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The tendering process can be complex and confusing, especially if it is your first tender. We can help to dispel some of the common myths and demystify the process. See below for answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.

How do you guarantee that a bid will be completed on time?

We review tender requirements such as submission date, the scope of works, and documents required and provide you with a project timeline. Every bid project is managed by one of our dedicated bid managers to ensure all deadlines are met. Where necessary (i.e. for short notice bids, large-scale submissions, or where you will benefit from multiple writers’ subject matter expertise) we will allocate additional support to meet deadlines. Please view our video for more information:

Please view our video for more information:

Why are we not winning tenders?

There are a multitude of reasons why your tender submissions may be unsuccessful, such as failing to meet mandatory requirements or not effectively displaying the necessary experience. Please view our video for more information:

Please view our video for more information:

Are your services suitable for small companies?

We work on behalf of companies of all shapes and sizes, from small, owner-managed businesses to large, blue-chip firms.

Providing your company meets the requirements of the PQQ or tender then we are happy to work with you. However, if you are a small firm that has never tendered for contracts before, we can also offer a bid ready auditing service to make sure you have all the necessary documents, policies and procedures in place to start bidding for contracts successfully. Find out more about the bid and tender services we provide here.

What can you do for price-based tenders?

Price-based tenders are obviously heavily influenced by the cost of your services or supplies. We do not provide input into this at all as you must be comfortable that the offer you put forward is both competitive and commercially viable for your organisation. However, we can significantly improve the quality, technical and compliance sections of your tender to prevent you from falling down in these areas.

Do you ever work on site?

Yes, when requested to do so we do work on site, and look at each request on a project by project basis. However, most of this is not necessary or the most efficient use of our team. The use of Microsoft Teams, document sharing, and regular client meetings means we are able to easily collect information and work with you remotely, reducing the need for us to be on site.

How many writers work on one tender?

This depends on the size of the bid, but usually only one writer is required for each submission, with additional staff working in supporting roles where necessary. However, where a bid is particularly large, or there are time constraints we do assign multiple writers. We then ensure that every tender submission is reviewed by a bid reviewer to ensure the submission flows, and use an external proofreader to ensure the highest quality tender submissions.

If we write our own tender, can you review it?

Yes. At Executive Compass, we offer a full tender review service to companies who prefer to write their own tenders, with one of our experienced reviewers assigned to review the tender documents and review your submission for compliance with the specification, and readability. Throughout they will add meaningful feedback and suggestions around how you can improve. Often, our review will follow up with a telephone call to talk through comments, and explain things in more detail if that is preferred.

Can you guarantee that a submission wins?

It is impossible to guarantee that your submission will be successful, as it relies on too many factors that we are unable to control or influence, such as competition, company experience and price.

However, we only accept bids that we know have a chance of winning and where we can assure you that the submission will be of the highest possible quality – with our quality win rate currently at 85%. If your company does not stand a fair chance in the tender process, we will advise accordingly.

What happens if more than one company approaches you for the same tender?

We work on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, if we are approached by a company for a contract we are already working on, we will politely decline the work.

The only exception is if there are multiple lots within the same contract, and our clients are bidding for different lots.

How long does it take?

The length of time to complete a bid is completely dependent on the size of the submission and what is required. Relatively small bids can be completed within a week, whereas larger, more complex tenders can require months. However, the project timeline for every bid differs. Our team will provide you with a timeline based on your bid requirements.

Do you have writers that specialise in my industry?

We pride ourselves on being able to write PQQs and tenders for most industries or sectors. We have a wealth of experience writing tenders for industries from construction to health and social care, printing and publishing to translation/interpretation, maintenance to training and everything in between.

If we do come across an industry or niche that we have not written for previously, we conduct detailed meetings with your company and seek input from key members of staff to better understand the business.

In short, whatever you do, we can write a tender for you.

What is the cost of your services?

There is no price list for our PQQ, bid and tender writing services. We charge on a project by project basis, depending on a number of factors (word count, number of days’ work, meetings, research and data collation, etc.)

We recommend that you send us the PQQ or tender document that you wish us to complete and we will provide you with a fixed, no obligation quote.

For longer-term relationships we offer monthly retainer charges based on how many days per annum your company will need our services.

For more information about our pricing, call us now on 0800 612 5563.

How do you complete a tender?

We gather information from your company through site visits and telephone interviews and use this to complete the tender. Using past experience, your company innovations and our own techniques we can make your tender submission stand out from the competition.