1. CREATING AN EFFECTIVE TENDER CMG EVENTS, Wednesday 22nd May2019
Bid Management Services
Sourcing, writing and winning tenders
CREATING AN EFFECTIVE TENDER CMG EVENTS, Wednesday 22nd May2019
©Bid Services 2019
Copyright Bid Management Services 2015

2. Bid Management Services
Sourcing, writing and winning tenders
Dr Peter Brennan
: Civil Service
: IBEC Brussels
: A&L Goodbody Consulting
2006 to date: EPS Consulting
2007 to date: Bid Services/
Public Procurement Services
This presentation is based on our new-book ‘Public Procurement: Rules of the Road’.
I really encourage you to get a copy – either in hard copy or as an e-book – as it provides an A to Z perspective of the tendering and procurement environment in Ireland and NI.
Copyright Bid Management Services 2015

3. TENDERING IS EXCITING!

4. AND EVERYONE IS INTERESTED…WHY?

5. €100 BILLION The public sector market is worth
over the next five years

6. Key Messages To be a player you need:
To fully understand the policy, legal and regulatory framework.
To target and prioritise the tender pipeline for your company.
To fully understand buyers’ procurement rules, processes and procedures.
To research new opportunities in detail before tendering.
To decide if you need bid partners.
To adopt a professional approach to tendering.

7. Public and Private Procurement
There are significant differences of approach and methodology.
Public procurement is rules based.
There are no legal rules in the private sector; best practicing sourcing techniques are used.
Know and appreciate the differences.

8. Policy and Rules

9. Why Bids Fail Not enough detail provided Too expensive
They are non-compliant
Option to ask for clarifications not used
Documentation incomplete
Award criteria not fully addressed
Sloppy presentation and poorly written material

10. Pre-Tender Research
The best source is from the market itself – successful tenderers know a tender is being published before it is issued.
Sub-threshold (i.e. below €25,000) tendering is a great market entry strategy and starting point.
Majority of suppliers (84%) who conduct significant pre-tender research win the opportunity.
Know how you can score more marks; use results letters.
Keep an eye on your competitors.

11. TIP 1
TIP
Put the buyer’s needs at the centre of your proposal/solution.
COMMENT
A generic response is useless. A bespoke tender response is essential.

12. TIP 2
TIP
Address the buyer’s underlying needs by going beyond mere compliance.
COMMENT
A compliant bid scores 80%; a winning bid gets 90% or more and wins.

13. TIP 3 TIP 3 Use clear, concise and jargon-free language. COMMENT
Edit your tender response thoroughly before it is submitted. Remember that the buyer does not necessarily speak ‘your’ language.

14. TIP 4
TIP 4
Propose a compelling solution that captures the client’s attention and sets your bid apart from the competition.
COMMENT
What are your key differentiators? Communicate them!

15. TIP 5
TIP
Explain your solution to the client in terms of benefits; do not use generic features.
COMMENT
If you can generate savings, operational efficiencies or productivity gains, then quantify them.

16. TIP 6
TIP
Demonstrate your capability to deliver better than anyone else.
COMMENT
Buyers seek to assure themselves that the supplier can deliver what they propose; so provide lots of practical examples.

17. TIP 7
TIP
Be open to collaborative bidding in order to deliver on every aspect of the client’s requirements.
COMMENT
Choose your sub-contractors carefully.
Carry out due diligence.

18. TIP 8
TIP
Be strategic in your pricing model – think what is going to be important to the client.
COMMENT
Never bid unless you make a profit. Do you know your profit margin? Look carefully at the sub-criteria for pricing. Also determine your ‘price point’.

19. TIP 9 TIP Use relevant, high quality reference sites. COMMENT
Buyers use past performance as an indicator of future performance. So pick fit-for-purpose references and explain why they were selected.

20. TIP 10
TIP
Read and re-read the tender documentation, keep ahead of legislation; and know what you can and cannot do within the tendering process.
COMMENT
The highest level of attention to detail will score you more marks.

21. TIP 11
TIP
Use design – make the tender document easy to read and navigate.
COMMENT
Use photographs, process flow charts, graphics, videos and professional design.

22. TIP 12 TIP Focus much more on contract management. COMMENT
Give the client comfort about contract management performance. Provide a PIP, KPIs, and a SLA.

23. TIP 14 TIP Write to score an A+ COMMENT
Tendering is like a maths exam; answer the questions; pay attention to where the most marks are. Bids are often won and lost on the split of a percentage point.

24. Bid Management Services
Sourcing, writing and winning tenders
TOP TIP
USE THE BOOK
Peter Brennan
This presentation is based on our new-book ‘Public Procurement: Rules of the Road’.
I really encourage you to get a copy – either in hard copy or as an e-book – as it provides an A to Z perspective of the tendering and procurement environment in Ireland and NI.
Q&A
Copyright Bid Management Services 2015