WINNING BUSINESS with tenders WAYNE DIGNAM MANAGING DIRECTOR.

WINNING BUSINESS

with tenders

WAYNE DIGNAM

MANAGING DIRECTOR

2Winning Your Bids

AGENDATRENDS1

2

3

4

5 OPPORTUNITIES

JOINT BIDDING

BEST PRACTICE

BID WRITING

3Winning Your Bids 3

Tender Team How do we bring business to our clients?

Live tender support

Bid process development

Develop written content

Evaluate previous tenders

Bidding since 2005

4Winning Your Bids

What would you like?

To be better at influencing and motivating others to give you

business

5Winning Your Bids

Strategy

Mixing marketing and pitching with

tenders

Find the right opportunities and partners

Develop your portfolio

Be smart with winning tenders

6Winning Your Bids

Current trends

» OGP Frameworks

» Well trained less buyers

» Sophisticated marking

» Data on suppliers

» New EU Directives

» More spending

» Joint bids

» Etenders

» Circular 10/14

7Winning Your Bids

What a buyer wants

Cost vs Risk vs Benefit

Criteria with highest ratings

Multiple buyers on panels

Kept out of trouble

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Framework

Specialists

Turnover

Have a lead

Mediation

Decide quickly

Joint Bidding


Joint Bidding

Invest time in finding out about potential

partners

Seek references Be ruthless with the award criteria

Have an agreement Mediator if required Legal certainty

10Winning Your Bids

Joint Bidding

Sign an NDA

Follow ITT format

Sign an agreement

Exclusivity

Define prime contractor

Liability and risks

11Winning Your Bids

Benefits

Added Value to a buyer

Less risk to buyer and bidders

Value to each bidder

Less risk for bigger contracts

Improved method of working

Cover geographic requirements

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Best Practice


Opportunity qualification•V

ery critical step in the sales process

•Considerations• Cost of submitting a tender

• Resources to prepare response

• Impact on day to day business activities

• Opportunity alignment with business strategy

• Ability to deliver the business

• Quantify win probability

•Not just a once off activity


Qualification – areas to examine

•Customer environment and landscape

•Competition

•Solution you are offering

•Commercial and legal considerations

•Understand why you will win

Have you a strategy to win?Have you a strategy to win?


Customer landscape•C

ustomer organisation structure

•Understanding the decision process

•Who are the decision makers?

•Have you relationships with the right people at the right levels?

•Is there an approved budget for the project?


Competition

•Who are the key competitors?

•What is their status with the customer compared to yours – existing suppliers?

•Competitor relationships in the customer organisation

•Competitor strengths – that differentiate them

•Competitor weaknesses – that need to be addressed

17Winning Your Bids

Outline Bid Plan

Task Owner Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14

Kick-Off Meeting All

Prepare Proposal Template Design

Prepare CV Template BM/Design

Prepare Case Study Template BM/Design

Issue CV & Case Study Templates BM

Prepare Methodology Design/PM

Prepare Mobilisation Plan Design/PM

Prepare Project Management Plan Design/PM

Draft Project Management Section Technical Writer

Prepare Schedule of Fees Team Lead

Gather CVs & Case Studies BM

Write Remaining Content Technical Writer/BM

Write Executive Summary Team Lead/BM

Collate and edit Design/BM

Proof All

Final Edits BM/Design

Proof All

Page Turn, Print & Bind BM/Design

Submit proposal Bid Manager


The RFT documentation•R

ead it thoroughly and understand it•A

sk clarifying questions early for anything that is not clear

•Particularly note:• Deadlines for various activities

• Dates for any briefing meetings/ information sessions

• Evaluation criteria – pass/fail and scoring

• Any room for negotiation on contract terms

• Format of response if stipulated

• What has to be submitted


Structure and content of the response

•Document your understanding of the customer’s requirements• Key objectives for the project

• Obstacles that need to be overcome for success

•Describe your solution• Focus on how the solution meets the customer’s

business needs

• Demonstrate that your solution is low risk


Structure and content of the response•D

elivery team almost always required:• Be clear on the roles of each individual

• Prepare consistent CVs

• Make the CV relevant to this project

•Be clear about how service delivery will be managed and governed

•Ensure your text answers the questions being asked concisely

•Be consistent with similar information in different response sections


Pricing•P

repare pricing as early as possible – not a last minute task•U

nderstand minimum margins required by the business•R

eview risk log and factor in any contingencies into the model

•Use your wider organisation in negotiations with your suppliers and partners

•Provide pricing information in the format that is stipulated in the RFT


Submitting winning tenders•Q

ualify carefully and only respond to qualified opportunities• Have you engaged with the customer before the tender

was issued?• Do you really understand the customer’s requirements?

•Submit quality documents• Well structured as per instructions• Answer all questions concisely• Drive home the key sales messages that give advantage

•Price keenly for success


Opportunities

Meet the buyer events

Below threshold contracts

Private Sector Tenders

Framework Agreements

EU Funded Programmes

Joint Bids

24Winning Your Bids

Toolkit and next steps

Ask Questions•Meet buyers before tenders are advertised•Don’t be afraid to ask the obvious•Formalise the fact finding

Listen Carefully•Listen for needs•Everything they say is important to them, however trivial•Convince you are the right partner

Consult Widely•Seek input and guidance from as many stakeholders as possible•Enterprise Ireland, InterTade Ireland, CIF, Chambers Ireland, IBEC, SFA, ISME.

WINNING BUSINESS with tenders WAYNE DIGNAM MANAGING DIRECTOR.

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