What are MOD tenders?
MOD tenders are also known as Ministry of Defence tenders. In the UK, the Ministry of Defence is one of the largest buyers. As a result, there are plenty of opportunities for SMEs to win work.
The types of tenders available from the Ministry of Defence are vast. They cover a range of products and services, from ammunition and vehicles to ICT and manufacturing services.
How to win MOD tenders
Plan ahead
To win MOD tenders for your business, you need to plan ahead. After all, a winning tender response is all in the planning!
It’s easy to tell the difference between a well-thought-out response and a rushed, last minute one. It will be obvious to the buyer, and that won’t do your business any favours.
Once the ITT (invitation to tender) has been released, you could work backwards from the submission deadline. You could try setting internal deadlines for each step of the tendering process. That way, everyone in your team will be prepared for every stage, well ahead of the deadline.
Use relevant evidence
Our next piece of advice is important for any and all tenders you submit – including MOD tenders. To showcase your experience to the buyer, you need to include relevant case studies in your tender response.
Typically, the buyer will expect to see two to three case studies from the past three to five years. It’s also important that your contract examples are similar in size, scope and complexity to the contract you’re bidding for. If it doesn’t demonstrate your relevant experience to the buyer, then it’ll do nothing for you. In fact, it could actually work against you.
Make sure you have the correct qualifications and accreditations
When you’re tendering for contracts, the buyer might ask you to provide evidence of your relevant qualifications and accreditations. These can vary from contract to contract, but if they’re included in the specifications, they’re crucial to your success.
To ensure you don’t fail at this hurdle, check your qualifications and accreditations before proceeding with the bid. If you don’t meet these criteria points, you should find another tender for your business.
Show added value
Another way to increase your chances of success when bidding for MOD tenders is to show added value.
In the public sector, contracts are awarded to the most economically advantageous tender, or the MEAT. Therefore, when producing your tender response, you need to show how you’re going to add value to the buyer. What can you offer that your competition don’t? This could include anything from innovation to sustainability.
Proofread your response
Finally, you need to proofread your response before submitting it to the buyer for review. This is crucial – if you submit a response full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, the buyer won’t be impressed.
However, we know it can be difficult to proofread your own work, especially when you’re producing lengthy documents. To combat this, you could try the following:
- Proofread your tender response in stages, leaving gaps between each one
- Asking someone else to proofread your response for you
- Outsourcing the work to professional Bid Writers.
Where to find MOD tenders
Now you know how to win MOD tenders for your business. But how do you actually find them?
With our sister company, Hudson Discover, it’s easy to find new contract opportunities for your business!
There are 11 sector-specific tendering portals to choose from. One centralised and easy-to-navigate portal can help you save time, streamlining the process.
These consist of:
- Creative Tenders
- Healthcare Tenders
- Facilities Tenders
- Construction Tenders
- Technology Tenders
- Logistics Tenders
- Research Tenders
- Consultancy Tenders
- HR Tenders
- Finance Tenders
- Hospitality Tenders
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. Finding MOD tenders for your business has never been so easy!
In summary
So, now you know all about MOD tenders! When you produce your next tender response, remember our tips for success:
- Plan ahead, leaving plenty of time to complete the bid before the submission deadline
- Include relevant case studies and contract examples
- Make sure you have the correct qualifications and accreditations
- Show added value in your tender response
- Proofread your response before submitting it for review.
How Hudson Succeed can help
Still have questions? Why not call our Bid Writing Consultants? We’re always happy to help!
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 – we can help. There are four bid writing packages available:
Tender Writing
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. We’ll provide a full Tender Writing breakdown and even submit it on your behalf.
Tender Mentor
Tender Mentor can give your tender response a once over before you submit. Our Bid Writing Team will analyse your response, notifying you of any errors and opportunities for improvements prior to submission.
Tender Ready
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.
Tender Improvement
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.
Need help searching for tenders?
Now you know about MOD tenders, it’s time to find a contract opportunity for your company.
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-minutes 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:
- Open tenders
- Restricted procedure tenders
- Competitive dialogues
- Negotiated tendering procedures
- Innovation partnerships
- Single supplier contracts
- Framework agreements
- Dynamic Purchasing Systems.
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. We’ll take your bid and give it a complete makeover. With professionally designed tender documents, you’re sure to make an impression on the buyer!
Our team specialise in six areas, including:
- Copywriting
- Marketing
- Branding
- Websites
- Design
- Illustration
If you’d like to know more about what we can do for your business, introduce yourself to the team!
Contact us to find out more!
Find more helpful tips and advice in our blogs. We cover topics including:
- How to win a tender
- What is a Bid Writer?
- The tendering process
- Writing winning bids
- 7 tips for tendering for contracts
- Tips for bid management
- Bid writing services
- The types of tendering procedures
- Writing bids
- Bid writing consultants
- Submitting a tender response
- And many more