ICML training courses > Business writing > Writing tenders and proposals
What is your team’s strike rate with proposals for new or ongoing contracts? Consider taking a fresh approach to boost your success of winning and retaining business.
This tender writing training program will change the way tenders and proposals are prepared and written. It reveals the secrets, skills and techniques to persuasively respond to your clients’ needs. We show how to stand out from the crowd. Learn to write compelling tailored bids and tenders that make a decisive case to win.
This Writing Tenders and Proposals course is designed for teams required to submit proposals, bids or tenders to win new business.
In this tender writing course, learn how to:
We deliver our training programs either through:
Delivering tender writing training as an in-house training program is economical and effective.
The experience of our clients is that the return on investment in tender writing training is huge.
We tailor the program by using your own tenders and bids, ideally working on a tender you are still to submit.
We also coach individuals and teams to create outstanding proposals and bids.
Ask us how we can tailor the program to suit your needs:
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Do you have any questions about proposal and tender writing you’d like to ask? Do it here. One of our trainers will answer on the page and we’ll let you know by email when we post the response. We aim to come back to you within a few business days. If you need more urgent advice, try our chat at the bottom of the page.
Andrew
Posted at 12:34h, 26 AprilHi
I work in construction and regularly submit tenders for all kinds of projects – government and commercial. What are the most important tips you can give me when writing tenders?
Merel
Posted at 11:25h, 27 AprilHi Andrew
Thanks for your question. Writing good tenders and proposals is difficult but can be learnt. No wonder we usually spend at least a day on developing tender writing skills. Nevertheless, we can give you some important tips to get you started.
If you’d like to learn how to apply these tips and practise under expert guidance, let us know. We’ll be happy to give you a quote for a tailored tender writing course or coaching for one person or a group of people. We deliver tender writing training in Sydney, Melbourne and across Australia.
People who evaluate tenders have a big job – they often need to read hundreds of pages and then compare your proposal to all the others being offered. They match your offering against the criteria and then determine which organisation can best deliver on the criteria.
You can help the evaluators match your offering to the criteria through the quality of your tender. One of our tender writing course facilitators Lynne wrote these ten tender writing tips to help you.
1. Address the tender criteria and don’t dump in irrelevant information
Be wary of dumping irrelevant information into the tender just because it will save you time. It frustrates the reader and the relevant information you have included can get lost.
2. Use specific examples of achievements
Avoid holistic statements such as ‘we meet all safety requirements’ or ‘we are a customer focused organisation’. Supply examples, details and evidence to support the claims you make.
3. Cut out excess words
Generally, everyone’s written work can be reduced 25 percent by taking out unnecessary words. For example:
– We are currently working on a development to improve the process regarding the time required to provide feedback to the customer. (21 words)
– We are developing a process to reduce the feedback time to customers. (12 words)
4. Stick to any word limits
Evaluators will stop reading at the word limit.
5. Use short sentences – average 15-20 words
The brain has a rest at full stops and tires after 25 words in a sentence. Vital information can be lost in long sentences.
6. Use pronouns to personalise
Use ‘we’ and ‘you’ rather than continually naming both companies. This personalises the offering and creates a partnering tone.
7. Use formatting to help quick comprehension
Tables, bullet points, headings and good paragraph structure increases readability and evaluators can absorb information quickly at a glance.
8. Use photos and diagrams only if they illustrate a point
Irrelevant photos and charts simply clutter the offering and make it look like a school assignment.
9. Proof check, proof check, proof check
Typos, spelling errors and grammatical errors show lack of attention to detail which can be translated into lack of attention to the job being offered.
10. Submit on time
Rarely will late tenders be accepted. Allow time for possible IT issues.
We trust this helps you and hopefully others in preparing tenders. Of course, we’re always happy to quote for a tender writing course held at your offices. We understand in many organisations there are few people involved in writing tenders and proposals. Therefore, we offer reduced fees for smaller groups in tender writing training programs.
Ask us to quote for a proposal or tender writing training program in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Perth or Hobart or regional areas. Our consultants also help write tenders and manage the entire process – in person or from a distance.
Good luck with your tenders!