How to write team CVs for government tenders

For services contracts, buyers are really buying people. In many IT tenders, especially for consulting and professional services, the team is the biggest single scored section, and in Canadian supply arrangements like TBIPS each resource may be scored against detailed experience criteria.

The one-page tender CV

Name and proposed role. "Sam Lee, Technical Lead".

Role on this contract. Two sentences on what they'll do for this buyer.

Summary. Years of experience in the relevant field, and the one thing that makes them right for this role.

Relevant projects. Three to five, most relevant first, each with:

• Client type and dates (month and year).
• Their role and what they personally did.
• The result.

Qualifications. Degrees, certifications (such as cloud, security or project management) and any security clearance.

Tools and technologies, only those that matter to this tender.

Write to the requirement

If the tender asks for "at least five years of experience leading data migrations in the public sector", make it obvious. Show dates, so the evaluator can add them up, and use the words "led", "data migration" and "public sector".

For Canadian federal resource-based bids, evaluators often check each criterion against the months listed for each project. Every claim needs a project with start and end dates that proves it.

Key personnel

Many contracts name "key personnel" who must work on the contract and can't be replaced without the buyer's agreement. Only name people you can commit. Buyers notice when the team they met disappears after award.

Common mistakes

• Pasting the same CV into every bid.
• Listing duties instead of achievements.
• Long technology lists that hide what matters.
• Missing dates, so experience can't be checked.
• Naming people who have left or are fully booked.

Common questions

Can I propose people I plan to hire?

Sometimes, if the tender allows it, but it's riskier. You'll usually need a signed commitment from the candidate, and the buyer may score them lower than existing staff.

How long should a CV in a tender be?

Follow the buyer's limit. If there isn't one, one to two pages per person is typical.

Do I need consent to include staff CVs?

Yes. Get each person's agreement, especially if CVs include personal details, and remove anything not needed, such as home addresses.