Identify opportunities, complete and submit print tenders
Overview
This standard is about determining opportunities to tender for print service contracts, to prepare tenders to meet the customer conditions and submit documents to potential clients. Products and services must be matched to the customer or client's contract, specifications and requirements.
It is important to possess the ability to undertake and complete the tendering process to gain profitable business. It is vital for learners to appreciate the impact for businesses of good tender responses and to develop the necessary skills to compete in the marketplace.
Completing the tendering documentation can be quite an onerous task. Many companies have a dedicated team to deal exclusively with the tendering process; others may just have a maximum of two individuals to deal with this. There are many skills required to be successful in winning tenders for your company. Many potential clients, especially "public sector" organisations, have "catch all" documentation, meaning that the documentation you have to complete would be the same for any product they require, it may not be specifically designed for print services.
You have to consider if your company can deliver the service required, if so some of the points you have to consider are:
- What are the core strengths of my business and how well will these meet the needs of the buyer?
- What do I know about my potential competition, what do they do well, and can we do it better?
- What will the client get from us that is superior?
If you, as a company decide to tender, in general there will be 3 stages that you would go through:
- Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
- Invitation to Tender
- Post submission
There is the possibility that you can fail after stages 1 and 2, but you have the right to ask questions as to why as a company, you were unsuccessful and how to improve your submissions for future tenders.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Determine opportunities for tendering
- identify opportunities to tender using appropriate networks
- obtain details of tenders following standard operating procedures
- research similar bids or tenders following standard operating procedures
- define and confirm client needs following standard operating procedures**
Prepare and complete proposals for existing and new print services
**
5. use information to complete proposals following standard operating procedures
6. complete all sections of the proposals following standard operating procedures
7. use plain English and good grammar following standard operating procedures
- demonstrate your pricing policy offers good value for the clientÂ
- include all additional information that will add value to your bids
- submit tenders bid to meet published timescales**
Obtain feedback from clients
**
11. obtain feedback from clients following standard operating procedures
12. analyse feedback following standard operating procedures
13. address weaknesses following standard operating procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how and where to research tender opportunities
- where to get further information about tenders
- client needs
- tender requirements and procedures
- how to complete all sections of documentation using appropriate language
- how to prepare costs, mark ups/margins
- how to compile cost spreadsheets
- who to consult regarding resources
- ask appropriate questions for feedback
- how to evaluate feedback
- contract law