Why most tenders are lost before writing starts Many suppliers approach tender writing as a writing problem. In reality, most tenders are won or lost at the preparation stage. Buyers evaluate submissions against stated criteria, and suppliers who understand those criteria deeply, and who can evidence their capability against each one, consistently outperform those who simply write well. Here are eight tips to help you win more public sector tenders. 1. Only bid when you have a genuine chance Responding to every tender you find is a fast route to wasted time and a low win rate. Before committing to a bid, ask: Do you meet the minimum qualification requirements? Is the contract a realistic fit for your team's capacity? Do you have relevant case studies? If the honest answer to any of these i
Most bids fail because they do not directly address the evaluation criteria. Suppliers write about what they do rather than demonstrating they can deliver what the buyer specifically needs, and they fail to back claims with concrete evidence.
It depends on the contract. Most public sector tenders use a quality and price split, commonly 60/40 or 70/30 in favour of quality. A well-evidenced submission at a slightly higher price will often beat a bare-bones one at a lower price.
A win theme is a compelling, buyer-specific reason why your organisation is the best choice for this contract. Good bid writers develop 3 to 5 win themes before writing and weave them through every response.
MEAT stands for Most Economically Advantageous Tender. It is the evaluation principle requiring public sector buyers to assess the best overall value, not just the lowest price, considering quality, whole-life cost, technical merit, and other stated criteria.
Social value is the additional benefit a contract delivers to society beyond its core output, such as local jobs, apprenticeships, or carbon reduction. Most tenders now include a scored social value question worth 10 to 20 percent of the total quality score.
The single most effective way to improve is to request and analyse debrief feedback after every bid. Compare your scores against the maximum available for each question and build a library of your strongest evidence and case studies.