28 Feb Bid Writing Series – Service Providers
Over the past 3 weeks we have looked at the big 3 industries that tenders provide a major way of securing work. There are however a number of industries that provide more specialist, specific and niche services or products. From grounds maintenance to dent removal to Christmas lights, there are still tenders to be completed to secure the work. This week we look at the Service based industries and how to secure that winning bid.
When offering a service, you are instantly up against either competition from the incumbent supplier or an elusive image of what the buyer is looking for. Providing good quality services, and meeting the customer demands and wishes can be challenging in itself. Whether it is maintenance of the local parks, catering in schools or website management – the first hurdle is to win the bid.
The variety of tenders that you will get from different buyers looking for service providers is massive. Some will be a few pages in a Word document, with very little guidance of what they are really looking for or 40 plus pages of specifications and requirements. Either way, as a prospective supplier you need to get across, (in some cases using only a few hundred words), how well you can meet the needs of the buyer but also your previous experience. Out sourcing to an external Bid writing company can help.
When completing bids for smaller buyers who provide you with very little information, you need to do your research. Where you are given a specification, use this to formulate your answer structure. Where the questions are more specific turn these around and make them the section headings to help form your answer.
Take the time to complete a site visit if it is offered/ applicable for the service you are providing, it will help you to write a tender that is more specific to the buyer. Websites can be a good way of getting a feel for the buyer and what their business aims are; in school catering contracts they can be a great way of finding out more information on what the current offering is.
Service based tenders can also be a variety of both public and private sectors. In both sectors there is more and more emphasis on social value and value for money. What can you give back during the length of the contract? How can you add value to the contract without costing the buyer more? How can you support the local community? Remember to sell yourself, provide evidence of what you have done before, or if you have seen an opportunity within tender you are completing tell them what you can offer.
As many service based companies tend to be small, finding the resources and time to put towards writing the bids can be a challenge but even find the opportunities can be nigh on impossible. We have the full solution for you. Our search service will provide you with the opportunities handpicked for your business and then we offer a full Bid management and writing service which can be tailor made to meet your needs and you can be safe in the knowledge that you will be involved and at the heart of what we do every step of the way.
If you are looking to get help on your next bid our Bid Writing Experts are here to help you and take some of the burden away. Whether it is help with the Bid Writing itself or simply offering a bid review service, Bid & Tender Support is here to help you. Please give us a call on 01908 382 414 or email us info@bidandtendersupport.co.uk
