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As a bid writing firm, we manage multiple bid submissions at the same time, usually with a short deadline for each project. From an organisation’s point of view the management of bids won’t be too dissimilar – you may only be completing one or two bids at the same time, but you will still have a short turnaround and the same scope of work to be completed, which can be challenging.
We provide a few tips for making sure your bid is completed and delivered on time.
Project management
Once you have decided to bid for a contract and all bid/no bid assurances have been completed, the first step should be determining project management of the tender. This involves assessing the scope of work and disseminating questions, estimating the time the project will take and finally putting together a project plan. It is easy to oversee this step, but good project management is crucial to ensure timely delivery, compliance and to eliminate the risk of any errors. Even a small mistake in a bid submission could cost your organisation marks, or even the contract. Buyers are looking for any reason to exclude bidders from the process, and that can include your bid document being non-compliant for not ticking a box.
We use various project management tools to track and monitor every single bid that we write. This includes bid management matrices which document everything that needs to be included in the bid to ensure compliance, and daily pulse meetings with the team to discuss progress.
Communication and setting deadlines
Everyone involved in the bid will need constant communication and meetings to ensure the project is kept on track. One way to do this is to set smaller deadlines within the bid for certain sections to be completed, or for reviews and proofreading to be done. This will keep focus on the tender submission and ensure that you are not creeping close to the deadline and risking a rushed job. Even if you are completing a tender submission on your own, look to set yourself deadlines to keep on track and stay disciplined.
Continuity
At Executive Compass, a client will have one main point of contact to ensure the bid writer gets to know the organisation, builds a relationship and provides dedicated resource for the client. It is the same within your organisation – if you are bidding for a contract within a certain area of the business and there is a bid writer or employee who specialises in this, make sure they are involved in the bid and sharing their valuable knowledge! Yes, any member of your organisation should be able to write about the business but a subject specialist or operative will be able to provide in-depth knowledge and perhaps add information that you may not have considered.
Find out more about our on time delivery from two of our bid writers in this short video:
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