Checklist To Procure A Government Tender

Have you ever pondered, why time and again even after persistently applying and bidding for tenders (be it government tenders or private ones), you don’t get any final closures? If you are following the same routine every time you fail a bid, but expect the result to be different; then clearly your unchanged inputs will give you the same unchanged and undesirable output.

To help you cope with this issue better, we have put together a smart checklist to win a government tender. This article is a must-read before bidding for a government tender.
1. Read the tender document carefully:
Once you have the government tender document in your hand, the first thing to do is to go through the tender specifications very tediously. The biggest mistake a bidder would make is to miss out on certain key specifications while you are preparing your bid proposal before you officially apply for the same. The buying organization/tenderer will be able to catch this blunder very easily that you haven’t gone through the tender document completely. Hence, read each specification very carefully to avoid missing out in answering or responding to a few of the specifications asked out in the government tender document.

2. Be registered in the Supplier database of relevant government organizations:
You can say if you are in the pool of suppliers of all relevant and prestigious organizations/ governments bodies you are halfway there. The next question in your mind would be, how do I reach this pool? Firstly, your previous work talks for itself: hence ensure smooth succession of projects you take up. Secondly, you need to ensure that your sales representative (i.e. if you have a sales team) have pitched the right organization and bodies in the past certain years wherein they have shared their card/contact details which most organisations store for future use. It is a smart idea to ensuring that you are registered in the supplier database of all the relevant government bodies/organizations which pertain to your line of business. Additionally, here you stand a chance to be able to participate in any new government tender that the specific government body will come out with.

 3. Stay alert for tender release dates:
As a bidder, you need to be right in time for all probable tenders for your business. It is practically impossible to hire people who are continuously in search of not only new but also lucrative tender be it online or offline. You need to be aware when the government tender is opened to the public media. Being aware in time and alert about your relevant tender is very crucial for the overall efficient tender proposal bid submission. There are a lot of websites offering customized services about the tenders getting released on a daily basis that pertain to your industry/sector. Hence, it is highly recommended to invest time and money in registering your company with renowned tender aggregators online. Once you register, you get a plethora of tender options to choose from. Additionally, you can opt-in for receiving in time notifications/alerts about the government tenders that got released for your chosen profile of industries.

4. Do your research thoroughly:
In today’s time, we do a lot of research before even buying even purchasing a household small item. Well, then something as large and vital as bidding for a government tender is a must. Always research the buyer’s profile. Start off by visiting their website and look out for what are the goals of the company, what’s their overall vision/mission. Are they looking at a supplier with specific USP’s for their newly released tender? Similarly, having a detailed study about your competitors is also valuable. Get answers to questions like, Are your competitors up to something new? What are their strengths and weaknesses?. This information may sound very non-valuable to you at present but it’s very crucial for you to gather at the nascent stage of your business. This data analysis will not only help you make your pitch stronger but will help you in highlighting your core capabilities and USP in a more concise and clear manner. This is critical data while you’re drafting a bid application.

5. Follow through the instructions like a racing horse:
While you’re writing a strong and efficient bid proposal, this is one of the most crucial things you cannot ignore. In this highly competitive bidding environment, most suppliers end up only skimming through the instructions, and not following them thoroughly. This eventually leads to getting a half-baked proposal document, which lacks the key information that the buyer is looking for. This could lead to a very high chance of failure as a business.

6. Make sure all supporting documents are in place:
This is a very critical aspect that cannot be ignored whilst you are in the process of submitting a tender. Sending an incomplete proposal document is the worst black spot on your brand which will ensure your bid never gets shortlisted. Make a list of all necessary supporting documents that will be required to be submitted along with the bid proposal, and keep them aside in the order of progressive responses given in your bid proposal for the applied government tender. We recommend having a one-stop for all your critical tender/brand/company documentations which can be retrieved whenever need within the least time. Additionally, these documents should be updated timely with upgraded team skills and projects undertaken to avoid last-minute chaos.

7. Run a third eye on the bid proposal kit before submitting it:
A review or a third eye run on the bid proposal is as critical as preparing the bid papers. Here, you may not be able to identify missed documents or requirements and hence a fresh/new third eye review is vital. We recommend, once your bid proposal document is ready for submission, review it carefully by going over the instruction points, and mapping them with responses that you have provided in your bid proposal. Side by side, keep a check on the supporting documents you have attached with the bid proposal. Ask yourself, if each document attached makes your case stronger or weaker? If the answer is stronger, you are heading in the right direction. Lastly, you need to organise these documents in a relatable chronological order for easy referencing and judging. A complicated and unorganised bid file is often rejected due to its complexity.

8. Submit the proposal before the closing date:
Once you read the entire bid documentation you should note down the last date of bill submission. Start back working to ensure you do not default in your tender submission. It is foolish to wait till the last minute to submit your proposal and avoid missing out on some great opportunities.

Summing up:
The latest trends in the tendering industry are e-tendering and e-procurement procedures to ease out the hassle of manual submissions and paperwork making it an online robust and transparent tendering process. Here is a Stepwise manual for e-submission of bids online for Government tenders for your reference.