How to start a tender response: an exercise in content planning

Roshan Sahukar and Ryan May, Tender Specialists (Sydney & Perth)

Just like any major task, sometimes the hardest part of writing a tender response is knowing how to start. Some people refer to this process as storyboarding, which has long been a method used in the film industry to work out the narrative arc of a movie – complete with camera angles. In tendering, I like to think of this process as content planning or content development, because it’s about working out the solution and the approach before you piece the narrative together. Angles are important here, too. In the way filmmakers do when planning a shot, when considering a tender response, we can ask ourselves: what’s our angle? A solid angle will align to the win themes in our tender strategy. Here’s how to start a tender in a way that will set you up for a full and considered response to the question.

Before your content planning session

First steps: study the question

The first thing to do when working on your content is to familiarise yourself with the requirements of the tender. For each returnable schedule, look at the question. This is an opportunity to really understand what the question is and work out exactly what it’s asking. As part of the storyboarding process, we should be asking ourselves, (a) what does the client want to know? and (b) how can we best answer the question in line with the tender strategy? Doing so will help us to begin formulating our possible solution and whether it fulfills the needs of the project and the priorities of the client.

Contributors – have we missed anyone?

At this point it’s useful to look at the contributors assigned to each returnable. Establish that they are indeed the right people to talk to, beginning with the lead author. A quick call to the lead is a great way to establish contact and ensure that they are on board and ready to hit the ground running. You may wish to schedule a meeting to discuss the question and to work on content planning together. Once you have all contributors on board you can check in with them as well to ensure they are the correct points of contact and that the right subject matter experts are being consulted.

During the content planning session

Responding to the returnable

Once you have everyone in a room, ask your contributors: What do the evaluators want to know? Can we give them everything they’re asking for? How do you think should we respond?

When you have a clear idea about what your response will focus on, it’s important to scrutinise this approach to ensure it’s the right one. Does this potential response answer the question? What other questions does it raise?

If the question is unclear

If the requirements are clear to your lead and contributors, that’s great. But sometimes what’s being asked is not clear cut and therefore might be worth clarifying with the client. This will involve raising a Request For Clarification (RFC). If you need to raise an RFC, it’s better to discuss with the lead and do it sooner rather than later to give the client time to respond.

Consider your strategy

Your tender strategy is an important thing to bear in mind when you’re developing a tender response. Use the win themes from your strategy to inform your solution. How does our strategy feed into our response? What is our emphasis (e.g. value, safety. community)?

Identify case studies

Past projects are a great way to illustrate your skills and experience as a company during a tender, especially if you can draw parallels between the work you have done and the project you are tendering for. Think about recently completed projects. Note down what the company did well for each project and why you think they are good examples.

Reflect on past projects

Once you’ve identified three worthy case studies, consider the similarities and differences between your case studies and the project you’re tendering for. It might help to refer back to your tender debrief for previous jobs to remind you of how you thought you could do better next time round and any potential improvements you can apply to this job.

When considering the similarities between your case study and the tender project, reflect on the following: How does your case study resemble the project you’re tendering for? What did you do well that you can replicate in this project? What would you do differently next time?

Consider the risks or challenges

Are there any risks or challenges related to the project, the question or our response? e.g. Are we leaving out something important? Is there anything we haven’t considered? Do our competitors have an edge? Are there any knowledge gaps? Does what we’re proposing answer the question?

Address curveballs

During content planning, there is every chance that one of your contributors could throw a curveball your way. This can be disruptive and disorienting, and as the meeting lead it is important you address any curveballs to ensure the meeting remains on track.

Regardless of whether the idea has merit or not, it’s ideal if you can table this addition until there is an opportunity to address it without disrupting the meeting. Inform the contributor that their input is valuable and that you’ll return to the issue once the current discussion is finished. When appropriate, the idea can then be explored.

If you cannot table a curveball, try to address it swiftly. Ask the contributor to elaborate on their idea. Identify if it answers the question and fits your win themes. If it does, it can be considered alongside the existing ideas. If it doesn’t, communicate this and move on.

Whether you call it content planning, content development or storyboarding, taking the time to understand the question and develop your tender solution is a worthwhile exercise. Need help? Talk to Tender Plus to find out how we can help you streamline your tender process and win more work.