Pre-Tender Meeting - What to do for success

Many times pre-tender meetings are called by the tendering authority to explain about the projects and to get the views of the tenderers about it. It is a high opportunity to get complete information about the tender called and to get the explanation of any ambiguous condition that may be present in the tender.

Make Pre-Tender Meetings Work for You

Many contractors fail to make the best opportunity of pre-tender meetings. Indeed, some firms invited either refuse the invitation or accept but do not appear. Such a casual attitude does not best represent their interests. The pre-tender meeting is probably the best opportunity your firm will have to gain an insight into both your fellow tenderers’ perspectives and the thoughts of the issuing authority.

Larger firms often consider the pre-tender meeting as an occasion at which they should be seen but not heard. They believe silence best protects their interested, so ensuring they do not disclose to others the direction of their own quotations or ask questions they may make may be incorporated into the other’s quotations. These are, of course, valid points, but total silence allows other firms the opportunity to express through their questions a professional approach that will be remembered by the issuing authority’s personnel after the event.

Small, experienced, professional firms must avail themselves of every opportunity to promote their expertise. As they do not have the benefit of being associated with a renowned firm, the pre-tender meeting is an occasion at which they can express their technical ability to the full, in open competition with established and renowned firms. This serves to raise their firm’s profile and can leave the issuing authorities with a high opinion as to their capabilities. Failure to grasp this opportunity of marketing your firm’s strength can be fatal mistake. A small firm has to overcome the issuing authority’s knowledge.

Presentation

The following points should be considered during the presentation:

Contract terms; personnel; After-Sales Service
Respond positively to the invitation
Always prepare and write down your questions in advance of the meeting for easy reference.
Always be represented by at least two personnel, one to ask the questions, the other to take notes and the answers, questions and remarks of others.
Ensure the personnel representing your firm are technically competent both to ask and answer fully, questions pertaining to the tender documents.
Do not send senior management figures to impress the issuing authority personnel. This is a common mistake, which leads to their perception that your company may be technically incompetent.
If possible, tape the whole meeting and replay to other personnel involved in preparing your firm’s tender documentation.
If only one representative of your firm is present, his attention is drawn to seeking opportunities to ask his questions and not to listening to the answers to others’ questions.
By listening to the direction of question from each of the other tenderers you can gain valuable information as to how they perceive the tender.
Whilst asking questions do not deny others the opportunity of also doing so.
The occasion is one at which to market your ability, but this should be done tactfully. Allow the questions you ask to express your company’s expertise.
Seek information in detail on those points in the tender documentation which you consider most important.
There are many on line tender information providing websites like www.tenderserviceonline.com .You can also visit this site for latest tender news and articles. So you can plan your response to tender invitation today and get lots of business possibilities in government sector.