You might genuinely be the best supplier bidding for a contract. You might have years of experience, an excellent reputation, strong customer relationships and a team that delivers consistently, but the evaluator can only score what you put in your tender response.
Evaluators score what’s written
Tender responses are assessed against defined evaluation criteria. The person reading your submission isn’t there to fill in the gaps, make assumptions about your business or give you the benefit of the doubt.
Even if the evaluator has heard of your company, worked with you previously or knows that you have a good reputation, your response still needs to demonstrate how you meet the requirements.
If the evidence isn’t in the response, they can’t award marks for it.
This is why statements such as “we have extensive experience”, “we provide excellent customer service” or “we are committed to quality” aren’t particularly powerful on their own.
They tell the evaluator what you believe about your business. They don’t give them the evidence they need to score it.
Turn claims into evidence
Every significant claim in a tender response should make the evaluator’s job easier. If you say your team is experienced, demonstrate that experience. If you say your service performs well, provide relevant KPIs or performance data. If you say your approach reduces risk, explain how it does that and provide an example of where it has worked previously.
Case studies, measurable outcomes, customer feedback, accreditations, performance data and specific examples can all help turn a statement into something an evaluator can actually assess.
The aim isn’t simply to tell the buyer that you’re capable. It’s to give them enough evidence to confidently award you the marks available.
Don’t rely on your reputation
This can be particularly important when tendering for an existing contract.
Being the incumbent supplier doesn’t mean you can assume the buyer already knows how well you deliver. Equally, having an established name in your market doesn’t remove the need to explain your capability within the submission.
Treat every response as though the evaluator knows nothing about your business beyond what you’ve written, because when it comes to scoring, that’s effectively how it needs to work.
Make it easy to award the marks
A strong tender response doesn’t leave the evaluator searching for evidence or making connections themselves. Answer the question directly. Explain your approach. Demonstrate how it works. Provide relevant evidence. Show the outcome.
Your reputation might get you invited to tender. Your response is what wins the contract. So, don’t assume they know, give them something they can score.
If your business would like some support on an upcoming tender or ongoing business please reach out via the contact us page.