15 bid writing mistakes that cost small IT firms public contracts

We've read a lot of debriefs. The reasons small firms lose public IT tenders are remarkably consistent, and most of them have nothing to do with being small.

Compliance mistakes

1. Missing a mandatory requirement. An expired certificate, a missing form, a requirement buried in an appendix. The bid isn't even scored. Use a compliance matrix.

2. Breaking the format rules. Going over page limits, using the wrong template, putting price in the technical response. Read the instructions twice.

3. Submitting at the last minute. Portals crash, files fail to upload, and time zones confuse. Submit a day early.

Answer mistakes

4. Not answering the question asked. Answering the question you wish they'd asked, or pasting a stock answer that's close but not quite. See how to answer tender questions.

5. Missing parts of a multi-part question. If it asks about four things, answer four things, with headings.

6. Claims without evidence. "We are experts in accessibility" scores nothing. "Our last three public websites passed WCAG 2.1 AA audits by an independent tester" scores.

7. Talking about yourselves instead of them. The buyer cares about their problem. Lead with it.

8. Generic text. Evaluators can tell when an answer was written for another tender, especially when it has another buyer's name in it.

9. Jargon. Evaluators may not be technical. Explain what you'll do in plain language.

Strategy mistakes

10. Ignoring the weights. Spending equal time on a 5% question and a 30% one.

11. Bidding on the wrong tenders. Low-fit bids drag down your win rate and burn your team out. Use a bid/no-bid scorecard.

12. Underselling the team. Not naming people, or naming people who obviously won't do the work.

13. Pricing without understanding. Guessing at scope and either losing on price or winning a contract that loses money. See how to price a government IT tender.

Process mistakes

14. No independent review. The people who wrote a bid can't see its gaps. Have someone else score it against the criteria.

15. Not asking for a debrief. Every loss is free coaching from the buyer, if you ask. See how to ask for a debrief.

Common questions

Why do I keep losing government tenders?

Usually because of a few repeated issues: bidding on poor-fit tenders, generic answers without evidence, or pricing that doesn't match the evaluation model. Your debriefs will tell you which.

Are small firms at a disadvantage in public tenders?

Less than many think. Many buyers are encouraged or required to make tenders accessible to small firms, and specific, evidenced bids from small firms regularly beat larger competitors.

Should I hire a bid writer?

It can help for large or complex bids, but the content still needs to come from the people who'll do the work. Many small firms do better by building their own bid library and process.