How To Write A Bid

So, you need to know how to write a bid. An opportunity has arisen for procurement and now you need to capitalise on it. The only thing is, you don’t really know where to start when writing a bid. This can be a common problem, people often get overwhelmed when it comes to bid writing. At Thornton & Lowe, being the bid-writing experts we are, we aim to make this process easy and stress-free for you. When submitting a tender response, the competition will be fierce - which means you need to stand out. A thorough understanding of how to write a bid, combined with a great proposal, is what will set you apart from your competition. Below, we will guide you through the steps that will help you achieve success with your response.

How To Structure A Bid

To execute a successful written bid, you first need to prepare and plan accordingly. Writing a stellar bid doesn’t happen overnight. Every tender response needs to be uniquely catered to the tender document in question. You must analyse the tender document carefully and confirm that your business is the right fit. If your business cannot fulfil the needs within the tender, bidding may not be the right move for you. To decipher whether your business is suited to the request, you must list the requirements of the job and decide if you can confidently meet them.

• Do you have previous experience in delivering similar services?
• Are you an expert in the field?
• Does your business have the sufficient resources?

These are some questions you will need to think about as well as timing, costs, ROI and any risks. You should spend a good amount of time gathering as much information on the buyer as you can. Understanding the buyer, and having a solid profile of them, will allow you to cater your bid to their specific needs. You will also need to prepare your staff.

• Are certain people going to write certain sections?
• How much time do you need to set aside to complete the document?

Organisation is key and critical to bid writing success.

Writing For Your Audience

Knowing your audience is vital when it comes to writing persuasively. Bid writing should, in no way, be a copy and paste job. In order to increase your chances of winning, conduct in depth research into the buyer and see how you can structure your answers in a way that will connect with them. Put yourself into the buyer’s shoes. Who are the decision makers in the company and can you get a better understanding of how they make their decisions? Understand the perspective of the buyer and the problems that they currently face, then convince them that you have the right solution to their problem. Does the buyer have financial concerns? Are they risk-averse? Do they want strong creative control over the project? Ask yourself these types of questions before you begin writing and then cater your bid around the answers you come up with. The further you delve into the mindset of the buyer, the higher your chances of writing a bid that will evoke a response from them.

Writing A Winning Tender

Number one - everyone wants to be there. Outperforming the competition when tendering is no easy task. But, you can increase your chances of coming out on top by exercising your persuasiveness. Ultimately, the goal of the bid is to persuade the buyer that your company is the best option to fulfil their needs and offer you the contract. Writing in depth about every detail of your company is great but if you don’t clearly demonstrate why your company will deliver better results than the rest then you simply aren’t going to win. A great way to backup your winning statement is to provide evidence. Give examples of your previous success and showcase how you have delivered similar results in the past. By focusing on preparation, structure, understanding your audience and showcasing your talent, you will be on the right path towards winning bids! For more information on how to write a bid, check out our bid writing guide!