How to write an executive summary for a tender

The executive summary is often the only part of your bid read by everyone involved, including senior people who never see the rest. Even when it isn't scored, it sets the tone for how evaluators read everything after it.

What it needs to do

In one page, or two at most, the summary should answer:

1. Do they understand what we need and why?
2. Have they done this before?
3. How will they do it?
4. Why are they a safer choice than the others?

A five-part structure

1. Their goal. Start with the buyer's outcome, not your history. "The Ministry needs to replace its 15-year-old grants system before vendor support ends in March 2028, without disrupting 3,000 active applications."

2. Our understanding. One or two sentences on what makes it hard. "The challenge is less the new system than moving 12 years of records and retraining 200 staff during the busiest funding season."

3. Our approach. Three or four steps in plain language. Name the thing that makes your approach different.

4. Proof. Two specific examples, with a client name if you can share it and a number. "We moved a regional government's grants records in 2025 with no unplanned downtime."

5. Why us. Your two or three win themes, each in a sentence. End with a commitment, such as named people or a fixed price for a phase.

Example

The City needs a public website that residents can actually use to find services and pay bills, and that staff can update without calling IT. Its current site has 4,000 pages, many out of date, and fails the accessibility standard the City has committed to.

We will start with a six-week discovery to find what residents look for most, then rebuild the top 200 tasks first, so the most visible improvements go live in month four. Older pages will be reviewed with each department rather than moved over by default.

We have done this twice in the last three years, for two mid-sized municipalities, where calls to the service desk about the website fell by a third. The four people named in this bid led that work and will lead this project.

Mistakes to avoid

• Opening with "Founded in 2009, Acme Digital is a leading provider of…"
• Repeating the buyer's tender back to them word for word.
• Claims without evidence: "best-in-class", "innovative", "seamless".
• Writing it first. Write it last, when you know what the bid says.

Common questions

Is the executive summary scored in a tender?

Sometimes. Check the evaluation criteria. Even when it isn't scored, evaluators usually read it first, and it shapes how they read the rest.

How long should a tender executive summary be?

One page is ideal for most IT bids. Two pages is the upper limit unless the buyer asks for more.

Should I include price in the executive summary?

Only if the buyer allows it and price is a strength. Many tenders require price to be kept in a separate envelope or form, and including it elsewhere can break the rules.