How to Win Tenders

Every bidder who participates in a tender offer aims to win it. So what are the aspects that need to be focused upon to achieve success in this field? I am listing some important ones for you:

• Firstly find out the procedure adopted by the buyer for technical & commercial evaluation of the tender bids.

• Read the tender document / Request for Proposal (RFP) very carefully and ascertain your compliance for the tender conditions.

• Make your tender bid as per the format required by the tender document / RFP. Attach all supporting documents to indicate compliance to the terms & conditions.

• Make a competitive commercial bid offer. One trick to ascertain the cost expected by the buyer is by comparing the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) amount. Most Government bodies fix the EMD amount to 3-5 % of the anticipated tender cost.

• Ensure timely submission of the tender bids

• Be present / available at tender evaluation meetings, when invited / allowed, so that you can clarify any queries that the buyer has.

• Once the tender bids are opened you would become aware of your competitors and the products offered by them. With some study you would get a fair idea of the cost quoted by your competitors in wholesale / past tenders, which should give you an idea of where you stand.

• Sometimes the best of products fail during technical trials, so don't worry about the superior product offered by your competitors. In fact the tender process is to evaluate compliance to minimum specifications at lowest cost & not look for the best product offered.