RFP and tender development
The quality of the responses you receive is set by the quality of the document you issue. A vague requirement produces vague bids, priced for the risk of the ambiguity you left in.
The problem this solves
Requirements are written as a description of the current solution rather than of the outcome required, which excludes better approaches the market could offer and guarantees you buy what you already have.
Evaluation criteria are agreed after bids arrive, which is the point at which they stop being criteria and start being a justification. It is also the fastest route to a challenge from an unsuccessful bidder.
Commercial and legal terms appear only at contract stage, so the negotiation happens after the competitive tension is gone and the leverage has evaporated.
What we actually do
The steps, in the order we run them.
Define the requirement as an outcome
We write specifications around what has to be achieved and how it will be measured, not around the incumbent's method. This opens the field to approaches you had not considered and prices them properly.
Design evaluation before issue
Criteria, weightings and scoring guidance are fixed and documented before the tender goes out, so evaluation is defensible and the process survives scrutiny from an unsuccessful bidder or an auditor.
Put the commercial terms in the pack
Contract terms, service levels and the pricing schedule are issued with the tender, so bidders price the terms they will actually sign and you negotiate while competitive tension still exists.
Run a disciplined process
Managed clarification, equal treatment of bidders, a documented audit trail, and structured evaluation with moderated scoring rather than an average of individual opinions.
Award and hand over cleanly
A documented award recommendation, meaningful debriefs to unsuccessful bidders, and a handover to the contract owner so the terms you fought for are the terms that get managed.
What you get
- An outcome-based specification and complete tender pack
- Evaluation criteria, weightings and scoring guidance agreed before issue
- Contract terms and pricing schedule issued with the tender
- A managed clarification and evaluation process with a full audit trail
- A documented award recommendation and bidder debriefs
Issuing commercial terms with the tender rather than after it is the single change that most reliably improves the outcome, because it moves the negotiation to the point where you still have alternatives.
Questions we get asked
Can you run the tender for us or only write the documents?
Either. We frequently run the full process as an independent party, which helps where the award is likely to be scrutinised, and we equally often build the pack and coach your team through running it themselves.
How do we handle a strong incumbent?
By writing the requirement as an outcome rather than a description of what the incumbent currently does, and by giving challengers enough information and time to bid seriously. An incumbent who wins a genuinely open process is worth keeping.
Does this work for government and public sector tenders?
Yes, and the discipline matters more there. We work within your procurement regulations and the documentation standards your audit function expects. Several of our engagements are with government entities in the UAE.
How long does a tender take?
Six to twelve weeks from requirement definition to award for a straightforward category, longer where the specification needs technical input from the business or where regulated timelines apply.
Where to start
Run the free procurement maturity diagnostic for a scored view of where the gaps are, or talk to a consultant about this specific problem. Both take less time than a meeting about having a meeting.
Talk to a consultant