Let’s stop the scramble – being proactive in tenders just makes sense
Laura Moylan, Senior Tender Specialist (Perth)
How many of us have sat in a bid review thinking, ‘we’re cutting it close….again?’ I think we can all agree that playing catchup in a bid rarely leads to the best outcome. Being reactive, particularly with bid coordination, often feels like drowning, each day a struggle to break the water’s surface and take a breath. It’s exhausting, stressful and makes the task feel less fulfilling. It becomes less about strategy and more about survival – and that’s no way to win a bid!
Why are we reactive? What’s preventing us from being proactive on bids?
Typically, it comes down to one or more of these reasons:
What’s required, who is doing it and when it’s due are unclear
There are simply not enough people, or the right people, to do the work
Planning doesn’t allow for last minute changes and the time it takes to format is underestimated, and
Key decision makers are difficult to get face-time with.
In the tendering world, we are constantly adapting to changing priorities and requirements. Despite this, there are some simple dos and don’ts that can help us to start and stay ahead of the game:
✓ Agree expectations, roles and responsibilities early
Meeting with the entire bid team at the start of each bid to establish what is required and what each person is responsible for is critical for efficient and timely submission development. This is particularly important where there are one or more external parties involved – this might mean consultants or a multi-party commercial arrangement (Joint Venture, Consortium or Alliance).
Top Tip: Hold a separate roles and responsibilities meeting as research shows the average adult can only sustain attention for 20-30 minutes. Short, focused sessions will help your team to remain engaged, aligned, and clear on expectations. Combining too many topics risks losing attention and key details - keep it short and sharp for maximum efficacy.
✓ Ensure you have enough resources to produce the bid
One of the biggest mistakes companies make in tendering is not adequately resourcing their bid teams. Whether it is an excessive volume of work placed on the shoulders of a few people, or Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who are also juggling ‘day jobs’ and delivering live projects, the result is the same: a submission delivered just in time, under pressure, and with the team running on fumes.
Top Tip: The smartest way to fill resourcing gaps in your bid team? Bring in a tender management consultant like Tender Plus. A tendering consultant keeps the submission on track, supports busy SMEs with content development, and ensures your strategy is clearly woven throughout. With expert help, you can produce a compliant, polished, and strategic bid - without the stress!
✓ Monitor and manage scope creep
The main reason we get overwhelmed is because we simply have too much on our plate. But it doesn’t usually start out this way. As tasks are added to our workload the time required to complete them is often underestimated. Increasing an already lengthy to-do list can quickly lead to task paralysis.
At the start of a tender, we can only estimate what we think will be required, and sometimes the reality is that tasks we thought would be simple are more time consuming that originally anticipated. Continuously analysing the workload and identifying pressure points lets you bring in extra resources exactly when and where they’re needed.
Top Tip: Where you have the option to delegate tasks – do it! If you can’t delegate, start by prioritising tasks based on how long they will take to complete – quick wins are a great way to build momentum first! Next, focus on tasks where delays will hinder others in completing their part and where content needs strategic oversight and inputs, like methodology.
✓ Have a plan in place
Not only does a bid plan allow tasks to be assigned, but it can also act as a way to measure progress and flag areas of concern. As an added bonus, the act of creating the bid plan automatically means that the writer needs to fully research and understand the submission requirements - a critical aspect of proactive bid coordination.
Top Tip: Create a central point of reference for everyone by adding subsections (worksheets) to account for other tasks, such as logging attachments and developing CVs, and important information like contact details for bid team members and unavailability periods.
✓ Bring review dates forward
It can be a challenge to pick the right dates for reviews and approvals. Stakeholders are busy and calendars rarely align with the tender timeline. But the reality is that changes to pricing, commercial, program or methodology take time. On top of this, formatting and final production of the submission adds another layer of pressure. That’s why performing this part of the process earlier just makes sense. It allows breathing room to review properly, make necessary adjustments, and avoid last-minute rushes that inevitably lead to errors.
✓ Adopt a staggered approach for approvals
In tendering, not all schedules are equal - so don’t treat them that way. Straightforward forms, checklists, or attachments like company profiles and financials can often be finalised early. Locking in these simple items ahead of the complex ones saves time, reduces pressure later and helps the team feel real progress. Staggering approvals also makes the final workload feel less overwhelming. While senior leadership time is often limited, early communication and readiness helps to minimise disruption. If a schedule is ready, don’t wait to finalise it!
Figure 1: The Dos and Don'ts of proactive tender management
With our busy, priority-packed lives, it’s more important than ever that we shift from reacting to leading. With tenders, being proactive isn’t just a nice to have – it’s the difference between a near miss and a winning submission.
Need help being more proactive on your bids? Tender Plus can help. From our offices in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, we provide national tender consulting services, including tender coordination, tender writing services and tender support. Contact our team today to take the stress out of your tender coordination process.
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