FAQs from ways2win business tenders

Tender writing by ways2win

1. Can you write tenders for any business?

2. Tenders in our industry are all based on price. How can you help us?

3. How many clients do you take on for a tender?

4. We have an in-house tender writing department. How can you help us?

5. We don’t have a process to assess opportunities. Is this something you can help with?

6. How many tenders have you won in our industry?

7. Online tenders are all the same, aren’t they?

Tender training by ways2win

8.  Is the course for people with tender writing experience?

9. What makes your tender training courses unique?

10. Where can we find tender opportunities for free?

11. Do delegates get to see examples of what winning tenders look like on tender training courses?

12. Is the course suitable for companies that have not won any tenders?

13. Do delegates get to discuss what makes a winning answer compared to a poor response on specific questions?

Tender writing by ways2win

1:Can you write tenders for any business?

Ways2win complete tender documents for all business sectors. However, each business is different, and there is a consultation process prior to becoming a client. During this process potential clients and ways2win decide if they are right for each other.[top]

2: Tenders in our industry are based on price. How can you help us?

Ways2win write a large number of tenders in both public and private sectors which are assessed on a weighted criteria. Price is only one of a number of factors. The weighting is normally split between price and quality or non-financial information. Although price is an important aspect of any tender (and addressing it can be complex), it is rarely the determining issue.

Tenders can be assessed on price with two different approaches:

Lowest Price

Most Economically Advantageous Tender - MEAT. This is the best balance of quality and price, including: experience and competence; technical merit; ability to deliver on time; after sales service and back up; and policy issues such as quality, equalities and sustainability.

Public sector tenders are evaluated on the MEAT principle because this delivers the greatest value for money to the taxpayer. The issue of cost needs to be addressed in a variety of different ways both before tenders are completed and throughout the entire document, not just in the pricing section.[top]

3: How many clients do you take on for a tender?

Ways2win only take on one client per tender unless there are separate lots. This is due to our avoidance of a conflict of interest and ethical working practices - we seek to win for every client. We have VIP clients in each industry sector who receive first refusal on each tender before they are opened up on a first-come-first-serve basis.[top]

4: We have an in-house tender writing department. How can you help us?

In-house teams often attend the ways2win training courses in order to enhance their effectiveness at winning tenders. The market is extremely competitive and there are only marginal differences between top companies. The businesses that sent delegates to the tender training courses are looking to match the professionalism of their company with their tender responses, and so gain a competitive edge.

The audit or consultancy service can provide a review of current processes and systems,  providing recommendations for improvement which would either be implemented by ways2win or the organisation for themselves. We don’t have a process to assess opportunities. Is this something you can help with?[top]

5: We don’t have a process to assess opportunities. Is this something you can help with?

Ways2win helps firms identify effective ways of sourcing, analysing and deciding which tenders to apply for. You benefit from identifying the types of tenders that would be most strategically advantageous, as well as assessing economic viability of making an application.[top]

6: How many tenders have you won in our industry?

The professionals at ways2win have won many tenders in different industries, so it's difficult to give a short answer. However, the consultation process that takes place before working together enables each new client to obtain a clear indication of the chances of success.[top]

7: Online tenders are all the same, aren't they?

No! Companies can distinguish themselves from their competitors in every form of submission. The ways2win tenders writers are all trained in the methods and techniques which separate your tenders from your competitors and win contracts.[top]

Tender training by ways2win

8: Is the course for people with tender writing experience?

All our courses are designed to accommodate a range of tendering experience. Those who have written successful tenders find it helpful to compare notes with people who see many different tenders. Best practice methodology and specific techniques are imparted, and the informal format of the seminars means that specific questions can be asked throughout the day.

Experienced tender writers always benefit from speaking with procurement professionals who are regularly evaluating tenders. This helps to understand current trends and patterns in successful and unsuccessful tendering. Specific examples of what companies have done and the consequences of those actions are always illuminating.[top]

9: What makes your tender training courses unique?

The ways2win trainers are also current competitive tender writers in a broad range of fields. With an energetic, informal style and structured programme to follow throughout the day, delegates have the opportunity to discuss their own specific issues and experiences and so can derive value that relates specifically to them. It's about asking the questions that matter to you.

The procurement officials, who are evaluating tenders on a regular basis, impart their experience of how different companies approach the process. Personal examples of the strengths of submissions, and mistakes that companies have actually made provide insight in to how to compete and win - rather than simply complete the forms.[top]

10: Where do we find tender opportunities for free?

TED - Tenders Electronic Daily is the online version of the OJEU - the Official Journal of the European Union. The website: www.ted.europa.eu provides information on many of the public tenders, and is one of the many free sources of information that are detailed in the training.[top]

11: Do delegates get to see examples of what winning tenders look like on tender training courses?

Examples of successful tenders are available at the tender training courses for delegates to look at. There are opportunities to discuss the key factors that resulted in them winning, and what distinguished them from average tenders. There are also opportunities for discussion with the tender writers and officials who evaluate tenders.[top]

12: Is the course suitable for companies that have not won any tenders?

The courses An Introduction to Public Sector Procurement, Sourcing and Identifying the Right Tenders and  The Complete Guide to Procurement are designed to be accessible to delegates with no tender experience while still delivering value to those who want to increase current win rates. The entire tendering process is covered both as an overview and then in more details throughout these courses. This provides the context which the effective methods and techniques being taught can be clearly understood.[top]

13: Do delegates get to discuss what makes a winning answer compared to a poor response on specific questions?

Yes. There are opportunities to have an in-depth look at example questions.[top]