How to Qualify Tender Opportunities.
James Connor Assistant Marketing Manager james@orbidalgroup.com
Key Takeaways. By the end of this presentation , you will : ✔ Understand the process of undertaking the Bid / No - Bid decision ✔ Understand the primary elements of the Bid / No - Bid decision ✔ Interpret the results of a Bid / No - Bid assessment with respect to a specific tender ✔ Take actions to improve your Bid / No - Bid score ( and win more contracts ) ✘ Never waste time on the wrong bid again !
Agenda. ✔ What is Orbidal ? ✔ What is a Bid / No - Bid Decision ? ✔ The 8 Characteristics of a Bid / No - Bid Decision ✔ How to Make a Rational ( Rather Than Emotional ) Bid / No - Bid Decision ✔ Interpreting the Outcome of Your Bid / No - Bid Decision ✔ Actionable Insights - Steps to Take Post - Decision
What is Orbidal? Orbidal is the all - in - one platform designed to help you : Discover opportunities to grow your business Qualify opportunities with our Bid / No - Bid tool Compete for new business Design winning proposals Learn from previous experience & utilise buyer feedback Optimise your tendering process Win lucrative government contracts
The Bid / No-Bid Decision. The Bid / No - Bid decision is a formal , rational process used to reduce bias when determining whether to submit a bid / proposal . Tender Tip On average , companies who qualify available tender opportunities win 30% more contracts than those who don ' t .
Bid / No-Bid Characteristics. Solution Competition Originality Timescale Size Budget Authority Needs
Solution. Do you have a solution that matches the customer requirement ? How closely does your solution match the buyer ' s need ? Is the buyer asking for the " right thing " and can you propose an alternative ? Are you willing to make the modifications necessary to better match the buyer ' s needs ? Tender Tip Read the RFT and highlight the key requirements , noting any that are complex or challenging to meet .
Competition. How do you stack up against the competition ? Is there an incumbent ? How favourably are they viewed ? Do you know who else is likely to bid on this contract and you compare with them ? Do you know how others will bid and can you deliver better value ? Tender Tip Do a SWOT analysis of both the buyer and and your potential competition .
Originality. Do you have a unique proposition or benefit that the buyer can only get from you ? What unique benefits do you offer that others can ' t or won ' t provide ? Are these benefits that you can articulate to the buyer ? Are these benefits that the buyer will value ? Tender Tip All solutions look very similar to the buyers . Research their buying motivations to uncover what differentiation they will really value .
Timescale. Is the bidding timescale manageable for you ? Is the buyer ' s timescale realistic ? Do you have the capacity to take on this opportunity if you are offered the contract ? Can you deliver in the timescale that the buyer expects ? Tender Tip Map the resources needed to deliver against the timescale to identify the funding , skills and other resources needed .
Size. Is the opportunity the right size for you ? Is the value of the contract aligned with your preferred size of contract ? Is there potential to increase the scope of work ? Is the return on investment sufficient for your business ? Tender Tip To be credible , you should be able to point to 3 examples of similar sized contracts where you have delivered similar requirements .
Budget. Can you price your solution within the customer ' s budget ? Does your solution fit within the budget the buyer has indicated ? Can the buyer increase the budget if required ? Tender Tip Calculate the cost of delivering the contract and determine your bid price from there . There are few contracts worth losing money on .
Authority. Do you know who will make the decision , and how will it be decided ? Is the competition being managed by the ultimate customer ( end user ) ? Is the evaluation of your submission being undertaken by the buyer or by an agent ? Are you confident in the ability of your buyer to evaluate your submission correctly ? Tender Tip Build relationships with influencers so that you can respond to the culture of the buyer and what ' s truly important to them .
Needs. Is there a pressing business need for the buyer to make a purchase decision ? Does the buyer need to make this purchase now ? Is this purchase aligned with the buyer ' s longer - term strategy ? Tender Tip Review the strategy and public announcements of the buyer to make sure that this purchase is aligned with their overall strategy .
The Bid / No-Bid Decision. Solution Competition Originality Timescale Size Budget Authority Needs 3 / 5 3 / 5 2 / 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 4 / 5 3 / 5 3 / 5 Bid / No - Bid Outcome You have scored 28 out of 40 (70%) with weaknesses in 4 out of 8 and a severe weakness in 1 out of 8 categories . Unless these weaknesses can be remediated ( resulting in a score of 32 or more ) a no - bid is recommended . The lower your score , the more effort you will need to invest in your proposal .
Steps to Take Post Bid / No-Bid. Solution Add customer requirements to your roadmap Competition Perform a SWOT Analysis against your top 3 competitors Originality Establish meaningful differentiation either in product or service delivery Timescale Hire additional resources to reduce timescales Size Build up to larger contract values Budget Reduce your cost of sale or operating costs Authority Build relationships with influencers ahead of competitions Needs Research buyers ' strategy to gain insights into needs vs . desires
Why Orbidal Wins >80% of Competitions We Participate In. Orbidal reduces the effort involved in tendering by approx. 40% Product Features Opportunity Discovery Opportunity Qualification Proposal Compilation SME Collaborators Content Management Task / Team Management Sales Pipeline Competitive Insights Tailored Recommendations
Services. Response Planning Bid Management Content Development Bid Reviews Insights & Critical Assessment
Talk to Orbidal. Orbidal has worked with 500+ businesses on public contracts (e.g. local authorities, central government, etc.) ... And Can Help You Win. Get in touch today at james@orbidalgroup.com or call on +353 (0)1 571 3244
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