How to Write a Winning Tender: 7 Steps for SMEs

1. Understand the Opportunity Inside Out

Before writing a single word, SMEs must start by understanding the tender opportunity thoroughly. Many losing bids fail because suppliers misunderstand the requirement or don’t fully align with the evaluation criteria.

Key actions:

• Read the specification line-by-line
• Review all mandatory requirements (certifications, insurance, accreditations)
• Understand deliverables, contract duration, KPIs, SLAs, and quality standards
• Check budget, pricing structure, and payment terms
• Identify all submission documents, portals, and deadlines

Successful bidders treat the tender documents as a blueprint. If a requirement seems unclear, submit clarification questions early. Remember: public buyers must answer these transparently and share responses with all bidders.

The goal is to be absolutely certain you can meet (or exceed) what the authority expects before you start drafting.

2. Focus on the Evaluation Criteria — Your Guide to Scoring

Every tender includes evaluation criteria, question weightings, and scoring guidance. This is your roadmap to winning — ignore it, and you’re gambling.

To write a winning tender, SMEs should:

• Prioritise high-weighted questions
• Follow scoring guidance exactly (e.g., 0–5 or 0–100 scoring scales)
• Structure responses around the evaluation points
• Avoid generic company information unless directly relevant

Buyers score based on evidence, not effort. Even well-written responses fail if they don’t address every scoring requirement. Align your narrative tightly to the marking criteria, and make it effortless for evaluators to award top marks.

3. Plan Before You Write: Structure, Responsibilities, and Evidence

Too many SME bids are rushed in the final days leading to submission. This leads to mistakes, missing evidence, and generic answers. A winning tender benefits from planning.

Recommended planning steps:

• Allocate each question to the most knowledgeable team member
• Create an internal schedule that finishes 3–7 days before the deadline
• Identify required evidence early (policies, CVs, case studies, certificates)
• Build a clear structure for each response

A strong structure helps evaluators quickly understand your solution. A reliable formula is:

Introduction → Approach → Evidence → Benefits

This ensures your response is logical, comprehensive, and demonstrably capable.

4. Write Clear, Concise, and Compelling Answers

Tender writing is not marketing copy — but it must still be persuasive. The objective is to prove your SME can deliver exactly what the buyer needs, how you’ll deliver it, and why your approach is the best option.

Tips for high-scoring responses:

✔️ Be clear

Avoid jargon. Explain processes simply. Use short sentences.

✔️ Be concise

Stick to word limits. Remove unnecessary detail. Every sentence should earn its place.

✔️ Be compliant

Mirror the buyer’s terminology. Address each requirement using the same structure and language.

✔️ Be compelling

Highlight strengths, innovation, and measurable benefits.

✔️ Use evidence

Replace claims with proof:

• past performance metrics
• case studies
• accreditations
• customer testimonials
• data demonstrating efficiency or quality

Evaluators want certainty — evidence is what convinces them.

5. Demonstrate Social Value — It’s a Mandatory Scoring Area

Since the UK Social Value Model became mandatory, at least 10% of all tender scores must relate to social value. Many SMEs still underperform here, despite having strong community impact stories.

Social value typically covers:

• local job creation
• apprenticeships
• carbon reduction
• community support
• equality, diversity, and inclusion
• supporting local SMEs and VCSEs

To score highly, your response must include:

• specific commitments (e.g., “2 apprenticeships per year”)
• measurable KPIs
• delivery plans
• monitoring and reporting processes

Generic statements like “We support the local community” no longer score. Winning tenders show tangible, trackable, meaningful outcomes aligned to the authority’s objectives.

6. Get Pricing Right — Competitive Doesn’t Mean Cheapest

Many SMEs mistakenly believe that lowest price wins government tenders. This is not true. Buyers evaluate value for money, not bargain-basement costs.

A strategic pricing approach includes:

• ensuring full cost recovery (no unsustainable bids)
• providing transparent, itemised pricing
• explaining efficiency savings
• showing how quality offsets cost

If pricing is weighted heavily (e.g., 50%), consider the market. Benchmark against past tenders, industry rates, and your competitors. A strong price narrative — explaining why your proposal is cost-effective — can lift your score significantly.

7. Review, Refine, and Ensure Compliance Before Submission

Even excellent tender responses lose marks due to technical or administrative errors.

Before submission, always complete a thorough review process:

Compliance Check

• have all documents been uploaded?
• have all questions been answered?
• are all mandatory attachments included?
• are word limits adhered to?

Quality Review

• does every answer address all scoring criteria?
• is language consistent and professional?
• are claims supported by evidence?

Technical Testing

• test all links, file formats, spreadsheets, and templates
• ensure no sensitive or incorrect information is included
• check for typos, errors, and formatting issues

Many SMEs find an independent reviewer or “second pair of eyes” dramatically improves bid quality.

Conclusion: Winning Tenders Requires Strategy, Structure, and Evidence

Writing a high-scoring tender is not about being the biggest supplier — it’s about being the most relevant, credible, and prepared. SMEs have unique advantages: agility, local impact, personalised service, and specialist expertise. But these strengths must be communicated clearly, backed by evidence, and aligned tightly to the evaluation criteria.

By following these seven steps — understanding the opportunity, aligning to scoring criteria, planning effectively, writing compelling evidence-based answers, demonstrating strong social value, pricing strategically, and reviewing thoroughly — SMEs can significantly increase their win rate and unlock the enormous potential of public sector contracts.

Winning tenders isn’t about luck. It’s about process. And with the right approach, SMEs can compete — and win — against much larger organisations.