How to write a tender: a step-by-step guide for UK SMEs

Quick answer

To write a tender, first decide whether the contract is right for you. Then read the whole buyer pack, list every question and its criteria, plan each answer around what the buyer asked, back each claim with real evidence, and check the full response against the instructions before you submit. Leave time at the end for the portal and the receipt.

This guide is for UK SMEs writing their own tender or bid response. A tender (or bid) is the supplier's offer in reply to a buyer's invitation. Councils, schools, NHS bodies, housing providers and private firms all use the process, and their own documents always take priority over general advice.

Step 1: Decide whether to bid

Writing a good response takes real time, so check the basics before you start:

• Can you meet every mandatory and pass/fail requirement, such as insurance levels, accreditations or financial thresholds?
• Can you deliver the service at the scale, location and start date the buyer describes?
• Do you have relevant, recent examples you are allowed to reference?
• Can you price it profitably on the buyer's terms?
• Is there enough time before the deadline for writing, sign-off and submission?

If the honest answer to a mandatory point is no, ask through the buyer's clarification process or let the opportunity go. Missing a pass/fail requirement can mean the rest of the response is not scored.

Step 2: Read the whole buyer pack

Download everything: the invitation, specification, questions, evaluation criteria, pricing schedule, contract terms and any clarifications or amendments. Note:

• The exact deadline, time and submission portal
• Word, character and page limits, and any formatting rules
• How each question is weighted and scored
• Required forms, declarations and attachments
• The clarification deadline

Keep a simple tracker with one row per question, its weighting, its limit, the owner and the status. This becomes your plan and your final checklist.

Step 3: Break each question into parts

Most tender questions contain several instructions. Underline each one and turn it into a heading or bullet in your plan. For example, "Describe how you will supervise staff and monitor quality, and how issues will be reported" has three parts: supervision, quality monitoring and reporting. Each part needs its own clear answer.

Then check the buyer's specification for details the answer should mention, such as sites, service hours, response times or reporting frequency. Evaluators usually look for their own requirements in your answer.

Step 4: Plan the answer before writing

For each part of the question, note:

1. What you will do - the specific action or arrangement.
2. Who does it - the role responsible.
3. When or how often - frequency, timescale or trigger.
4. How it is checked - the record, audit or report.
5. Evidence - a real example, document or result you can verify.

Spend your words roughly in proportion to the marks available. A heavily weighted quality question deserves more effort than a low-weighted one, but pass/fail items still need to be correct.

Step 5: Write clearly for the evaluator

• Use the buyer's own headings and order where possible.
• Answer each part directly before adding background.
• Use short paragraphs, lists or tables if the format allows.
• Name the buyer's sites, services and requirements, not generic ones.
• Replace adjectives ("excellent", "robust", "high quality") with facts.

Fictional example

Fictional bidder: a small grounds maintenance company answering a quality question.

Weak: "We pride ourselves on our excellent standards and dedicated team."

Stronger structure: "[Confirm role] inspects each site [confirm frequency] using [confirm checklist]. Issues are recorded in [confirm system] and put right within [confirm timescale you can meet]. The buyer receives [confirm report contents] every [confirm frequency]."

The brackets show where only the bidder can supply real facts. Never invent figures, accreditations or customer names to fill them.

Step 6: Add real evidence

Evidence makes a claim believable. Useful evidence includes relevant case studies (with permission), audit or KPI reports, policies the buyer asks for, accreditation certificates, staff training records and named roles. Link each piece of evidence to the point it supports rather than attaching a long list at the end.

If a requirement asks for something you do not have yet, say how and when you will put it in place only if that is genuinely true.

Step 7: Check consistency across the pack

Before sign-off, compare answers with each other and with the pricing schedule. Staffing numbers, hours, start dates, mobilisation steps and subcontracting should match everywhere. Search for another buyer's name left in reused text. Remove comments, tracked changes and placeholders.

Step 8: Review each answer against the question

Read each answer side by side with its question and criteria and ask: does every part have a clear answer, is each claim supported, and is the limit met? A second reader who has not written the answer often spots gaps the writer misses.

You can paste one question and draft answer into the free tender answer check to see which parts are covered and what is missing. For the whole tender, the £99 full review returns a review report and an improved editable Word response within 24 hours of a paid, accepted submission.

Step 9: Submit early and save the receipt

Log in to the portal well before the deadline, check accepted file formats, upload each file to the right place and complete the final submit step. Save the confirmation showing the submission time. If you replace a file, check whether you need to resubmit. For final-day steps, see the tender due tomorrow checklist.

Common mistakes when writing a tender

• Starting to write before reading the full pack and amendments
• Answering the question you expected rather than the one asked
• Missing a sub-question inside a long question
• Generic claims with no evidence
• Numbers that differ from the pricing schedule
• Leaving the portal upload until the final hour

Questions about writing a tender

How long does it take to write a tender?

It depends on the number of questions, the evidence you already hold and how many people need to sign off. Plan backwards from the deadline and leave time for review and submission.

Do I need a bid writer?

Not always. Many SMEs write their own responses. A writer can help if nobody has time to draft or coordinate. If you already have a draft, a review may be enough. See bid writer vs bid review.

Can TenderChecker write my tender for me?

No. TenderChecker reviews and improves a substantive draft you supply. It does not write a whole bid from nothing or guarantee a win.

Next steps

Check one tender answer free, browse the bid and tender writing guides, or order a full review of your draft.

This is general writing guidance. It is not legal advice, formal procurement advice, or a guarantee of tender success.