How to Complete a Tender: A Step-by-Step Guide

Updated 07.08.2016

This guide walks through how to complete a tender from start to finish, covering each stage in order. If you have already submitted tenders before and want to improve your scores, the tips for that process are covered in our separate guide on how to improve your tender.This post is for those who want a clear, step-by-step walkthrough of what completing a tender actually involves.

Understanding Tenders: Why They Matter

A tender is a formal invitation from organisations, often governmental or large private firms, to submit proposals for a project or service. Winning tenders can mean securing long-term, high-value contracts that help your business grow. However, the competition can be fierce, and completing a tender effectively requires skill, time, and attention to detail.

It’s worth knowing early on that the process can look quite different depending on who’s asking. Public sector tenders, from local councils, the NHS, or central government, follow strict procurement regulations. Everything is scored against published criteria, and the process has to be fair and auditable, which means there’s little room for informal negotiation once the tender is live. Private sector tenders tend to move faster and allow more flexibility, sometimes including direct conversations with the buyer before or during the process.

The steps below apply to both, but if you’re bidding for public sector work, expect the requirements and scoring to be more rigid, and factor in extra time for formal clarification questions.

Bid and tender services specialise in guiding businesses through this process, from understanding requirements to writing persuasive proposals. For those new to tendering or looking to improve their success rate, professional tender writer support can provide a competitive edge.

Step 1: Check You’re Eligible and Ready to Bid

Before you spend any time on a tender, it’s worth pausing to check whether you should actually go for it. This is often skipped, especially when a tender looks like a good opportunity on the surface, but it’s one of the most important steps in the whole process.

Ask yourself:

1. Do you have the financial standing to deliver this contract, including any bonds, insurance, or cash flow requirements?
2. Does your team have the technical skills, accreditations, and capacity to deliver, without stretching your current commitments too thin?
3. Does the contract genuinely fit your business’s strategic direction, or are you chasing it because it’s there?

A quick, honest bid or no-bid decision at this stage saves far more time than it costs. Chasing every opportunity that comes up is one of the fastest ways to burn out a small bid team on tenders you were never likely to win.

Step 2: Identify Suitable Tender Opportunities

The first practical step in tendering is finding the right opportunities for your business. Numerous platforms list open tenders, including government portals, procurement websites, and industry-specific platforms.

Pro Tips:

1. Set up alerts on these platforms to stay updated on relevant tenders.
2. Evaluate each tender carefully; don’t just chase every opportunity. Assess whether the project aligns with your company’s capabilities, resources, and strategic goals, using the eligibility check from Step 1 as your filter.

Step 3: Thoroughly Understand the Tender Requirements

Each tender comes with a unique set of requirements, guidelines, and evaluation criteria. This information is usually included in the Request for Tender (RFT) document or similar request documents, like Requests for Proposals (RFPs) or Invitation to Tender (ITT).

Actions:

1. Read the requirements carefully, highlighting key requirements and deadlines.
2. Make a list of deliverables, mandatory requirements, and specific instructions.
3. Note the evaluation weightings for each section. Most tenders score quality and price separately and combine them for a final mark, so knowing exactly how much each section is worth tells you where to focus your effort.
4. Note any word or page count limits for each question. Going over is often penalised, or the excess text simply won’t be read.
5. For any unclear points, reach out to the issuer for clarification within the permitted communication window.

Tender writer support can be beneficial here, as experienced writers can help identify critical requirements and ensure no important detail is overlooked.

Step 4: Assemble Your Team and Assign Roles

Completing a tender may require input from various departments, including finance, operations, and marketing. Each team member’s contributions are essential, so clear delegation is key.

Steps:

1. Assign a project lead to oversee the tender process, ensuring deadlines are met and all sections are completed.
2. Involve subject matter experts for technical or complex sections.
3. Consider engaging professional bid and tender services for additional expertise in structuring and refining content.

Step 5: Create a Bid Outline and Timeline

Building a structured outline based on the requirements can make the process smoother and more organised. Mapping out each section will help identify content needs, allocate resources, and set clear deadlines for each stage.

Outline Structure:

• Executive Summary: Provide a high-level overview of your approach and value proposition.
• Project Plan: Detail your methodology, timeline, and deliverables.
• Team Structure and Experience: Showcase the skills and experience of the key personnel involved.
• Financials and Budget: Present transparent and competitive pricing.

Utilising bid and tender services at this stage can help tailor your outline to highlight your strengths effectively.

Step 6: Draft and Refine Your Tender Submission

The drafting phase is where the expertise of a tender writer can be invaluable. Skilled writers understand the balance between meeting technical requirements and writing compelling content.

Drafting Tips:

• Focus on Clarity and Precision: Avoid jargon and be direct. Use active voice and short sentences to improve readability.
• Tailor Each Section to the Client’s Needs: Emphasise how your business meets the client’s specific requirements and will add value to their project.
• Use Case Studies and Evidence: Wherever possible, include real-world examples, statistics, or testimonials to substantiate your claims.
• Format for the Evaluator, Not Just the Reader: Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points that mirror the structure of the question. Evaluators are often scoring dozens of submissions in one sitting, so a response that’s easy to scan and mark tends to score better than a dense wall of text, even when the underlying content is just as strong.

Step 7: Review, Edit, and Proofread

Reviewing your tender is essential to catch errors, enhance clarity, and ensure compliance with all requirements.

Final Checks:

1. Compliance Check: Double-check that every requirement from the RFT has been addressed.
2. Proofreading: Look for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
3. Consistency: Ensure consistent formatting, terminology, and tone across the document.
4. Independent Review: Have someone who wasn’t involved in the drafting read your submission against the original specification, question by question. It’s easy to become too close to your own answers to spot where they’ve drifted from what was actually asked. A fresh pair of eyes catches this far more reliably than another pass by the same person who wrote it.

Step 8: Submit Your Tender

Follow the submission guidelines closely, as tenders are often rejected for simple errors in the submission process. Ensure you have the correct format, file type, and delivery method, whether it’s online, via email, or a physical submission.

Submission Checklist:

1. Verify that all required documents, attachments, and forms are included.
2. Double-check submission deadlines, allowing enough time for technical or logistical issues.
3. If the submission is electronic, ensure files are compatible and under the maximum file size.
4. Submit well ahead of the deadline. Portals can slow down or fail under last-minute demand, and a late submission is usually disqualified regardless of the reason.

Step 9: Follow Up and Prepare for Feedback

Once you’ve submitted your tender, keep an eye out for follow-up communications from the issuing body. While waiting for results, take this time to prepare for feedback. Some organisations provide detailed feedback on unsuccessful tenders, which can be invaluable for improving future submissions.

Continuous Improvement:

• Document lessons learned from each tender process.
• Incorporate feedback to refine your approach and strengthen future bids.
• Consider ongoing tender writer support to build consistency and quality in your future submissions.

Why Consider Bid and Tender Services?

Professional bid and tender services bring expertise and structure to the tendering process, especially when deadlines are tight or requirements complex. From bid strategy to editing and final submission, these services help businesses stand out and increase their chances of success. With tender writer support, you gain access to skilled writers who know how to position your business for maximum impact, aligning your proposal with the client’s values and objectives.

Final Words

Learning how to complete a tender successfully requires careful planning, a clear understanding of requirements, and meticulous attention to detail. By following these steps, and with the help of bid and tender services when needed, you can submit high-quality tenders that highlight your strengths and maximise your chances of winning valuable contracts.

Whether you’re navigating your first tender or looking to improve your win rate, the right approach and support can make all the difference.

Ready to take your tendering success to the next level? Contact us for expert tender writer support and bid services that drive results!