The last key thing to remember when submitting tenders forms is to get an outside opinion on your efforts. 

It is essential that the forms are proof read for spelling and grammatical errors. You can do this yourself but it is often more effective to let someone else look at it too, just in case. 

It is also a good idea to get an outside take on the content of the forms and how you come across. If your reader has trouble understanding what you're getting at or gets bored before they make it to the end of the forms then there isn't much chance of someone who has to read hundreds of similar forms giving you the time of day. 

In picking a reader, choose someone who is comfortable in giving you direction and who is going to be honest and give their true opinion of your efforts. Take the time to sit down and go through the forms with them, and listen to what they have to say. Use the opportunity wisely. 

If you get the thumbs up, you're set to submit the forms. Then all you can do is sit back and see if your hard work pays off. 

Throughout our recent blog posts we have recommended that you include certain sorts of extra information when it comes to submitting your tender forms, such as a well presented summary of your business, client references, and project development plans. 

While we encourage you to include extra information along side the compulsory information that is required for the forms we must also emphasise that your tender bid submission really needs to just cut to the chase.

In order to be concise and to the point you should consider every statement you make about yourself and your business and ask whether it is really relevant for this tender. If it isn't, leave it out. The contracting agency is going to have a lot of forms and information to get through so the less waffling you do, the more the reader is going to appreciate your application. 

There's a fine line between enthusiasm and overdoing your content, so get someone outside of the project to read through your submission. It's great to include project plans and methodologies, but be to the point. If your objective reader can't make it through your bid then there is no way the tendering committee will.

Filling in the forms - the technical points. 

While the following points may seem ridiculously straightforward, it's surprising how many people fall short on these areas when filling in tender forms. 

For a start, follow all instructions on the forms, no matter how trivial or insignificant they may seem in the greater scheme of things. If the forms say use black ink or a san serif font, then make sure you do. You might be asked to do these things because it makes the forms easier to read or photocopy, but at the end of the day, the wrong pen colour or the wrong font might go against you because you couldn't follow simple instructions at the beginning of the process.

Throughout the forms make sure you use appropriate, professional language that is suitable for the audience you are appealing to. Avoid spelling errors by either proof reading the forms yourself of getting someone else to do it. 

Importantly, you must not miss out any questions - fill in all of the questions as best you can because the person that will review your tender forms is far more likely to ask for clarification about your bid than they are to start looking into an incomplete tender bid. 

The forms are the first impression that the contracting agency is going to get of you and your business - make it a good impression!

Tender forms, part 1.

Over the next few weeks we are going to post some pointers about the actual tender forms as everything hinges on the impression that you give of yourself and your business through these forms. 

We have already advised that you should be organised and efficient in your approach to the tender forms and it's so important that we're going to say it again!

When you receive the tender alert from EuropeanTenders you should aim to quickly register your interest with the contracting agency and have them send out all of the relevant documentation as soon as possible. Time is of the essence. Registering your interest early also ensures that you will be made aware of any changes or given further information about the tender bidding process if and when it becomes available. 

Another key part of the process is pre-tender briefings. Not all tender bids have these but if they do, make sure you attend and make sure you prepare questions for the people giving the briefing. Having prepared questions show that you're really interested and will get you noticed - it's all about standing out from the crowd. If you really can't make it, be sure to follow up afterwards and find out what was discussed.

Before you then get started on filling the forms out you should do a couple of things: -

1) Go through the form and make a checklist of everything that you need to include / do before the forms are complete. This should ensure that nothing gets accidently left out or overlooked.

2) Seriously consider what the buyer is looking for and make notes. Combine this with a list of pros and cons about the solution you're hoping to offer - this gives you something to come back to if you lose sight of the end goal mid-way through the forms!

Finally, if you've tried and failed before with a tender bid, and you were able to find out why - learn from  your mistakes! Use prior experience to ensure that you don't fall into the same traps with these forms. 

Winning tender bids, part 8.

The final thing that you really need to get right when bidding for tenders is being organised and efficient in your approach to the application. 

Often there is a lot of information required for the application forms, and throughout this advice series we have advised further items that you should include in order to help your bid stand out. Therefore you need to start pulling information together early so that you leave nothing out and you are not rushing to finish the application. Find out exactly what you need and find out early. 

Being organised means knowing when the deadlines are! The deadlines for tender bidding are vital as you are not going to get a second chance. If you miss the deadline that's it - you won't be allowed to submit a late bid as the contractor will have already received hundreds of bids before the deadline through which to sort for a good candidate. After all, if you can't meet the deadline for handing the forms in, what chance is there that you will complete the project on time?

We recommend trying to be a little early with your bid - aim to submit it no later than 48 hours before the deadline. Also, make sure you look as professional as possible when  you submit. Appearance and presentation is everything when trying to make a good impression.

Starting this Friday: "Submitting A Successful Tender Bid" - our advice series on getting the tender documents and forms just right. 

Winning tender bids, part 7.

One of the key factors that you need to get just right when submitting a tender bid is the price that you submit at.

This aspect of tender bidding is always a difficult one as you can get stuck between trying to put in a really low price with the notion that you will come out on top because you are more affordable than everyone else and submitting a price that would mean big money if you were successful.

Even now, amidst a global recession, contractors are not looking for cheap and this is a big mistake made by many tender bidders. It is a mistake both in the fact that a very cheap bid could signify a potentially low quality job to the contractor, but also because you will probably be under selling yourself. 

What contractors are looking for is value for money and that means putting a fair price on the service or product that you offer. 

What you can do to make your bid stand out in terms of price is highlight what exactly makes your offer value for money, especially in the long run. Will your product or service help the contractor lower their running costs? Will it add a new line of revenue? Will it help streamline their business in anyway?

It's not about being the cheapest, it's about offering the best service possible at a price that's right for you and the contractor.   

Winning tender bids, part 6.

No matter what product or service you offer, there are bound to be hundreds of other businesses that offer the same, so you need to look at ways to make your company stand out from the crowd. 

An innovative product or service, or approach to the activity proposed by the contractor is one way to make your business a little different. A lot of businesses will opt for the straightforward route of selling their product or service as it is, and as it has been for years, which is fine as it ensures a certain consistency and confirms that the product or service can stand the test of time, but often people are looking for a little more. 

For instance, Government agencies in particular are looking at ways to be more eco-friendly and carbon neutral - can  you offer the same product or service as someone else, but ensure that it meets higher 'green' standards? If so, that might just get you the job!

While innovation is important, you must also remember that the vast majority of contracts will come directly from Government agencies, and they are governed by strict regulations that make them greatly aware of any risks presented by potential projects. 

In order to be both innovative, but also risk conscious, you should provide the contractor with supplementary information that sets out your vision for the project, including the future benefits that are to be gained from buying your product or using your services. You then need to balance this with a project development programme that shows that you have thought about the potential risks and considered ways in which to manage or reduce those risks. Actively seek to present the pros and cons of a project to the contractor - after all, if your ideas are on the money then there should naturally be far more pros than cons.

So, don't be afraid to be a little ahead of the curve, just make sure the contractor is reassured, and informed enough to be up there with you.  

Winning tender bids, part 5. 

So now that you've decided that you can live up to the expectations of the company or organisation that has listed the tender opportunity, your location and reach is just right, you've made yourself visible in the market and you are able to prove that you're reliable then you have to make sure that the company offering the tender really knows that you're genuinely interested in them and the project. 

We all know there's nothing more flattering than someone showing a lot of interest in what you're about and it's exactly the same with businesses. Therefore when you approach tender bidding it pays to have done your research!

You should try to show that you know what the company is about - what it does, how it does it, what its achievements are and what the market is like for that business. This sort of information is usually very easy to find, either on the company website or even just by doing a quick google search to see if they've been in the media recently.

Showing a little knowledge of the company lets them know that your tender bid isn't just spur of the moment or something that you've approached half heartedly. It shows that you are focused, dedicated and committed to winning the bid and completing the necessary work. 

A little bit of research could really help you stand out against the competition and help you win that all important bid.

Winning tender bids, part 4.

Now that the contracting company knows who you are and how far your operational reach is, they are going to want to know just how reliable you are.

Reliability is key to winning tender bids. If you are not seen to be reliable, then someone else who is can be found quite easily. Therefore the potential client must be fully satisfied that your business will provide a reliable service or product. 

There's absolutely no secret to this one - you really must provide reliability. If you do then you will be able to prove that you do by being able to offer things like a 10-year guarantee as well as references from previous clients confirming that you and your workmanship are reliable. Some businesses may also be able to offer a preview of existing work if the product or service is suitable.

Winning tender bids, part 3. 

EuropeanTenders sees a lot of small businesses looking to find tender opportunities and often having a hard time fighting for the big contracts amidst the bigger companies that are out there. 

Unfortunately we live in a society where big brand names give us peace of mind and the illusion of security. Tender procurement is no different. Many bigger companies will win bids simply because they have a recognisable name that people can trust. 

However, small businesses, do not fear! There is still a huge market made up of thousands and thousands of tender opportunities from companies that are looking for smaller, more personal, reliable and affordable suppliers - this is where you come in.

A point to remember here is that a company is still not very likely to offer you the winning bid if they know absolutely nothing about your business, however this is not an invitation to bombard a potential client with masses of promotional material. A simple, concise, well presented summary of your business should suffice. 

To win trust and recognition you should be able to demonstrate the following qualities for your business:

• Quality
• Reliability
• Expertise in your field
• Value for money
• Dedication
• Creativity
• Work ethic