Tender writing in 7 simple steps

Tender Writing

Tender writing can often feel like a daunting prospect but this needn't be the case.

In this blog post, we break tender writing down into seven simple steps. 

​If you are looking for a beginners guide to tender writing - here it is!

Before we get into the detail of how to write a tender, it’s worth explaining what we mean by the term tender. 

What is a tender? 
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What is a tender? A tender is a formal document written by a buyer that requests offers from interested parties (suppliers) to supply a good and/or service to a specified quantity and quality, delivered to an exact location, within a defined timescale at a stated price.  

What is the purpose of a tender? 

What is the purpose of a tender? Tenders are used by buyers to transparently and consistently communicate their purchasing requirements with all interested parties (suppliers) at the same time. 

What is a tender useful for? 
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What is a tender useful for? A tender is a useful tool when making decisions based on quality and value for money in a marketplace. 

Now that we are clear, let's jump right into the tender writing process. 

How to write a tender
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Step 1 - Introduce your organisation
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The best way to start the tender writing process is to write about something you know well - the organisation you work for. 

Think of the key reasons why a supplier would want to do business with your organisation.

For example, are you a prompt payer? Do you nurture and support Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's)? Do you spend more money than similar sized organisations on the goods and/or services you want to buy. 

What ever it is that sets your organisation apart from others, include this in the tender at the very start.  

​Step 2 – Explain what you want to achieve 

Successful tenders always explain to the market place what the intended outcome of the tender is or what good looks like. 

This can be presented as a summary with a more detailed explanation provided as a specification. 

Step 3 Communicate what you want to buy
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A specification is a useful tool to communicate what you want to buy. 

There are different types of specifications, a few examples include:
 

• ​functional specification,
• technical specification,
• output based specification, and
• performance specification. 

The more comprehensive and detailed the specification, the less questions a supplier will need to ask. This results in less work for you. ​

​Step 4 Share your decision making process
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All interested suppliers will want to know if and how their bid will be shortlisted or rejected from the tender process, and how many suppliers will be awarded a contract. 

Buying organisations are obliged by law to include this information in their tender documents.  

Step 5 Share your timescales 
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The basic information required by all suppliers is the tender submission date and the contract award date. 

You can share as many dates as you like and caveat them all by stating that the published dates are for information purposes only and are subject to change.

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Step 6 - Explain how the winner(s) will be chosen
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It is crucial that you are clear and communicate in writing how you will choose the winning bidder(s) and you follow your written process.  

If you don't, you can expect to have your decision challenged in the courts. 

Step 7 - ​ Include a tender submission checklist
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Some UK Government tenders have 70 plus attachments, making it difficult for suppliers to know what to return to the buyer.

This confusion often leads to suppliers asking questions, or worse still submitting more documents than is necessary. 

By including a tender submission checklist you can tell suppliers which documents to return to the buyer, which is super helpful.

So there you have it, 7 simple steps to tender writing.

This blog post provides a simple overview of what can be a highly complex activity.

There are many more tools and techniques you can use when tendering.

​The decision on what to use and when is often determined by the value of the contract and what you are buying. 

About the author
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Naomi Clews

Naomi Clews is a UK based procurement professional with over 18 years experience of writing hundreds of tenders for the purchase of goods and services for both the UK public sector and the private sector. Find out more here.