9 Tips For Service Providers When Bidding For Supporting People Funding…

You probably already know with so much competition for funding you’ll need to communicate the value of your services effectively to get through any tendering process…

While there’s simply no way to guarantee your tender submission will be successful, you can increase your chances if you implement a few sound principles…

With some basic project management and following best practice around the tendering process, we’ve been able to help several clients successfully tender for new business. This includes the award of a million pound floating supporting people contract in the South East and assisting small providers onto Framework Agreements in five different local authority areas…

Of course you don’t really need specialist input to be successful – many providers already have the skills needed to adequately tender for new business…

Whatever your situation here’s a few things that we’ve picked up along the way you may find useful…

9 Tips To Improve Your Tender Submissions…

Having worked as a lead consultant with 21 local authorities on procurement and commissioning I’ve identified several ways to help with bid writing – here’s a few tips to point you in the right direction…

• Understand what makes your services different
• Write in short sentences and keep to the point
• Make sure you demonstrate the added value wherever possible
• Use ‘outcomes focussed’ case studies
• Plan your documentation well in advance of the submission date
• Follow all tendering guidelines provided to the letter
• DO edit, proof read and improve your final drafts
• DON’T answer questions in isolation – consider how all your answers contribute to the ‘whole’
• Don’t leave things to the last day and be too rushed – there’s too much at stake to lose out on a ‘technicality’

Are There Any ‘Secrets’ to Writing Tender Documents?

Not really – If you’re providing high quality in-demand services, backed up by evidence and value for money, you have what it takes to make a good case.

The best advice I’d offer for producing winning tender documents is to make sure the quality of your presentation is consistent while finding a way to show how your services ‘stand out’ and add significant value.

Of course you always have to satisfy all the criteria and demonstrate that you can deliver what you are proposing…

Thanks for reading,