How much time do you spend preparing and submitting tenders? The common answer: Too long.
For many large businesses, tendering forms a core part of their business growth. They do a significant number of tender responses, so they are lucky enough to employ people to prepare and submit their tender documents. Many small businesses do not have the luxury of employing someone for their tender preparation or have the budget to pay someone to prepare and submit their tender response.
If you've found yourself dedicating time inside AND outside of business hours to complete your company's tendering, then your answer, like many of us, is it's taking you too long. That's why we want to share with you the best four ways to reduce the tender preparation time!
Tender preparation takes time – a lot of time!
Struggling to finish tenders after hours? You’re not alone. Most SMEs across Australia say “tendering takes too long”, often two weeks or more per bid. The good news? A few repeatable systems can slash your workload and help you submit stronger, faster proposals.
Below are four time-saving tactics we’ve used with dozens of NSW, VIC and QLD suppliers to speed up tender responses without sacrificing quality.
Four Ways to Reduce the Tender Preparation Time
1. Build a Searchable Tender Library
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Sort by typical questions in your sector (construction, cleaning, IT, etc.).
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Tag documents with project type, client, and compliance topic (WHS, ISO, pricing).
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Index files—use a clear folder code like “QMS-1.2 | Environmental Policy”.
Once set up, you’ll reuse 70-80% of each response, saving days on every bid.
2. Develop case studies
| Title | A good title that explains the solution delivered and the value proposition for the client |
| Project Overview | Short project overview, including the client details (beware confidentiality requirements when disclosing client names), what the project was and why you were approached to provide your solution |
| The Problem | What it was and why it was a problem |
| The Solution | How the Problem was solved (be mindful not to give away your intellectual property with too many details) |
| The Outcome | Were there any obstacles along the way? How did you resolve them? and what was the feedback? (e.g. quotes and testimonials). In addition, you will also add some visual proof of the project outcomes. |
Most often, when we develop case studies for businesses, we do a one-page document. You can re-use and repurpose for quotes, tenders and capability statements with little need to amend – thus saving heaps of time as the information is handy and looks great.
3. Keep up to date with your 'people's skills
Like your tender library, create a staff/training register; Excel is an excellent tool for this. You can incorporate all pertinent information about each staff member, so it's easy to reference. For example:
| Staff Name / Role | Jane Smith – Site Supervisor |
| Years’ Experience | 12 yrs (5 yrs with us) |
| Key Licences | White Card – 2028 |
| Project Match | Similar high-rise fit-out, Brisbane 2023 |
4. Focus on quality and exercising your obligation of duty of care
Invest time to build:
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Master risk-assessment templates
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Approved Safe Work Method Statements
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Incident-report forms and logs
Tip: Check out Risk Management Guide for Commercial Cleaning Tenders for practical tips and templates you can reuse in future submissions.
When safety is already embedded in daily operations, you simply attach the latest version—no last-minute scramble.
The Value of Being Tender Ready
