However, there is actually a lot that can be done during this lull period which can greatly benefit the potential tender and any future submissions.
Prepare for the tender
The first thing that can be done is to prepare for the upcoming tender (assuming success of the PQQ). Regardless of whether or not you are successful this work will be of benefit in the future.
Look over the PQQ and specification and find which questions are likely to be asked in the tender. This could be obvious questions not asked in the PQQ, or ones which feature lightly and will no doubt occur later in much more detail.
Focus on creating and work-shopping model answers for these potential questions. This means that when the tender is released you will save time and also have high quality responses ready for the submission.
Collate all supporting documents and ensure that they are all formatted the same way, ideally with company branding. This is an often overlooked aspect of bid presentation, and one which yields strong results.
Finally prepare your team for the upcoming tender and assign roles to each member. Carrying out this process now will save time and allow your staff to get fully prepared for what is expected of them.
Find more contracts
In the event that you are unsuccessful at PQQ stage you should identify back up contracts to apply for. Using Contracts Finder and Tenders Electronic Daily highlight contracts which fit your business.
If you have the capacity you can obviously submit multiple bids alongside each other should there be a number of relevant contracts at one time.
Analyse your internal bid process
How successful was the completion of the PQQ? Is there anything that would improve the process?
The time between bids is ideal to analyse your internal bid process, highlighting what does and does not work during an active submission. What were your team’s strengths and weaknesses? Who stood out as a strong bid writer or manager?
It is equally important to work on a good, efficient bid process as it is to develop model answers. A team that understands their roles and the need to improve will grow quickly and allow for the completion of multiple submissions, accelerating the growth of your organisation.
For more information on bid management and how to improve your internal bid process, contact us free on 0800 612 5563 or email info@executivecompass.co.uk
Watch the video below for information on the tender process: