We all know the term ‘busy fools’! The term definitely comes into play when tendering for new business. Seeing all those tenders coming through, is like candy in a sweet shop. But, knowing that you could deliver the work well is one thing, on paper you have to sound great too.
The best tip we can give you is to create a Tender Checklist before Tendering for Catering Contracts. This Tender Checklist will keep you on track when bidding for new catering contracts and should include a set of questions which are essential to knowing what to tender for, and what to walk away from.
Here are some sample questions that our Growth Director, Jill asks before submitting tenders on behalf of her clients.
Most tenders require sector specific experience, and usually require a minimum of three case studies. Think carefully before submitting a response if you’re struggling to get the right level of experience from your bank of case studies.
Look at the work you’ve done in the last three years and ask yourself, ‘is it relevant to the business project?’ If it isn’t it’s unlikely you’ll be successful, as another bidding organisation will specialise in this area and will be able to produce a winning submission.
It’s hard to know the cut off point for organisations when bidding for work, but the general rule of thumb is that you are unlikely to win any projects as an SME that are more than 50% of your turnover.
If you’ve only been trading for 2 years but it is an essential requirement of the tender to have a minimum of 3 years. Disregard the tender and don’t give it another thought.
Think of your current and previous experience, if the management team are strong, with a proven track record, you could have a strong chance of winning the work.
Think about the size of your team and the number of man hours needed to complete the work. If it looks like 100% of your team will be working on the project 100% of the time, you’re unlikely to win it, it’s too risky for the client to give you the work.
Many organisations bid for work not thinking of the profit margins should they win the work. Look at the man hours needed for the project, and add 20%. If you’re still making a decent profit, go ahead and submit the response.
If you would like to book a free Demo of Hospitality Tenders feel free to get in touch and browse through the current opportunities we have in various sub-sectors including:
Secondary School Catering Services – Cressex Community School
Cressex Community School- South East- Budget: £190,000
GB-Kettering: Takeaway Meals for Staff
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust- East Midlands- Budget: £100,000
Estuaries MAT Catering
Estuaries Multi Academy Trust- South West- Budget: £2,300,000
Catering Service Contract
Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association- Scotland- Budget: £65,000
School Meals Catering Contract Project
The Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames- London- Budget: £2,000,000
Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow with Hospitality Tenders.