Blog hero - The Tender Response Process
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The Step-by-Step Guide to Responding to Tenders

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Blog hero - The Tender Response ProcessYour tender response process guides the essential steps you need to take to submit a winning tender. Australian Tenders has provided the following guide, which covers that process and can help you gain that competitive edge.

Responding to tenders doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you’re preparing a government tender in NSW or bidding on private contracts in WA, having a structured response process will help you submit stronger, more successful bids.

This guide breaks down the tender response process into clear, actionable steps, so you can tender with confidence and win more work.

Prepare Before You Write: Set Yourself Up for Success

Tender preparation is one of the most important steps you can take to streamline your response process. By organising your key documents, case studies, staff credentials, and WHS materials in advance, you’ll save significant time and avoid last-minute stress. Having a tender-ready library not only speeds up each submission, it also improves the quality of your response.

Want to save hours on every tender? Read our blog on how smart tender preparation saves time and boosts win rates.

 

1. Register Your Interest

Before preparing for any tender response, remember to always register your interest on the relevant tender portal. This keeps you up to date on any changes, addendums, or clarification questions from the buyer.
 
 

2. Build Your Tender Team

Assign roles (even if it’s just you and one reviewer). Divide the tasks such as gathering insurance docs, checking compliance criteria, or final proofreading.

Leverage Technology to Streamline Your Tender Response

Don’t underestimate the power of digital tools in reducing stress and improving the quality of your tender submission. From collaboration platforms to document management systems and response templates, technology can help you stay organised, meet deadlines, and reduce errors. 

 

3. Read the Tender Documents

If you don’t answer a question in a tender, your tender may be deemed non-compliant, and you may be ruled out of contention. Similarly, if a question isn't answered sufficiently, the evaluators may give you a low score, significantly reducing your chances of winning.

At Australian Tenders we tell our clients that it’s important to read not just the tender questions, but the tender documents in their entirety including:

  • the Conditions of Tender
  • the Evaluation Criteria
  • the Scope of Works
  • the Form of Tender
  • the Conditions of Contract
See detailed explanations of each of these points and more in the full glossary of tendering terms.

4. Attend the Tender Briefing

Attending tender information sessions can be valuable, as it allows you to ask questions and contact the buyer.

 

5. Define Your Value Proposition

Answer this clearly: Why should the buyer choose you?
A value proposition is a clear statement explaining how your product:
  • Solves your customers’ problems
  • Improves their situation
  • Delivers specific benefits
  • Tells them why they should buy from you and not from the competition.
Developing a clear value proposition is the first step in writing a tender response and will make the job of writing the tender response much easier. Read more about Value Propositions and how they benefit your business in our blog How to Present Your Value to Win Tenders.


6. Bid or No Bid Decision Time

Responding to a tender typically requires significant time and resources, and you should focus your efforts on those tenders which you have a good chance of winning. A common strategy is to bid for every tender and hope to win one. Hope is not a good strategy. We suggest you tender less often, to win those that you do tender for. This may mean you have to pass on what looks like some good opportunities. This requires discipline.  
 
blog content - Should We Bid Decision Tree Chart
 
See our detailed article about making the bid/no bid decision here.
 
 

7. Write Your Tender Response

We’ve created a detailed guide on how to write a strong tender response, so check it out for the full breakdown, but here’s a quick summary of the key points.
 
This is the part everyone stresses most about. However, if you have done all of the above, you will find this is just another part of the tender process. 

Use the tender document as your guide if there is no attached response form to fill in. Your tender response should reflect the format the buyer has used. Use the same fonts and spacing as the buyer and copy and paste the headings in the tender document or selection criteria, and respond directly to these.

Essential details and mandatory criteria will be required in your tender response. These may include things such as (list below from the Queensland Government):

  • Your ABN
  • A company profile and capability statement
  • References from reliable sources
  • Whether you propose to subcontract
  • The price for each product or service you offer, and an indication of whether these are fixed or variable (based on exchange rates or consumer price index variations)
  • Any conditions affecting the price
  • Delivery details and charges
  • A proposed schedule stating meetings, progression, and delivery dates
  • Whether goods or services are periodic or recurrent
  • GST and other taxes
  • Applicable insurances
  • Intellectual property rights (where relevant)
  • A description of any variations you propose in meeting the conditions of the contract.


 

8. Submit Your Tender Response

Have all of your team or a clever friend read your tender response carefully for typos and errors. Attention to detail in your response is viewed as your ability to attend to detail in your work. Follow the guidelines to the letter when submitting your response.

 

 

Good luck and remember - the more tenders you respond to, the better you get at it, and (with apologies to Kenny Rogers), the better you get at knowing when to hold them and when to fold them!

 

If you want to learn more about how we can help your tendering process, drop us an email at support@australiantenders.com.au. Alternatively, check our our free "Introduction to Tendering" eBook. It has everything you need to know about procurement and getting started on your journey. We want you to win, and we're here to help you.


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