Organising your PQQ and Tender submission

That’s not so unusual, but the reasons are! They all failed to include important appendices or supporting information, and so were excluded at the initial sift.

The way to ensure you include all the items required is easy, get organised!

Tip #1: Do not rely on the PQQ or tender checklist. Too often the checklist or narrative is pasted from other PQQ, and is not updated when new questions or requirements are inserted. Procurement “experts” will say this does not happen, yet I have had a solar panel tender that changed to a cleaning ITT half way through.

Tip #2: Create your own PQQ or tender checklist. Use it for everything that is outstanding, including questions for which you have not yet provided a response.

Tip #3: Use green and red highlighting in the PQQ document. Green, for you have the information but it needs attaching, and red for outstanding questions or attachments. This provides an “at a glance” check for your PQQ or tender progress and gives you a psychological boost when the colour turns from red to green.

Tip #4: Number all of appendices for your PQQ separately, in order and keep them in their own folder. When you come to combine the files or add them to a disc you will notice if you have missed one. When you number them 1, 2, 3 followed by the file name, you cannot help but see at once if one is missing.

Tip #5: Try to create one PQQ file which contains all of your attachments, in the correct order and clearly labelled in the headers. There is some really inexpensive software that lets you do it quickly and easily. Then, when it is time to print out your PQQ or tender, you just hit print and everything will be in order with no worries about sorting out your documents. It is even better if you are sending it to a printer. If it is a really large file send it to the printer via one of the free online document portals.

Tip #6: Carefully control the different versions of your PQQ or tender. If combining files and under time pressure, you will not be the first to send the wrong one. Even if you simply save it each time with the time and date in the file name, it should ensure that you do not make a mistake and send the wrong one.

Tip#7: Make sure that you back up your PQQ or tender regularly. If you lose all your hard work and have to start again, you will almost certainly miss an attachment.

If you’re having difficulty competing in the PQQ stage and continuously being excluded from tender invitations, we can provide PQQ writing services to assist you, or get in touch with us today and we’ll assist you throughout every stage of the procurement process, increasing your chances of winning a contract.