25 Jul The Role Accreditations Play In Successful Tendering
Accreditations are always helpful in the tendering process, but there are times when they can be essential.
In this article, we review some of the ways that accreditation plays a crucial role in the tendering process — from becoming eligible for certain jobs, to increasing your chances of success, and more.
1) Accreditations Can Be A Requirement For Some Contracts
Certain accreditations can be a ‘pass or fail’ requirement of the tender, meaning that without these accreditations your organisation simply won’t qualify to be considered for the work.
This is largely sector-driven — meaning that some industries and areas of work will require mandatory accreditations before you are allowed to undertake certain projects.
However, even in fields where accreditations are not mandatory, clients can require qualifications above and beyond the standard industry practices, so in these cases, having certain accreditations will become necessary if you wish to have a chance of winning the work.
Generally, clients will make these requests so they can be confident in the experience and legitimacy of the company bidding for work, while knowing they are well qualified in areas such as health and safety, security training, quality assurance, and more.
The fact that accreditations are preferable for certain jobs — and mandatory for many others — means that most businesses consider them a worthwhile investment.
2) Accreditations Provide Legitimacy
Achieving professional accreditations is a great way to communicate quickly and clearly to potential clients that your business is trustworthy, legitimate, and fully up to code. They can also demonstrate that you are familiar with the current best practices of your industry, thereby reassuring clients that you are keeping up to date with the developments in your field.
Accreditations are often accompanied by a certificate or a logo or letterhead. These are especially useful because you can display them on all your correspondence – as well as on your website and across social media – meaning that you can instantly communicate your accreditations to potential clients in a direct and impactful way.
In short, accreditations are a powerful, industry-approved way to express your experience and reliability to potential clients and existing customers.
3) Accreditations Save Time
A lesser-known aspect of the value of achieving accreditations is just how much time it can save.
For many, the tendering process can be complex and time-consuming, but having up to date accreditations can make it as smooth and efficient as possible. For example, when bidding for certain types of work, if you have the relevant accreditation then you can simply provide a copy of your certificate and it will exempt you from having to complete the rest of the tender.
This can save you significant time and energy, and may allow you to compete for several tenders in the amount of time that it would normally take you to apply for just one!
Achieving this greater efficiency in the intricate process of bidding for jobs can be of significant benefit to your business, as the more tenders you can respond to with a strong proposal, the greater the chance you have of winning work.
4) Accreditations Can Help You Stand Out
The bid and tender process is perhaps more competitive now than ever. As a result, standing out from the competition is important — and accreditations can help you do this.
Since accreditations are a great way to communicate to potential clients that you have been recognised by a professional body as possessing a high level of training, experience, industry expertise, and environmental awareness, they can help you to break free from the pack and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Having accreditations — even when they are not required for the job — also helps to show that you are committed to achieving the best practices in your industry and to delivering the best services that you can. Displaying this kind of dedication to excellent quality service is another factor that can help you catch the eye of potential clients.
5) Accreditations Improve Competency
It is also worth noting that accreditations are not just a tool used to get more work or a way to make sure your bids tick certain boxes.
For example, in cases where training must be undertaken in order to achieve an accreditation, or where company practices need to be reviewed, the opportunity arises for you to improve your processes, protocols, and overall ability to deliver an outstanding service.
From this perspective, accreditations will improve the tendering process by ensuring that you will be better placed than ever before to complete all the work you win to an excellent standard.
