What is a tender content library?

A tender content library is a central depository of information that you have used in previous tenders. Creating a tender content library enables you to centrally store all the content from previous bids and organise it to ensure you have quick and easy access to it. 

It is generally hosted in Office, Gmail or another program depending on what software package you use. Having a tender content library in place provides you with a number of benefits including:

• Driving efficiencies in the tender preparation process so that you can focus more on tailoring content for the specific opportunity.
• Providing boilerplate content for use to generic tender questions that come up often.
• Helping you save ‘best practice’ responses for future use. 
• Limiting any key person risk.

What is a capability statement?

A capability statement is like a mini tender document. It is a well designed, professional document that showcases your experience, personnel, capabilities and other company information. It is often used as an introductory document to send to the client once you have met them. 

Capability Statements are used by all industries. From lawyers and accountants to showcase their capabilities in specific practice areas, to builders and construction companies and subcontractors showcasing their case studies and experience, capability statements are a great way to present a professional document to potential clients when they haven’t adopted a formal procurement process and have instead asked you to ‘send something through’.

How much does it cost to write a tender?

You can refer to our fees page for more detail on how much it costs to write a tender. However, to give you an idea or description, the least we have ever charged to complete a tender is $700 and for some large infrastructure bids the cost has been over $40,000. It depends on how much work is involved. Generally speaking, if you are a medium sized business looking to complete a standard tender to a local council our average costs is around $3,000. 

Some of the factors that influence our fees for tender writing include:

•  Any existing content you have.
• The state of the supporting documentation you have (modern slavery policies, WHS documentation etc).

Will using a tender writer increase my chances of wining?

More often than not yes. Unless you have a highly experienced, and expert team of tender writers in your organistion, in which case, it’s possibly that we would not increase your chances of winning. However, the vast majority of the time we will increase your chances of winning by producing a compelling bid. 

Why is tendering to government so hard?

Tendering to government is challenging and hard. This is mainly due to the high level of competition for government contracts as well as all the compliance requirements and supporting documentation required. 

What is the difference between a request for tender and a request for proposal?

They are similar. A request for proposal often does not include a pricing requirement. 

What is a tender or a proposal writer?

A tender or proposal writer, like our team members here at The Tender Team, are professional writers that specialise in writing tender responses. 

What does a tender writing consultant do?

A tender writing consultant will work with you to develop your bid or tender response. 

How does the tender writing process work?

The bid writing process changes on a bid by bid basis. There are some basic steps in the process that generally stay the same.  They key components of the tender writing process are:

1. Reviewing the RFP to make sure you have the experience, expertise and qualifications to respond.
2. Gather the necessary information form internal stakeholders.
3. Storyboard and write an initial draft of your response.
4. Gather and where necessary develop supporting documentation.
5. Write your second draft and finalise it, including internal review and consultation and the development of graphics.
6. Submit the bid.

How do I find the right tender writer?

We would like to say that we are the right tender and bid writer for everything. On some occasions, we don’t have experience or knowledge in your particularly industry. Having a bid or tender writer that knows your industry can be handy – and we will certainly point you in the right direction if we don’t know enough about your industry to really add value.

The right tender writer needs the experience, energy and interpersonal skills to write a quality bid and also manage the bid writing process. 

How do I find out about new tender opportunities?

There are several tender, bid and contract notification services in Australia and globally that are able to advise you of new tender opportunities. Get in touch with us so we can let you know the service that best suits you. In addition, in the private sector, some companies do not publicly release their bids. The business development functionality of your business will help you keep your finger on the pulse of new opportunities as they arise. 

What is procurement?

Procurement is the formal process of purchasing goods or services adopted by an organisation. 

What is the difference between a tender and a quote?

A tender is similar to a proposal that responds to a broad range of questions as part of a formal procurement process. It often covers methodology, quality assurance, fees, experience and a range of other factors. A quote is generally a simpler, shortened version of a tender which has a focus on price. 

How much do tender writers charge in Australia?

We don’t have detailed knowledge of what our competitors charge, however, we do have some basic idea. We generally work off a rate of $140 + GST per hour for our tender writing services and $100 + GST per hour for graphic design services. We can also provide you a fixed rate. Our pricing is in the mid-range. Other bid writing services charge from $100 + GST per hour to up to $240 + GST per hour to the best of our knowledge. 

A critical point is that you need a bid writer who is experienced and who has the capacity and energy to assist. 

How do you successfully win a tender?

To win a tender you need to:

• Submit a complying response.
• Provide the necessary supporting documentation.
• Detail and showcase your experience and expertise. 
• Put forward a compelling value proposition. 

What is the difference between an EOI and a tender?

An expression of interest is the first step in the tendering process. It is a lot less onerous than a tender and is generally used as a screening tool to filter through potentially qualified companies to invite to a more thorough tender process. 

What is a tender or bid writer?

Our writers are marketing and communications professionals that specialise in writing tenders and bids. 

Do you provide full bid writing services and can you write our tender from start to finish if we are not good at writing?

Yes – certainly.  We can take care of the entire tender writing process from start to finish. We do this for many clients who may be too busy, or like to be hands-on in their business. Generally speaking, the only part of the process you will need to complete yourself is the pricing and some specialist technical parts. Although the specialist technical components we will work with you on.

What are the key differences between open tenders and selective tenders in Australia?

An open tender is a tender that is open to the public. These are usually more competitive, since the tender is publicly notified and any company that meets the minimum requirements can bid for it. A selective tender is a tender where companies are pre-selected to bid are invited. This is usually less than ten companies and is often three or four. Our team of consultants can help with both open and selective tenders. 

How do I prepare a compliant tender response for Australian government tenders?

To prepare a compliant response, you need to tick all the boxes – so to speak. Therefore, work within the requirements of the tender and ensure you comply with all the mandatory selection criteria. This includes attaching proof of insurances and other documentation (such as safety). When we assist you with a bid, we generally create a compliance checklist at the start of the process to ensure your bid is compliant. 

What are the specific requirements for tendering in the Australian healthcare industry?

There aren’t any specific requirements for tenders in the Australian Healthcare Industry. It varies from tender to tender. Usually when the tender is released, it will list the requirements (such as FDA approvals) and you will need to ensure you comply with this requirements.

Can you help me identify suitable tender opportunities in Australia?

Yes –  we have a tender notification service to help you find suitable tender opportunities. We make sure that we understand your businesses so that you can assess opportunities that you actually have a chance of winning. That way you don’t waste your time and resources bidding for opportunities that aren’t real opportunities. Talk to our team about the type, and location of opportunities you are interested in bidding for. 

Can you help me understanding the tender requirements and evaluation criteria so I write the correct responses?

Of course. When we work on a tender with you one of the first things we do is create a checklist. We do this by reviewing the requirements and the evaluation criteria. We then ensure you have an understanding of what they are looking for and that your business has the right experience and skillset to assist. When writing your proposal or bid, we ensure what you are writing reflects the evaluation criteria and what they are looking for. This increases your prospects of success. 

Can you help me develop a winning tender strategy?

Yes. This is one of the first things we do with any bid. We will work with you to understand how your business fits in with the market. Your winning tender strategy is not always exactly the same as your normal business sales strategy. We will look at what the tender is asking for, what the requirements are, and who the competition are, and then we will formulate a strategy for that is tailored to the opportunity. 

Do you provide guidance on tender response writing and formatting and can you help me format my tender?

Certainly. We will write your response for you and ensure it is all correctly formatted. Alternatively, if you have already written the tender or bid, our consultants can help format it and edit and review the content to ensure it is professional and polished. 

Can you help me prepare supporting documents, such as resumes and references?

Yes. This is normally the case on tenders and bids that we work on. CVs of your key personnel and references are generally straight forward. It gets a bit more complex when there are requirements for modern slavery policies and WHS management plans. Either way – we are able to assist and will help you create the supporting documentation you require for your bid to ensure it is compliant. 

Can you assist me with tender pricing and costing?

Yes and no. We do not know enough about your industry or business to price your tender for you. Even if we have some idea of industry rates for specific industries, every business and tender is different. What we will certainly do is assist you with interpreting pricing questions so that you know what to do and how to answer them. This is often the case with product supply questions where our clients find completing pricing questionnaires that ask you to account for exchange rate risk challenging. 

Can you provide post-tender support, such as tender evaluation and contract negotiation?

Yes. Our team will be with you every step of the way to contract success. Most of the time, prior to contract negotiation, you will need to deliver a presentation. We can help you prepare the presentation and will also help you by conducting practice sessions to ensure you are well prepped. In addition, when the procurement teams asks for more information, supplementary questions and a best and final offer, we will assist. Finally, when you are negotiating the contract, we are also able to assist to ensure you achieve a successful and also profitable, outcome. 

Do you specialize in any particular industries or sectors in Australia?

We are generalists and our skillset is transferable. Therefore, we work in all industries and sectors from defence to cleaning. 

Do you have experience with Australian government tendering processes?

Yes. Information is provided here on our government tender writing experience and capability. 

What is your success rate in winning tenders in Australia?

Our success rate is 66% – a figure we are proud of given our clients aren’t always in the optimal position to win. We are currently at 95% when helping clients who are the incumbent provider. 

What is your approach to ensuring compliance with Australian tendering regulations and any other privacy and other regulations?

How do you handle confidentiality and data security in your work? Will a tender writing consultant keep our documents confidential?

Yes. We will keep all your documentation confidential. We don’t believe in Chinese walls. We only work on a tender at a time for each industry. All of your content will be stored on our servers which are located here in Australia and hosted by AWS. We have never had a confidential data / content incident and are proud of how seriously we take the security of our client’s data.

How do you handle unexpected changes or challenges during the tendering process? We are a busy construction company and sometimes half way through a tender things things change and we need to adapt to win. 

We have been through it all before and are an agile organisation. Once you engage us to work on a bid or tender with you – we are all in. That means – we encounter any unexpected changes or challenges, such as last minute JV partners or extensions to the tender period and substantial changes. We always take a solutions focus to any issues and work constructively to help you win. 

What is your fee structure and payment terms? How much does it cost to complete a small or medium tender if we have lots of previous tenders?

We can provide a fixed fee or an hourly rate. Whatever you prefer. If you have previous content, and it’s good quality – we will use it and tailor it to the opportunity. When we are providing you a fixed fee, if you have previous content, then we will use it and apply a decrease in price on our proposed fee.

We’re happy to work off hourly rates as well with reporting in fifteen minute intervals. Whatever our clients prefer. 

Do you offer a guarantee of success for the tenders you work on? Can yo guarantee I’ll win my tender if we get you to work on it as a consultant?

No unfortunately not. The reason is because we don’t control your pricing – as well as a few other factors. We will always do our best and the sole focus of our service is to help you achieve tender success.

Do you use any proprietary tools or software to streamline the tender writing process? Do you use AI software programs to write the bid? Can you set one up for us?

Good question! When we are writing we generally write from scratch. We will work with your previous content of course and gather information from SMEs. We are familiar with nearly all of the software tools and many of them can be very helpful for creating a first draft. If you are looking to introduce tender writing software and AI writing software into your organisation, let us know and we can help you find the most suitable provider. 

How do you handle last-minute changes or extensions to tender deadlines?

We’re flexible. We work well under pressure and generally handle them without issue. If there are extensions to the tender deadline we will work with you make any changes or amendments to your bid or proposal before the new deadline (as they usually extend tenders and bids because 

How do you handle conflicts of interest when working with multiple clients in the same industry?

We don’t work for multiple clients in the same industry on the same tender. We go even further to avoid potential conflicts of interest. We don’t work with multiple clients, from the same industry, on different tenders – at the same time. 

Do you have experience working with small or medium-sized businesses? Can you or your consultants help my small business win a government tender or local Council tender?

Yes – of course. 60% of our clients are small and medium businesses. We have helped small businesses win tenders all across Australia from remote WA to Sydney. We can help you win bids and tenders of all shapes and sizes. 

What are the best websites in Australia for searching for tenders for free?

There are a number of avenues in Australia to search for tenders free of charge. These include:

• AusTender: The Australian Government’s tender portal.
• Government tenders on State-based portals such as in NSW and Queensland.
• ICN Gateway: An industry network.
• Local Government Tender Portals (by registering with your local Council for tender opportunities)
• The Tender Team – that combines a search functionality. 

What is a tender consultancy?

A tender consultancy, like us here at The Tender Team, is a consultancy that helps businesses write bids and tenders and review bids and tenders. They are mostly engaged by businesses and organisations of all shapes and sizes to assist with writing bids and tender to win government contracts. The Tender Team is a tender consultancy based in Sydney with a presence in Melbourne, Brisbane and across Australia that specialises in helping businesses win more tenders.

Which is the best website to find tenders? Where to find tenders in Australia and what is the best website to find tenders?

Please refer to our response above. The best websites for searching for tenders are:

• AusTender: The Australian Government’s tender portal.
• Government tenders on State-based portals such as in NSW and Queensland.
• ICN Gateway: An industry network.
• Local Government Tender Portals (by registering with your local Council for tender opportunities)
• The Tender Team – that combines a search functionality. 

How do you win more tenders?

There are many strategies you can employ to win more tenders. Please refer to this article if you are looking to win more Council and government tenders. Here at The Tender Team we recommend the following strategies to help clients win more tenders (feel free to contact us for further detail or assistance):

• Qualify each opportunity and bid for projects you have the skills and experience to deliver. The idea that you have to be in it to win it doesn’t apply unless you have the credentials. Quality over quality is best.
• Ensure you include evidence throughout your proposal or tender. Testimonials and statistics are critical.
• Present your bid professionally with graphics and infographics.
• Write concisely and go into detail where required. 
• Focus on the local area and talk about how the economic and social benefits of the contract will flow through to the local area. 

What is a response to a tender proposal?

A tender proposal is a document detailing your expertise, capability, price and other factors, that you submit to a government department or private sector organisation in response to a request for tender, request for information or request for proposal. 

How do you answer tender questions?

In order to comprehensively answer a tender question, our writers here at The Tender Team:

• Brainstorm and break down the question.
• Write sub-headings for the response to cover the different parts of the question
• Write a draft template response
• Find and include testimonials and supporting evidence
• Write the answer to the question
• Have the response peer reviewed
• Finalise the response to the question.