Winning bids can be a complex undertaking, especially if you are new to the process. Enlisting the help of a bid writer is an effective way of saving time and submitting a professional tender response. If you are looking to outsource a bid writer for the first time, there a few things you should consider.
We have been crafting winning bids for almost two decades. During this time, we have supported hundreds of businesses in numerous industries. When working with clients who have never outsourced bid writing previously, we have noticed some common misconceptions. In this blog, we will address these reoccurring confusions.
Implementing these considerations can save copious amounts of time. Before you even begin to look for a bid writing service, make sure you consider the following five points.
1. Consider word counts and time scales before outsourcing
Before approaching a bid writing organisation, there a few boxes that you should check internally. This will save you from extortionate quotes and potentially paying for poor-quality, rushed work.
Once you have found a tender, it’s important to perform a quick analysis of the work involved. The tender specification will detail the work involved, including word counts and the documents you must provide. Using this information, you can determine the timescales that a bid writer would need in order to complete the work.
Consider that the average bid writer produces 1,500 – 2,000 words per day. With this in mind, compare the overall wordcount to the tender deadline. Once you have a rough idea of the timescales, you can approach bid writing companies with a more informed perspective. This will help you to detect unreasonable quotes.
If the deadline is in two days and requires 10,000 words, it’s unlikely that a bid writing company will agree to the work. If they do, it’s important to consider the quality of the submission. You could end up paying an obscene fee, only to lose the bid due to poor quality responses.
2. Most bid writers will assume that you’re eligible to bid
It’s not enough to make your bid/no-bid decision simply based off the title or by skimming the specification. When you approach a bid writer, they will expect you to know that you are eligible to deliver the contract.
Their role is to write winning bids. In order to do this effectively, they need the maximum amount of time to craft responses that will impress buyers.
To help your bid writer, you should fully read and digest the tender specification, ensuring that you comply with the criteria. If this is not possible (specifications can be anywhere from 30 pages to 100+) you should inform your bid writer.
In the specification, you will find details of criteria such as;
Turnover requirements;
Necessary accreditations;
Case studies and;
Trading length.
If you don’t comply and still wish to bid for the tender, you should make your bid writer aware. An experienced bid writer will be able to advise you on the likely outcome, helping you make your bid/no-bid decision.
3. Expect to divulge company information…in detail
Once your project is agreed, your bid writer will commence the work. We can’t speak for all consultancies, but we have a robust way of managing our tender submissions.
When producing winning bids, we believe that the proof is in the planning! That’s why we begin every tendering process with a bid plan. The plan consists of timescales for both us and the client. This ensures that both parties know what is required and we can set expectations from the outset.
If we have never worked with the client before, we will need to gather information from the business. This information will allow us to write accurate bids that showcase your organisation in the best light.
Usually, we will require the following information;
Examples of similar contracts that your business has delivered;
Relevant company policies and procedures;
Depending on the tender, company CVs could be required;
An organogram and;
Design elements such as company logos and fonts.
When the service commences, please be prepared to offer as much information as possible. If you don’t have these documents, our bid designers can create them for you.
4. Likewise, expect to provide technical information
When it comes to your services, you are the expert. Your bid writer will most likely require some technical input from your organisation to accurately answer questions about specific methodologies.
For example, a tender for architecture services will require technical content about the intricacies of structural work. Your bid writer is unlikely to have the answers. In order to provide specialist information, they will need to gather information from you.
Of course, it is helpful and more efficient if your business has already created methodology statements. If this is not possible, in most cases, your bid writer will be able to gather information over the phone. Once they have this technical input from you, they can begin to create impressive responses.
At Hudson Succeed, we know that winning bids requires technical and accurate details. As multi-disciplinary bid writers, we have acquired some specialist knowledge over the years. However, if the buyer requires technical information, we will always consult with you first. This ensures that your responses reflect the extensive experience and knowledge of your organisation.
5. You are the expert in your field – we are experts in bid writing
As bid writers, the only aspect of your submission that we never involve ourselves in is the pricing element. The reason for this is simply because you are the experts in your business. We trust that you know how much to quote in order to profit from the contract, should you be successful.
Whilst we have experience in a range of industries, we never claim to experts in one particular field. We are experts in bid writing. We know how to craft winning bids that can help your organisation grow.
Bid writing services
At Hudson Succeed, we offer a suite of services to ensure that we can help businesses of all sizes.
Tender Writing
In order to produce winning bids, you will need one key resource – time.
We understand that it isn’t always possible to reactively respond to tenders as they are released. If you need to tender for work, but don’t have the time or writing resources in house, Tender Writing is for you.
Our ad-hoc bid writing service allows you to outsource your tender responses to our experienced team of professionals. As part of the service, we will write, manage and submit the bid on your behalf.
Our team of bid writers proudly hold an 87% success rate. They are also trusted by over 700 businesses, globally.
Contact the team by phone or email for a free quote.
Tender Ready
Tender Ready is our bespoke programme, designed specifically for businesses that are new to tendering.
Our team will work with your organisation to create all the corporate literature you will need to bid for contracts. The programme also allows you 12-months access to the tendering portal of your choice.
As well as this, our Bid Designers will help you stand out by professionally branding your content.
Once the programme is complete, we will help you find the right tender for you. Our bid writers can then either write your first bid on your behalf or guide you through two.
Visit the Hudson Succeed website to learn more about the Tender Ready programme.
Tender Improvement
The Tender Improvement package is the perfect solution for businesses who are bidding for work but not seeing success.
Included in this package is;
A full assessment of your previous tendering responses;
An analysis of areas that require improvement;
The enhancement/creation of corporate literature;
Support to identify the right tendering opportunities for your business and;
Either a full bid writing service to help you win your next bid or a guide and review service to support you through your next two submissions.
Visit the Hudson Succeed website to learn more about the Tender Improvement package.
Tender Mentor
Have you already written your tender responses? We would always advise asking someone impartial to review your work before submitting. Grammatical mistakes or inconsistencies in content can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful submission.
Our Tender Mentor service will act as your second pair of eyes. Our bid writers will assess your responses against the specification. They will also check for any spelling or grammatical issues. This will ensure that your tender has the best chance of being the winning bid.
Visit the Hudson Succeed website to learn more about to get a free quote for your tender review.
Tender VLE
Tender VLE is the UK’s first, free, online learning platform for all things tendering and procurement-related. The site consists of video-led masterclasses, hosted by our bid writing experts. Each video offers tips and advice surrounding a variety of topics, such as;
PQQs
ITTs
Time management
Exclusion grounds
Framework agreements
Branding a bid response document
Site visits
and accreditations to name a few.
Further support
For more information about winning bids, please feel free to get in touch. We offer a free initial consultation to help you choose the best service for your business.
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