Writing Melbourne and Victorian government tenders is generally a long, demanding process, particularly with the significant amount of supporting documentation required. In addition to asking for details on experience, case studies and other key personnel, Government departments often require businesses to provide a broad range of supporting documentation such as WHS, Quality Assurance, and other documentation.
How to position your business to win a Victorian Government Contract or tender in Melbourne
It is important to position your business or organisation as highly credible, with the right capability, expertise and systems and procedures to provide the required services or works. You can do this by:
- Introducing your team and personalising your bid. Whether you are bidding for a construction, trade, healthcare or contract from any other industry, it is important that you introduce each of your team members. Write quotes and commentary from your team members throughout the bid. Talk about the individual experience of each of your personnel and how their experience will benefit the project or service you a looking to secure a government contract for. Finally, localise your bid through your personnel. Talk about your location in Melbourne or Victoria and any connections with the local community. Finally, provide evidence of any experience you have put forward that you consider relevant.
- Present your previous experience and expertise in a factual, detailed and credible manner. When you are talking about your experience throughout your bid it is important to go into detail. Reflect on your past projects or contracts broadly – i.e. don’t narrow your previous experience to the cire services of a contract. Talk about other aspects of the contract such as challenges overcome, safety record and quality assurance processes put in place. In addition, the reality is that government contracts have a substantial amount of reporting and administration associated with them. The Victorian Government, Melbourne City Council, and other local government authorities throughout Victoria will want to be certain that you can manage the nuts and bolts of the contract if you are awarded it. Demonstrate that you have managed the administration and reporting components of a government contract is critical to this.
- Present your bid professionally. It is an unfortunate reality that some government procurement departments are impressed by flashy graphics. At a bare minimum, a professional, polished tender document is generally required to build credibility in the eyes of the reader. Take the time to ensure your writing, marketing, and branding is consistent throughout your bid and that your document is correctly formatted. Any supporting documentation will also require consistent formatting and branding with a cover page and overall theme. If your proposed bid or tender solves a complex problem, it can be a good idea to present your solution as a graphic or infographic.
- Ensure everything you write is measurable, evidenced and quantified (where possible). The more facts and figures, and the more realistic your bid is, the more credibility it will have. Many companies write everything and everything in order to secure a Government tender in Melbourne and Victoria. However, experienced members of procurement panels can see through this and will look for facts and figure. Take the time to evidence what you put forward in your bid in order to ensure you put forward a compelling bid.
- Read between the lines and position yourself as the solution. This is important as you need to get the ‘gist’ of the tender and what the respective government department or local Council is looking for. You can then craft your win themes around this requirement. When you develop your win themes be sure to integrate them throughout your proposal so there is consistent messaging throughout your proposal.
- Focus on local benefits. Victorian Government tenders, including the Councils in Melbourne and across Victoria all have a major focus on local jobs and the local economy. In your bid you need to focus on how your proposed solution will provide local benefits including social benefits, jobs and even environmental benefits.
Strategies for incumbent providers as well as the non-incumbent
Over the years, we have helped many businesses, large and small, bid for contracts where they are the incumbent service provider. I.e. they currently hold the contract. When you are in this position, you need to be strategic. Firstly, it’s important to highlight everything you have delivered over the contract. Include testimonials and any other feedback and reports on contract KPIs. It’s also important to focus on the future.
Demonstrate to the client that you have not become complacent. That you are committed to continuous improvement. You need to show you have new ideas, will continue to improve service outcomes and that you don’t take the contract for granted. It is also critical provide a roadmap for the future with a strong value-services proposition.
On the other hand, if you are a competitor who is not an incumbent and are looking to secure a government contract, you need to bring something new and fresh to the service provision. It’s easy for a procurement panel to reappoint the same provider with a track record. If you want to be appointed, in addition to proving yourself to be a credible provider, you need to show that you provide something better. This can often be achieved through technology and introducing some kind of technology or software system to support your service that the incumbent does not provide.
How can I get help to win a Melbourne Government Tender or Victorian Government Tender
Our team of tender writers is here to help. We have written hundreds of government tenders across a range of different industries including medical, defence, construction and community services. We know the ins and outs of the RFT documents, what to look for and what you need to do to submit a compelling response.
A team of four, we have experienced Melbourne Government Tender Writers ready to assist your business with your next tender response. We have worked on over 1 Billion dollars in contracts since 2007 and have a strong success rate. Our services extend to include:
- Assisting with the bid/no bid decision
- Writing tailored and concise content
- Developing a tender library for your future needs
- Developing graphics
- Drafting and setting up supporting documentation.
Our team of Melbourne Government Tender Writers are capable of providing a system on a range of proposals and at any stage of the process. Regardless of if you require us to review a draft or near final version, write the document from scratch, or assist with filling any gaps or requirements in the process, we will assist and provide a responsive service.
We provide a fixed fee or hourly rate service, depending on the type of task and your specific needs. Call our team on 0410 448 770 for further input.
