Bid to win
Tendering for public contracts is often considered as a chore – a menial and often solitary task that is seen as complicated, cumbersome and unlikely to deliver a profitable outcome. In many cases this is because companies are not aware that professional advice on tendering is available: we offer such support.
Companies that win tenders on a regular basis have a different attitude. They use the leverage of their track record, feedback from unsuccessful bids and pricing strategies to pitch to win: and they do on a regular basis.
The difference in approach is quite apparent when someone like myself as part of a tender evaluation team reviews and scores submissions.
The winning bid usually correctly understands and interprets the public body’s requirements and puts forward a comprehensive solution that goes beyond mere compliance. Clear project plans and a fully justified and resourced delivery team are convincing. Smart tenderers have a working knowledge of their competitor’s pricing strategies.
The company that does not see the strategic value of tendering goes through the motions without doing any basic research, cuts and pastes a tender submission that scores badly, ignores feedback, and continues to quote at an uncompetitive level. If there is no commitment at senior management level poor quality bids get the same response: “Dear Sir, I regret to inform you”…On the other hand, where there is senior management support a company’s ‘Win Rate’ improves.
Up your game
Where does your business fit in the tendering game? Are you a total novice? Or a business that secures a significant proportion of its turnover from public contracts? Let’s look at the main reasons why some companies are more successful at tendering than others.
The Market:
Including commercial semi-State companies, tenders valued over €25 billion for works, supplies and services were advertised in Ireland in 2025. If one counted the value of the Northern Ireland market and National Development Plan commitments, tenders to a value of some €150 billion can be expected to be awarded over the next five years. So there is a growing and predictable market. Successful tenderers are
the ones that carry out forensic research about expenditure trends in their sector. For example, if you are in the retrofitting industry do you know how much is planned to be spent on public buildings over the next five years and by whom? This is publicly available information. Start researching as to how you can meet the senior officials who have a mandate to spend.
Your solution:
In proposing a bespoke solution you need to have a comprehensive understanding of what is being procured and why. The public sector is risk adverse. So if you delivered a comparable solution that is proven the likelihood of that option finding favour is high: provided of course you communicate its benefits and features clearly. Drawing on previous successes is the surest way to gain more public sector work.
The maths exam:
All tenders are scored. The company with the highest score wins. Simple, really. That said, it is easy to lose marks. Tender evaluators will deduct marks, for example, if you did not fully address an award criteria in sufficient detail; or if parts of the guidance provided were ignored; or if the communication of your messages was messy and not compelling. To get in the ballpark of an A+ score appoint a bid writer. As a priority find someone in the business who actually enjoys writing and is comfortable with getting familiar with the nitty gritty of what can be complex tender documents. The secret sauce in bidding is to have a skilled bid writer on your team.
AI:
The majority of tenderers use AI to support their tender submission. AI can identify win themes; draft content; identify key risks; and indeed highlight many other essential ingredients for a potential winning bid. Yet we have not seen one successful tender that relied entirely on AI. The reason being that AI, at least insofar as tendering is concerned, should be seen as an enabler and nothing more. Your prospects of winning will be enhanced not by AI, but by applying your judgement and especially the constructive feedback you get from unsuccessful bids.
Make a profit:
What was the profit margin on the last public contract that you won? Don’t know? Then you have a problem. As in the private sector, you will not win unless your price is competitive. Rely on feedback in pitching a price. Beware that the typical profit margin on public contracts is much lower than in the private sector.
The rules:
Because we are in the Internal Market, procurement is governed by rules set at EU level. To win you need to have a firm grasp of the Rules of the Road. If your business is covered by a regulator you must comply with set standards and operating procedures. Tendering is no different.
eTenders:
All contracts valued over €50,000 are advertised and managed on eTenders, the Government’s public procurement portal. In my experience, many companies are not fully registered on eTenders, www.etenders.gov.ie. If you are correctly registered you will get a push notification every time a tender
goes live in relation to the categories you have identified. You must master eTenders’ functions as all tender submissions have to be uploaded onto this platform. We can support you with navigating Tenders.
Below the radar tenders:
No one will confirm it, but we estimate that the vast majority of tenders in Ireland are valued under €50,000 and are usually sent to just three potential bidders directly and are not advertised to the wider market on eTenders. Purchasing Managers/Budget Holders have total discretion as to whom the tender will be sent to. It is in your control as a business to target these decision-makers. If public sector tendering is a priority it would be a good idea to develop a contacts database of the key public sector officials who are responsible for your line of business. And network with them. We can help you source the decision-makers.
Training and know-how:
Like with any business, it is important to keep up to date and build up your know how. A significant reform of procurement is in the offing. So track developments on the website of the Office of Government Procurement, www.gov.ie/en/office-of-government-procurement/.
New rules on sustainability were announced last July. With at least 5% of award marks now allocated to green public procurement do you know how to get an A+ in this area? On our website, www.bidservices.ie, you can access (free of charge) a nine-module Tender Excellence Training Programme. We have also published podcasts on current topics, including Green Public Procurement. We have published the only textbook on tendering on the island of Ireland: Public Procurement: Rules of the Road (available on Amazon).
Find out more:
We can provide professional tendering support to members of HAI. With our assistance, our clients win most of the tenders they bid for. Not a bad track record.
Contact Roisin Mallon for an initial consultation at roisin@bidservices.ie.
