Construction Consultancy Blog By Cube Construction Consultants

How getting experts involved helps with the tendering process

Written by Nicola Slater | Mar 1, 2022 6:48:00 AM

No matter the size of your company, tendering for construction opportunities is important to revenue, team morale and a future pipeline of work. 

Without investing time and resources into your tender process you won’t get the results your business deserves.

 

If youre in, go all out

If it’s at all possible then visit site.

Every construction site is different and failing to visit it prior to submitting a tender can mean that you dont have a comprehensive enough understanding of the requirements of the project, the needs of the client and the conditions that need to be met within the bid.

The last thing you need is to win the job then be hit with surprises that complicate and compromise your delivery strategy, programme and increase costs.

Detail, detail, detail

Any misunderstanding of the specifications can create ambiguity. You can end up doing a lot of work for nothing if you make incorrect assumptions. It can be really costly in time, money and opportunity.

Every tender submission needs to be tailored to the opportunity to demonstrate that you clearly understand the client’s requirements.

Demonstrate understanding

Dont just show  that you’ve identified the clients’ needs. Demonstrate that you have given them careful consideration and:

  • Thought about how you are going to meet their expectations and then how can you surpass them
  • Understood the requirements and proposed a clear solution
  • Highlighted possible challenges posed by solutions offered
  • Presented previous relevant lessons learnt (good and bad) with supporting evidence

Engage with your key supply chain

Make time to review, plan and engage with the specialists you need to make this a successful tender submission.

Use their expertise and your previous working knowledge to find, present and report on previous cost or time saving initiatives. Involve your key supply chain in the tendering process throughout.

Note of advice:

Have open and honest discussions. Sometimes contractors need to realise that subcontractors are experts in their specific fields and hold the relevant skills and advice that you dont offer. 

Make the most of this specialist knowledge to demonstrate expertise and competence.

Note of caution:

Be cautious not to split the scope of works out into multiple packages searching for minor budget benefits. This may only lead to an increase in issues with compatibility and technical coordination.

What next?

If you are looking for a construction consultant to give an objective overview of your tender submissions, contact us on for an initial chat on 0115 7060338 or email us at hello@cube-cc.co.uk.

For other successful tendering tips, including evaluating opportunities and organising your tender team visit our blog.