Deciding whether to bid: questions to answer before you commit

A bid takes time from people who also run the business. A clear decision at the start protects that time and gives the bids you do pursue a better chance.

Most tender documents are long, and most deadlines are short. The temptation is to start writing as soon as the opportunity appears. A short, structured decision first usually saves more time than it costs.

1. Can we bid at all?

Start with the conditions that end a bid before it is read: registrations, mandatory returnable documents, certificates, minimum experience, briefing session attendance and any local content or preferential procurement requirements. If one of these cannot be met by the deadline, stop here.

2. Can we score well?

Read the evaluation criteria as the buyer will apply them. For each scored element, ask what evidence you can show: comparable contracts, references, named people with the right experience, methodology and quality standards. Gaps in evidence are where bids lose points, however strong the narrative.

• Which criteria carry the most weight?
• Where is our evidence strongest and weakest?
• Is price likely to decide it, and can we compete on it?
• What does the buyer say matters most to them?

3. Do we have the capacity?

A good response needs time from specialists, approvers and whoever prepares the pricing. Map who is needed, when, and what else they are committed to. If the people who must contribute are unavailable, the response will be thin, and a thin response rarely wins.

4. Make the decision visible

Agree whether to bid, write down why, and set responsibilities, deadlines and review points straight away. A recorded decision also becomes useful later: it shows which kinds of opportunities you win and which you should leave.

Better bid decisions, clear responsibilities and stronger submissions start before the first word of the response is written.