Many teams jump into every tender opportunity they see, thinking that more bids = more wins. In reality, this scattergun approach spreads your team thin, results in poor-quality submissions, and burns time and energy on opportunities you were never going to win.
Instead, adopt a Bid/No Bid process to deliberately pause and assess whether a tender is genuinely worth pursuing. This approach improves win rates, aligns teams, and protects delivery quality and company reputation.
Before proceeding with any tender, your Bid/No Bid process should answer these gating questions:
If you can’t confidently answer “yes” to all four, you should walk away — and that’s a win too.
Use these 3 criteria as the backbone of your assessment:
Do you truly understand what the customer needs, beyond just what's in the RFT?
If you can't build trust or demonstrate alignment, it’s not worth bidding.
If you can't deliver well, don’t bid. A win you can't deliver is worse than a loss.
You should know who else is bidding and how you compare:
If you don’t stand out in a way that resonates with the buyer, you're playing from behind.
Your team receives a tender on Friday due Monday. It’s for a major project with a new client you’ve never worked with. You haven’t scoped the work, don’t know who else is bidding, and would need to borrow people from delivery to respond.
❌ Figure: Bad example – Jumping in without alignment, preparation, or a realistic chance to win
Your team reviews a new tender using a Bid/No Bid checklist. The opportunity is aligned with your strengths, your team has pre-engaged with the client, you understand their drivers, and you have a strong differentiator. You allocate the right team to develop a tailored response.
✅ Figure: Good example – A deliberate, informed decision leads to a stronger submission and better win probability
By applying a disciplined Bid/No Bid process, you’ll save time, improve team morale, and dramatically increase your win rate.