tenderhooks tender alerts for research & consulting firms
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Bid or no bid? A checklist and scorecard for research and consulting tenders

Answer eight questions about a tender. The scorecard adds up your answers and suggests bid, think again or no bid. It is a guide for your own judgement, and nothing you choose leaves this page.

1. Does the work match what your firm does best?

Buyers score bids on relevant experience and a method that fits the brief.

2. Can you show two or three similar projects, with references?

Most research and consulting tenders ask for case studies or referees.

3. Do you know this buyer?

Firms that know the buyer write to what it values, and often hear of the work early.

4. Is the contract the right size for your firm, and the budget enough for the method?

A contract that is too small wastes your bid days, and one that is too large may fail you on the financial checks. A budget too small for the method sinks many research bids.

5. Is there time to write a strong bid before the deadline?

A rushed bid loses to a polished one, even from a better-qualified firm.

6. Will the people this work needs be free when it starts?

Buyers score the named team, and you must deliver with it.

7. Is the field open, without a clear favourite?

An incumbent who is doing well is hard to beat; an open field is worth more.

8. Can you meet every pass/fail requirement?

Insurance, accreditations, financial standing and similar checks are pass or fail.

How the score works

Each answer scores 2 for yes, 1 for partly and 0 for no, so a tender scores up to 16. Bid from 12, if the work fits at least partly and no more than one answer is no. No bid if it scores under 8, has two or more answers of no, or has a no to the pass/fail question. Anything between is think again: bid only if you can fix the weaker answers.

The facts behind questions 3, 4 and 7

Every Monday, Tenderhooks sends your firm the research and consulting tenders that fit, with each buyer's record from official award notices: how often it tenders your kind of work, its typical contract size and how many bids it usually gets.

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