Step 1 - Initial Meeting

We meet with you so that we can fully understand your needs and to overview the Expression of Interest, Request for Tender or Request for Proposal document received from your Client. We will discuss issues such as:

• The relationship you have with your Client;
  
• How well you understand your Client's needs and who will be evaluating the tender;
  
• How the opportunity fits with your strategic business plan;
  
• Whether it is a competitive or exclusive tender;
  
• The due date and approximate value of the tender;
  
• Your reasons for tendering - sometimes a decision to decline the invitation to tender may be more appropriate;
  
• What resources you have available to assist with the tender and what resources you require;
  
• Where the tender will be prepared (your office or ours);
  
• Whether you can afford to commit the time and resources to the tendering process knowing that you may still not win the tender.

Step 2 - Preparation of a Writing Plan

After reading the tender document, we prepare for you a Writing Plan. This plan outlines the contents of the proposal document, defines responsibilities against the contents and includes milestones for the tender preparation process.

Step 3 - Analyse Your Competitors

With your help, we analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, and discuss the opportunities and threats that these then present. This analysis allows us to identify the competitive advantages that form the basis of all aspects of your proposal document. With this knowledge, we then review and confirm the Writing Plan, including the identification of any additional resources that may be required. This is also a good opportunity to decide on the overall document layout, format and style.

Step 4 - Prepare Additional Action List

If required, we prepare a list of additional action items and allocate responsibilities that will be required throughout the tender process. These may include pricing issues, specialist input (such as review of commercial terms and conditions), internal review processes or graphic design requirements.

Step 5 - Ongoing Preparation and Review

During preparation of the tender, we continually review progress against the agreed Writing Plan and milestones, updating any aspects as required.

Step 6 - Final Sign-off and Submission

Once you have had an opportunity to review the final proposal document and sign-off on its content, it is printed, copied, collated and submitted. Remember that this final step can take some time, especially if a third party is responsible for the document printing and collation. For larger proposal documents, this step should be commenced days before the proposal due date.

Step 7 - Post-Tender Support

Once the tender has been submitted, we can help with any post-tender support and participate in any tender debriefing.