The world of procurement and tendering can be daunting, especially when you have never heard of the concept before. That was my predicament around a year ago, as a new English Literature graduate with limited experience. After stumbling across several job postings for bid and tender writers, I explored these job descriptions in more detail, and something clicked. Suddenly all the vague ideas and aspirations of how my career could look became much clearer.
To recap, a tender writer specialises in creating proposals for businesses who are seeking to win contracts or funding. They craft documents known as tenders, which are submitted to buying organisations or Commissioning Authorities. This is typically in response to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) or Invitations to Tender (ITTs) to showcase the company's qualifications, capabilities, and approach to meeting the project requirements.
Skills required / aims:
I wanted to become a bid writer as the role involves engagement with a variety of exciting new industries to research and work with. Additionally, my aim was to make a tangible difference to small businesses and contribute to projects that positively impact the development of schools, hospitals, transport and construction services.
Building upon my knowledge and skillset was the first step to becoming a bid writer. So, I used my research skills to compile a checklist of all the tools and experience I needed to become one. Aside from knowing what an RFP or an ITT is, I needed to know how to adapt my research and ability to learn new subject material quickly. As I entered the role, I soon realised how multifaceted the tender writing process can be.
First weeks of tender writing:
Initially, I had the chance to just listen and learn the foundations of bid writing in significant detail, enabling me to digest the endless amount of bid knowledge available. I soon realised how important it was to adjust my approach to learning and adapt to the requirements of the workspace and go beyond the core writing skills. These teachings were then reinforced through incremental tasks to solidify my understanding and ensure I wasn’t overwhelming myself with unfamiliar tasks.
Adapting to writing tender responses can be a learning curve, with the opportunity to apply all that I had learned to a real scenario with a client. I had a new purpose and pool of content to write for. I was shifting from writing literature essays at University to the business operations of a construction company.
I am currently gaining experience with bid responses across multiple sectors, establishing the industry specific requirements and streamlining the bid process to structure my approach to working. One key bid writing process which has been particularly significant to my learning is utilising the bid library to maximise the efficiency and accuracy of my responses. When drawing on my University experience, I was programmed to write a lot of my work from ‘scratch’. This perspective was shifted as I began taking writing responsibility for bids and using base material (proven to score highly) to construct the responses. I quickly learned that using base content is key to producing great responses that adhere to tight deadlines and specifications.
My journey to becoming a graduate bid writer has been transformative within a limited time frame. Joining the Complete Tenders team has introduced me to exciting new projects to contribute to the success of small companies, providing a strong personal element to the job with the potential to positively impact small businesses from all over the UK.
To find out more about our tender writing services click here or get in touch to discuss how we can support you.
