, information on our experts, and more. We’ll even tell you how best to approach a tender expert for support. As well as how to increase your chances of writing your own successful bid proposal.

Keep reading to learn tips and tricks from tender experts!

What makes a tender writing expert?

When looking for a professional resource to help with your tenders, it’s natural to want a tender expert. But what is it that actually makes somebody an expert in tendering?

Well, there are several key things to look for when you are considering using the services of a company who are marketed as an expert:

·      What kind of resources are being offered by the tender expert?

Any tender writing expert should know that no tender is the same. Therefore, they should be prepared to adapt and modify the resources they have on offer to suit the requirements of your bid.

Be wary of any professional who is too rigid and uncompromising in their approach to your tender.

It could well be an indication that they lack experience in your field and are not sure of how to handle the new requirements.

·      What aspects are the tender expert claiming to be an expert in?

Tendering covers all areas and industries. This means that there are many ways for a company or consultant to be a tender expert.

Consider your industry and the tenders that you are applying to. Look for a consultancy that can reassure you that they have experience in writing tenders for your sector.

·      Is this tender expert honest with you?

Perhaps most importantly, look for evidence that your potential tender writing expert is being honest with you. For example, here at Hudson Succeed, we are always honest with potential clients.

We never claim to be an expert in any single industry or sector. We showcase that we are tender writing experts, and proud of it!

Our team will always work incredibly closely with clients to ensure that we are embedding all of their expertise and knowledge into the bids we write. We use our expertise in tendering to create the best possible submission.

We recognise that our clients are the most knowledgeable about their industry. By working together to combine the best elements of our expertise, we can produce excellent tenders.

Hudson’s Tender Writing Experts

Deciding to outsource your tendering to tender experts is a big step and comes with serious financial implications.

Committing to spending money on an external resource for internal needs is a significant decision to make. We understand when new, potential clients want to know more about our team and the individuals who could end up working on their tenders.

Collectively, our team’s experience spans multiple industries and each of us has our own specialisms. This means that clients are always allocated to the most relevant tender writing expert that we have!

Jill Hudson

Jill has over 17 years’ experience in the Procurement industry. She has maintained an impressive success rate for her clients across multiple sectors. This includes:

  • Creative
  • Technology
  • Facilities Management.

Jill now operates as our Growth Director but is always on-hand to support others with her experience and expertise.

Daniel Hall

Dan is our Head of Bid Management and has written extensively across multiple sectors throughout his career.

Dan is extensively experienced in public sector procurement, with an emphasis on Security and Energy. His varied experience allows him to advise both clients and our wider team on the best approaches to individual bids.

He is always prepared to find new ways to tailor our packages to clients for a truly relevant, bespoke experience.

Katherine Kane

Katherine is an accomplished writer, previously working on a freelance basis for editorial clients and in the legal sector.

During her time at Hudson, Katherine has supported businesses in industries including:

  • Care
  • Creative
  • Facilities Management.

Alex Holt

Alex has a diverse background across multiple industries. He has brought these to bear in his role here as a Senior Bid Writer.

He is able to offer our clients valuable insights into his specialist sectors which include:

  • Transport
  • Technology
  • Construction.

Olivia Backhouse

Olivia’s role as a Bid Writer in our team of tender writing experts is varied. She has experience in writing bids for:

  • Logistics
  • Software
  • Graphic Design.

Jonathan Worthy

Jonathan operates as a Bid Writer, supporting numerous clients in multiple sectors with their tendering efforts. He has previously supported clients in industries including:

  • Electricity
  • Quantity Surveying
  • Project Management.

Robyn Crawford

Robyn is one of our Senior Bid Writers. She works with businesses of all sizes from large organisations to SMEs, helping them to grow by winning new contracts. Robyn has worked with clients who provide services including:

  • Recruitment
  • Assisted Living
  • Facilities Management.

How to approach tender support

We are proud of the diverse experience that our team holds. The team feel that this is what makes us tender experts.

We will always pair clients with the Bid Writer most experienced in their field. However, clients can be assured that we encourage a thriving culture of collaboration and mutual support throughout our team of tender writing experts. This means we are always producing the strongest tenders possible.

So, when you are considering engaging the services of a tender expert, whether it is our team here at Hudson or another consultancy, remember to look for the following information:

  • Can they demonstrate experience in tendering for your field?
  • Are they prepared to tailor their service to you?
  • Do they value your expertise?
  • Are they willing to work closely with you to work your knowledge into the tender response?
  • Do you feel like all measures are being taken to ensure you are receiving the most expert service possible?

We are always happy to speak to businesses about their tendering prospects. Our team will give as much advice as we can to interested parties. This is also the case even if we do not think they will become a client.

We know all too well how confusing the tendering process can be.

It is always our pleasure to share our tendering expertise with those looking for guidance. You can also visit our free learning environment, Tender VLE, for hints and tips around tendering.

Top tips from our tender writing experts

Every day, our tender writing experts hear of small businesses who are struggling to get ahead. It’s no mean feat to start a business from the ground up (as our directors will tell you). But the good news is that now it is the little guy’s time to shine. It’s time for SMEs to exploit the potential available to them.

No longer is the market simply dominated by big companies who suck all of the capital to the capital. Since the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the system has been blown open and a new field of competition has emerged.

All authorities using public money are now obliged to put their purchasing of goods and services out to tender. So, all prospective suppliers who meet the minimum criteria theoretically stand an equally good chance of winning the bid. So, what can the little guy do to maximise his chance of success?

Our team of tender writing experts have put together a list of top tips for small businesses. This is to help them to make sure they are the winning supplier.

1.    Know your USP

The best starting point is to know what value it is that your business adds. Our tender writing experts say that the first step is for businesses to understand what makes them unique. They should understand why they stand out. They should also have a real grasp of why buyers should choose them over other competitors.

If you don’t understand what you can add to someone’s organisation, it’ll be difficult to convey this to a buyer.

Think of it like a job interview. You’re tendering to sell yourself. So, you need to have a good grasp of what it is that makes you shine, from the very start. Once you understand this, our team are here to help you to showcase this in the best light possible. We’ll work with you to showcase this through your tender responses and through developing your corporate content.

2.    Find the right opportunities

“OK, I want to tender… but where do I start?” Once you’ve got a better understanding of what you offer, you can start to be more discerning with opportunity searching. Shooting many bullets and hoping you hit the target never works. Instead, being careful, considerate, and selective with your approach will stand you in better stead.

It might be tiresome, but it is important to read the requirements of each. Ensure you understand what is expected of you and factor the submission process into your diary. Our Discover strand is the home of our ten sector-specific platforms, which use people, not arbitrary codes or algorithms to find you the most relevant opportunities for your business based on your search criteria.

Every day our tender writing experts collate the latest national and international opportunities and put them on our sector-specific platforms, hot and fresh out of the oven, ready for SMEs to apply for. Get in touch today with our Discover team for a free demo of our portals and to chat more about how we can help you find the right opportunities.

3.    Read the question

There is nothing more frustrating as a buyer than marking a tender submission where the supplier clearly has no idea what they’re talking about. And more often than not, it’s not because suppliers are somehow inept or can’t deliver what they are promising, in our experience it is because they haven’t read the question. In this regard, the top tip from our team of tender writing experts is to read the question.

It might sound simple, but you’d be surprised how many people overlook this. We advise factoring in plenty of time into your diary to allow you to digest the requirements of each question, think about your response and answer accordingly. If a question asks you about why you think it is important to train your staff in safeguarding, for example, make sure you don’t tell the buyer how you do this. Yes, it might be interesting, but it is not relevant, and won’t score you any points.

4.    Evidence Is key – use case studies!

Remember to evidence everything you’re saying. Even if the buyer doesn’t necessarily ask for this, it is always good to solidify what you’re saying with cold, hard evidence. If you’re trying to convince someone that you are able and competent enough to build a school, it’s a good idea to show where you have done this before. Check out our Tender VLE video “Evidence is key” for more information.

And the biggest top tip of all – don’t waffle. Remember, get straight to the point, answer the question, show what you can deliver, why you should win the contract and back it up with evidence, and that’s it! If you’re needing a hand with the workload of writing bids or would like a second pair of eyes to make sure your tender is in tip-top shape, get in touch with our team of tender experts at Hudson Succeed today!

5.    Look professional

Finally, whilst you might have the content nailed, don’t forget the presentation. First impressions do count, despite what anyone says. If your submission is qualitatively sound but includes sloppy policies, shabby team profiles and inconsistent branding, a buyer would not look kindly on your submission. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Get in touch with our team of tender writing experts today for more hints and tips on how to make sure your presentation is on point. If the buyer hasn’t specified how to present your bid, then this is your chance to go the extra mile. Turn to a Graphic Designer to really make your proposal stand out!

6.    Proofread and edit your proposal before submission

Similar to our point above, your bid needs to be presentable. It reflects your work ethic. If it is sloppy and littered with mistakes and errors, the buyer will believe you to be lazy and unprofessional. This is certainly not the impression you want to give!

Put in place a thorough proofing process during your bid management planning. We suggest that you proofread the proposal several times. Read it aloud if possible, or have your device read it to you. This makes it easier to spot anything that doesn’t sound quite right. Have other team members proofread it too. They are more likely to notice if you have gone off topic or made grammatical errors.

Need help searching for tenders?

You may be wondering where you can find a tender for your business. There’s no shortage of websites offering multi-sector tendering opportunities and leads. Ideally, you should be searching for a sector-specific site that posts all unique, public and private sector opportunities.

Our sister company, Hudson Discover, has 11 sector-specific tendering portals.  One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.

Once signed up, you’ll have access to your own dedicated Account Manager. They’ll be able to answer any questions you may have about public sector contracts. You’ll also get an email alert when new and relevant tenders are uploaded to your sector.

A subscription to one of our industry-specific portals will include:

  • Unlimited portal access. You can browse your industry’s portal to your heart’s content. See the hundreds of opportunities that are available, intuitively categorised, and easily accessible.
  • A daily email bulletin. When you sign up to a portal, you’ll receive an email alert when new tenders are uploaded.
  • A dedicated Account Manager. They’ll handle any questions or queries you may have about the portal.
  • A free 20-minute phone consultation with a Bid Writer. Our expert bid consultants will chat with you about anything tender related.

What opportunities can I expect from a tender search on a Hudson Discover portal?

 We host all kinds of tenders in both the public and private sectors. These are inclusive of, but aren’t limited to:

What we can do for you

We have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. Whether you’re completely new to tendering or aren’t seeing results – they can help. There are four bid writing packages available:

Once you’ve found a tender you’d like to go for, send it over to us. One of our Bid Writers will write the tender response for you. They’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.

Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. The Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.

During the Tender Ready service, our team will create professional policies, procedures, and case studies in your company branding. If you already have this content, we will review everything carefully to ensure that nothing is missed. This service also helps businesses who are new to tendering with terminology and industry knowledge.

The Tender Improvement package can help those who have tendered before but aren’t seeing results. Our Bid Writers will assess your previous responses and work with you to develop improved content.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow.

Vocal

Our support doesn’t end there! Our creative content agency, Vocal, are on hand to help.

The Vocal Team are not afraid to stand up and be heard. And we make sure our clients aren’t either! From small, micro businesses to large organisations, we are vocal about the things that make your business unique.

Our creative service is dedicated to growing your business through striking and thought-provoking content. Our team specialise in six areas, including:

If you’d like to know more about what we can do for your business, introduce yourself to the team!

Contact us today to find out more.

Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:

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