If you find you are missing out on government work continuously, it may be helpful to discuss this with agencies you are tendering with to ensure you are meeting the requirements appropriately. Making yourself aware of their needs may help you tailor your responses more successfully, or alternately could reveal that your organisation is better suited to other agencies or tender opportunities.

If you are finding that your tender bids are continuously unsuccessful, consider the following:

• A competitive tender is not just about price, although price is important, a competitive tender will also compete on operational, capability and capacity factors to determining the best value for money.
• Broaden your responses to include tender opportunities for other agencies and don’t focus all your efforts in one area.
• Review your tender responses to see if you can identify how they could have been improved, particularly if they were unclear. If your response is difficult to understand, it may be failing to communicate your value to the buyer.
• Remember to address all requirements of a tender and answer all questions. If you are ever unsure, seek clarification, and don’t forget to include any additional information that is requested.
• Consider attending a Supply to Gov Workshop run by the Office of the Industry Advocate. These workshops will help guide you through the development of stronger, more qualified and competitive tender responses.