Geoff Augutis from Queensland Computers looks at the world of tendering and gives us his top tendering tips for small business.
For many small business the word tender brings back memories of high school english assignments.
Many hours sunk into trying to interpret and respond to a complicated and sometimes confused request.
However for many businesses, winning government tenders opens doors for expansion and growth.
Tendering tips to keep you on track
Know the rating system. Tenders will be scored on a percentage per category.
Things like a local weighting where an agency may put 10% of the “marks” toward being a local business.
This allows you to really emphasise your locality in the response.
People often only look at price and while this is generally the highest percentage factor – it isn’t the only thing they will look at.
Answer the questions you are asked. When an agency goes to tender they generally expect a significant amount of responses.
These are viewed by a group of people whose job is to determine which company is the best overall fit.
Tenders are written in a way to ask specific questions as these outline their requirement.
It’s also worth noting that the people scoring your tender may not even be in your industry, thus clear concise answers tend to be rewarded.
Manage your time. This is a very important tendering tip! A tender response can be very time consuming.
Not only may it take longer to complete than your original assessment, you may need information from external parties and this takes time.
Many tenders will request references, endorsement from brands you offer, statements and policies you may need to create or have created for you.
On top of this they will often request a list of subcontractors and almost always request proof of insurance cover.
Giving yourself time here is a must.
Ask questions. Some tender releases will allow for questions to be asked.
If you are unsure of something that seems unclear make sure you confirm with the tender contact.
These documents are often large and complex and even the tender panel makes mistakes. Don’t make assumptions unless you have to.
Tenders are often complex and time consuming endeavours with no guarantee of reward at the end.
With this in mind if you are looking to enter this world, you may as well give yourself the best chance to succeed.
- More from Geoff Augutis: Ditch the shoe box for digital receipts
