Winning tenders is not about filling in templates or repeating polished marketing statements. It’s about clearly demonstrating that you understand the customer’s problem, that your solution directly addresses it, and that you can prove you will deliver the outcome they care about.
You can have the best solution and the strongest team, but still lose a tender if your response feels generic, supplier-centric, or disconnected from what the customer actually cares about. This usually happens because teams start writing before they agree on how they are going to win.
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.
Winning tenders often comes down to how well your proposal stands out against the competition. While content is king, the presentation can make a significant difference. A well-designed, visually appealing, and comprehensive proposal not only captures the attention of evaluators but also communicates professionalism and attention to detail.
While having a strong tender proposal is essential, building relationships with the right people in the tendering ecosystem can significantly impact your chances of success. Many purchasing decisions, even in an open and fair tendering process, are influenced by familiarity and trust. Knowing key decision-makers, both in purchasing and technical departments, ensures that your company is considered favorably.
Participating in tenders is a crucial way for businesses to secure large contracts, especially in software development and IT services. Many organizations, particularly government entities and large corporations, use professional tendering processes such as RFP (Request for Proposal) or RFQ (Request for Quotation) to ensure a transparent and fair procurement process. For companies aiming to participate, it is essential to be registered on relevant tender platforms and keep their information up-to-date to avoid missing out on opportunities.
Sending a tender with inconsistent pricing, US spelling, or leftover placeholders undermines confidence fast. Even when the solution is strong, small errors signal a lack of care. A final QA pass ensures the document reflects the quality and attention to detail clients expect from SSW.
Tenders, RFP (Request for Proposals), RFQ (Request for Quote) plus other various names, are all a way for an organisation to conduct a buying process with an extensive list of requirements, with the aim to level the playing field. For the most part, certain elements of Tenders can be counter-intuitive to building great software. In many cases, they need the buyer to know exactly what the end product will be. Furthermore, the buying process can require the company submitting the tender to spend large amounts of time with a very low chance of success unless you follow a few principles.