Tendering for commercial and public sector work can double your revenue — if you can write a bid that actually wins. Most trade businesses lose tenders not because they can't do the work, but because they can't articulate why they should be chosen. Here's how to fix that.
Understanding How Bids Are Scored
Most tenders use a quality/price split. Common weightings:
- 60% quality, 40% price: Standard for local authority maintenance contracts
- 70% quality, 30% price: Common for complex or safety-critical work
- 80% quality, 20% price: NHS and high-security sites
This means being cheapest doesn't win. Being clearly the best value for money — quality and price combined — wins.
The Bid Structure That Wins
Cover Letter
One page maximum. Summarise why you're the right fit. Mention the specific contract by name, your relevant experience, and your USP. Make the evaluator want to keep reading.
Company Profile
- Company history and founding date
- Number of employees (office and field)
- Turnover (relevant if there's a financial threshold)
- Geographic coverage
- Key certifications (Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT, FGAS, etc.)
- Accreditations (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, Constructionline, SafeContractor, CHAS)
Relevant Experience
This is where most small businesses undersell themselves. You need 2–3 case studies of similar work. Each should include:
- Client name (with permission) or sector
- Contract value
- Scope of work
- Duration
- Outcome (completed on time, under budget, safety record)
- A reference contact
"We completed a 200-property boiler replacement programme for a housing association in Bristol, delivering 98% first-time fix rate across 8 months" is a winning line.
Technical Response / Method Statement
This is the meat of the bid. Address every question in the tender document, in order, using their numbering. Include:
- How you'll mobilise and set up
- Your approach to the work (methods, equipment, materials)
- Quality assurance procedures
- Communication and reporting (how you'll keep the client informed)
- Programme/timeline with key milestones
Be specific. "We will attend site within 4 hours of emergency callout" is better than "we offer fast response times."
Health & Safety
Include your H&S policy, RAMS process, accident record (ideally zero RIDDOR incidents), training programme, and PPE standards. If you have a health and safety accreditation (CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS), mention it prominently.
Gaffer's compliance features make this section easy — your RAMS templates, worker certifications, training records, and accident logs are all in one place. Export them as appendices.
Social Value
Increasingly weighted at 10–20% of the quality score. Include:
- Apprenticeships and training commitments
- Local employment (percentage of workforce from the local area)
- Supply chain (do you use local suppliers?)
- Environmental commitments (waste reduction, fuel efficiency, carbon footprint)
- Community engagement
Even small commitments score points. "We will employ one local apprentice for the duration of this contract" is worth including.
Pricing Schedule
Fill in the pricing schedule exactly as they've asked. Don't change the format. If they want hourly rates, give hourly rates. If they want a lump sum, give a lump sum. Include all costs — don't surprise them with extras later.
The AI Advantage
Writing a tender response takes 2–5 days of focused work. That's time you're not earning. Gaffer's AI Bid Writer generates draft sections using your actual company data:
- Your workers' certifications and qualifications become your "Personnel" section
- Your completed jobs become your "Relevant Experience" case studies
- Your RAMS templates become your "Health & Safety" evidence
- Your company details become your "Company Profile"
You still need to review and refine every section — AI doesn't replace judgement — but it cuts the writing time from days to hours. The AI Bid Writer is included on Scale (£599/month) or available as a £99/month add-on.
Common Reasons Bids Fail
- Non-compliant: You didn't answer a mandatory question, missed the deadline, or submitted in the wrong format. Instant rejection.
- Generic answers: The evaluator can tell you've copy-pasted from another bid. Tailor every response.
- No evidence: Claims without proof score zero. "We have excellent H&S" means nothing. "Zero RIDDOR incidents in 3 years, 98% RAMS compliance rate" scores points.
- Poor formatting: Walls of text with no headings, bullet points, or structure. Make it easy to read and score.
- Pricing too low: Buyers are suspicious of prices that seem too good to be true. It suggests you don't understand the scope or you'll cut corners.
Building a Bid Library
After 3–4 bids, you'll have reusable content: company profile, case studies, H&S policies, environmental policies. Store these in a bid library and update them quarterly. Each new tender becomes an assembly job rather than a writing job.
Gaffer stores all your company data, certifications, job history, and compliance records in one place — making it your living bid library that updates itself as you complete work.