Why are references important in bids and tenders?

References in tender proposals are often not often given the attention they deserve. There are generally two different types of references. The first are references required for Work Health and Safety verification purposes. These may be used to verify you have not had any claims against your company in previous contracts and are generally simple.

However, for references in tender proposals that attest to your ability to do the job – it’s game on. The first most important point is integration. Whether you are providing a professional service or proposing to undertake an engineering or construction project, the references you provide must integrate well with the case studies you have included in your response, the methodologies and procedures you have outlined as well as your key points of difference.

After all, there’s no real point in providing a reference from your best and most supportive client, if they are a small business and you are pitching to a corporation. Equally, there’s no real point in providing a reference from a large corporation, if you are pitching to a small business who is looking for responsive and personalised service. So it’s horses for courses, references to match the proposal, and a well-integrated tender strategy that will deliver results.

Finally, a solid bid/no bid decision process is also necessary to ensure you aren’t calling up your clients for use as references for a bunch of limited opportunities.

What references work best?

First and foremost the reference needs to be on your aside and also needs to be able to attest to your capabilities. There is no point in putting forward a referee who you don’t have a solid relationship with, even if that referee is from a large well-reputed organisation. It’s also useful to put forward references that are similar in size and scope to the organisation you are bidding to.

For assistance with your next tender contact our team of writers here at The Tender Team.

Our team of writers has completed a range of cleaning tenders for large cleaning companies and small businesses as well as to the Australian Government. We have helped write cleaning tenders to all levels of government including:

• Local councils and shires: We have helped cleaning and maintenance companies and other facilities services companies write tenders to local councils across Australia. Whether it’s in the Northern Territory, or the City of Sydney, we understand how to help small businesses win local government contracts. Where there are requirements for different supporting documentation, our team of proposal writers can help you develop the required documentation so you have a better chance of success.
• State Government: Our team of consultants here at The Tender Team have helped many cleaning companies submit bids to all state government departments such as the Department of Education and Department of Treasury. We have written bids to state departments in all states including New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. We understand how to comply with local jobs first requirements of each state, and are skilled in putting together complex cleaning proposals for multiple state government (and University) buildings and facilities.
• Federal Government: We have helped our clients win contracts to conduct cleaning services for a number of Government buildings including official government buildings and offices. For larger buildings and services (for example, cleaning scientific research facilities), complex cleaning services tenders need to be written with comprehensive solutions. We are skilled in helping our clients win these more complex contracts.

We are well aware of the fact that the cleaning industry is highly competitive and competition for lucrative government contracts is fierce. More often than not, there are multiple bidders including sub-contractors. Sub-contracting is inherent in the cleaning industry and many sub-contractors are looking to win their first cleaning tender. To win a cleaning tender, you need to put forward an innovative proposal that is well written, concisely written and is professionally presented and polished. You will need to cover key areas of concern, such as sub-contracting, WHS, Quality Assurance and other aspects of the tender in a comprehensive and convincing manner – that appeals to what the government or private sector is looking for.  

How to win cleaning tenders

You’ve got to tick all the boxes. Winning cleaning bids requires you to be completely compliant with all of the requirements, regardless of if you are submitting a cleaning tender to a government department or other private organisation.

That means WHS policies are in place, quality control procedures are robust and Business Continuity Plans are relevant. Your material safety data sheets and safe work method procedures also need to be relevant to the contract you are tendering for. It’s also important to tailor your procedures and documentation to the tender requirements, thus ensuring you have a tailored response.

For example, if there is an on-site inspection required, you may notice that there is a space allocated for storing chemicals and other toxic equipment. It’s critical to outline this in your response and explain how you will ensure the appropriate storage of goods.

Most cleaning companies will have all of their boxes ticked – so winning cleaning contracts requires you to develop an edge. A key point which is often overlooked is your presentation. Probity panels and other people tasked with reviewing the bid responses look not only at price, and insurance, but also the presentation of your proposal. They have to like you. They have to get a good feeling. These gut feelings often have a large weighting on the decision process. Therefore, it is critical to use a clean, crisp presentation method when tendering and ensure your proposal presents well. This includes having photos of staff members where applicable and graphically communicating your organisational hierarchy. We have an in-house graphic designer that provides assistance to ensure any cleaning tenders we work on for you look great.

The next key point is price.

We often leave that up to our clients, however, we do believe that coming in at the lowest price can often damage your credibility. The highest price can be hard to justify, so it’s great to be in the middle of the pack. However, different pricing strategies are applicable for different situations. Just remember, there’s no point in winning cleaning tenders that are not profitable, no matter what the size of the tender or the client. You need to make a profit, and your pricing strategy is needed to meet and beat the market whilst enabling you to do so.

Focusing on the long term

When writing a cleaning bid, it’s important to focus on the long term. You need to think and talk about how you will service your client and the contract over the full course of the contract. For example, a transition out plan, something you generally tend not to think about or write about, is as necessary as a transition in plan. The client will want to know that if in three or five years time, they chose another provider, you have a plant to transfer the contract over and leave everything organised and in good condition.

Another point is the maintenance and management of the premises you are cleaning. We recently won a tender for a client that put forward some innovative solutions and considerations in their bid which were very well received by the client. They talked about their cleaning methods and how they proposed to clean the newly installed wooden floors in the client’s gym facility. This was through a microfiber cleaning technique that limited the use of water and therefore ensured there was no long term impact on the wooden floors. Since the client had spent significant money on the wooden floor for the gym, they appreciated the bid showing consideration for best practice cleaning techniques.

A key area to demonstrates your commitment to quality control and delivering quality services over the term of the contract is your resourcing and recruitment procedures. Over a three year period, any cleaning company will surely have personnel leave their positions for different reasons. Firstly, in your bid, you want to highlight any supervisory staff and management that have been with your cleaning company for a long time. Talk about what you do to retain personnel and how you have a positive working culture. Secondly, you need to write about how this extends to your cleaning staff and entire team. Talk about different training programs and how you have avenues for promotion for staff that wish to become supervisors and managers. Finally, talk about your recruitment processes and demonstrate that they are robust. Think about what avenues you use to recruit personnel, if you have a pool of casual personnel you can call upon to work when required, and how your induction processes are well developed. 

Contact our team of help with your next cleaning opportunity

For more advice on winning more government and private cleaning tenders, contact our specialist writer, Jason Cooney, on 0410 448 770.

Jason will provide you with an initial consultation, advice, and fees for project managing your entire tender response. We have a range of supporting documentation that we are able to supply to you for your submission. We have worked on tenders and bids across Australia including all states, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Our experience includes working on cleaning tenders in remote and regional Australia and we have helped hundreds of small to medium sized cleaning businesses to secure contract for cleaning local council premises.

Our experience extends to helping clients write winning cleaning bids and tenders for different types of cleaning tenders including: 

High Rise Window Cleaning: These cleaning companies are highly specialised and generally apply for tenders for the exterior cleaning of windows and facades. Most of the bid and tenders we help our clients write are focused on safety and the various safety certificates and qualifications, as well as equipment required for working at heights. A strong safety culture that is reflected in your bid is critical to winning one of these bids.

Medical Cleaning: This is another specialised area and the client will want to know that you understand the specific rules and regulations for cleaning in the hospital environment. For the cleaning material used to disinfection procedures, sterilization procedures and access to medical premises, you need to demonstrate in your bid or tender that you have the expertise and experience to be trusted with the responsibility of cleaning in the medical environment. 

Construction and Industrial Cleaning: We have helped many cleaning companies that operate in the industrial and construction cleaning sector. Whether its an end of construction clean, or periodic cleaning for a factory or industrial premises, a robust tender or bid that talks about the chemicals you will use and your ability to clean in tough areas is important for you to win. We have helped many companies secure cleaning contracts for multiple sites including large distribution facilities in the transport industry. Spill clean ups and other specialist cleaning services are also worth bidding for and an area where we have seen our clients have significant success.

Hospitality cleaning and environmental cleaning are also both areas where there are many opportunities for specialist cleaning services providers to secure new contracts. We have helped clients write cleaning proposals to five start hotel chains, resorts and other hospitality venues such as pubs and clubs. We have also helped many cleaning companies bid for contracts in the environmental cleaning industry. Another specialised area, this includes contracts for environmental remediation, pollution cleanup, responding to oil spills and the cleaning, disposal and collection of hazardous waste.

Call The Tender Team now on 0410 448 770 or email info@thetenderteam.com.au to discuss how we can help you win your next bid or tender.