How to write winning bids to the New Zealand Government
Here at Tsaks Consulting New Zealand, we have a track record of helping New Zealand businesses write winning bids and tenders to the government – and securing government contracts. We have helped clients write bids and tender to the Central Government including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
We have also helped clients win contracts with the local government sector including Auckland Council, Clatham Islands Council, Gisborne District Council and Tasman District Council as well as many other regional ministries and Councils.
This experience has enabled us to build up significant know-how in in writing government bids and tenders and how to win them. In this guide, we detail six tips and strategies you can employ to help you win more New Zealand government tenders.
These tips and strategies apply to all industries such as health, construction and maintenance, community services, transport, infrastructure and more. Contact our Director, Jason Cooney, and the rest of our team here at Tsaks Consulting for expert assistance writing your next government bid.
1. Comply with the tender requirements and provide tailored supporting documentation
All New Zealand government departments have strict compliance requirements when it comes to bids and tenders. Whether it is word lengths, mandatory requirements for an RFT or insurance and certifications, there will be requirements you need to comply with.
In tour submission, you need to comply with these requirements directly. There is generally no flexibility and you need to tick every box. Most government departments use decision gates when procuring services and reviewing different bids. This means that even if you write an outstanding proposal or RFT response, there is a strong chance your tender will be discarded at the start of the review process due to the non-compliance.
Another key point is supporting documentation. It’s easy to fall into the habit of simply attaching health and safety and other docs without tailoring or amending them. However, you need to tailor these documents to the opportunity as the government procurement teams generally read them in full and will want to ensure they are compliant and tailored.
2. Respond directly to and answer each question
This may sound simple however it is an error many businesses make when bidding for government contracts. You are running your business and are therefore well aware of your key differentiators and points of difference. You know the unique benefits your business can bring to the market and the outcomes you deliver your clients.
When you read the tender questions, the first thing you want to do is to write about your company and the key points of difference. You need to resist this temptation. Instead, you should focus on the question. Respond directly to the question and write a response that addresses what is being asked. Integrate the unique value offering your service or bid provides into your response, but don’t have these as your entire response. Weave it in instead. When you are writing, avoid technical jargon and write like you would talk, in simple English and in a clear and easy to understand manner.
3. Avoid using generic content and tailor your response to the local area
Cutting and pasting existing content or using generic content can harm your bid if you do not tailor it. It’s easy to cut and paste and the government knows that. Procurement teams want to feel special and they want to know that you have put in the work to win the tender. Using existing content for a basic first draft is a great idea when writing a government tender. You can even use AI generated content for an early draft. However, once you start the actual writing, you need to tailor, tailor and tailor your response.
Firstly, when talking about your capabilities and expertise government departments in the North and South Island will want to know your experience servicing government. Therefore, your bid needs to focus on any similar government experience, and where you have relevant private sector experience, you need to detail how the demands and requirements are similar to the public sector.
The next key point is to tailor your proposal or RFP to the local area. The reason for this is simple. Government departments, and regional and local councils across New Zealand have different priorities and missions.
For example, the vision and priorities of City of Christchurch is different to the City of Auckland and the Central Government Department of Health faces different issues and priorities in different parts of New Zealand.
Therefore, when you put forward a proposal for a service or product, you need to tailor it to the geographic area where that service will take place. Talk about how you know the area, your suppliers in the local region and any previous experience you have in the area. The local Council in Wellington will generally prefer to appoint a local contractor than engage a contractor from Auckland. Therefore, the contractor from Auckland will need to talk about how they will support the local Wellington community and operate in Wellington if they wish to increase their chances of success.
4. Provide evidence, quantify and make it measurable
Government procurement personnel can be cynical and it’s hard to blame them. They read through hundreds of bids with many people and businesses making a whole lot of outlandish claims. If you want to be taken seriously in the eyes of the procurement team, you should provide as much evidence as possible. Testimonials, letters from other stakeholders and concrete facts all help to give credibility to your bid.
You also need to quantify as many of your claims and statements throughout the bid as possible and ensure they are measurable. If you make statements about what outcomes you will deliver as part of the contract or service, they need to be measurable so that you can report on them.
5. Be the safe pair of hands the government is looking for
The reality is that most government departments at all levels of government across New Zealand are conservative in terms of who they procure from. You need to present your business as a safe bet. That doesn’t mean delivering the products or services. It extends to being an easy business to work with, complying with all the reporting and communication requirements and providing a seamless service.
You also need to demonstrate that you have robust quality assurance procedures in place across all your operations. These need to apply to your operations and specific industry. I.e. if you are a cleaning company then your procedures need to be tailored to cleaning operations. The same applies to construction companies, security, health services and other industries. The government department will appreciate you going above and beyond in this regard. If you have any experience
6. Ensure you work within their format and schedules
Regardless of if the RFT or RFP documents are issued in excel, word or another format, make sure you work within that specific format and complete the schedules exactly as they have been provided. It’s tempting to make amendments, make the document look for aesthetically pleasing or use a more readable format – however, the reality is that will generally only frustrate the readers who are trying to compare apples with apples as best they can.
Contact our professional tender writers for help with your next government tender
Our team of bid writing professionals love helping businesses across New Zealand win government tenders – it’s an area where we are passionate about. To put it simply – we want you to win. Many of our clients find themselves asking:
– Why do I keep losing government tenders?
– How can I win a government tender?
– How can I find a government tender for my business?
– What do you have to do to win government tenders?
– Is it easy to win a government tender?
– Can someone check my government tender before I submit it?
Our team of bid writers are based in Auckland and also work remotely from across New Zealand. We can assist you to write, review, improve and submit your government tenders. We have helped businesses across New Zealand win government tenders including in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Tauranga.
Call our expert proposal writers today to talk about how we can help you win.