Today’s construction businesses operate in a competitive market. Even the most well-established and reputable companies can find themselves undercut by businesses claiming to do the job cheaper and faster.

In the competitive Australian construction industry, a strong tender application is absolutely essential. Thankfully, there are a number of simple strategies and tender tips businesses can use to win better tenders.

1. Check and Re-Check Your Proposal 

Sloppy, half-finished and unreadable tender applications don’t often get a second look. Ensure your tender proposal is easy to understand and addresses all of the requirement criteria. Adhere to word counts, provide all necessary supporting documentation, stick to a uniform font size and type, and use the templates provided.

2. Liven Up Your Tender Application

It may be a formal application, but that doesn’t exclude your tender proposal from being somewhat interesting. Write a tender cover letter that is engaging and succinct, using active voice and addressing the project. Consider using imagery to better outline complicated propositions, and try to break up your text to make life easier on the reader. 

3. Use Testimonials in Your Tender

Testimonials are incredibly important to businesses. They build confidence, credibility, and also bring a human element to your tender proposal. Including them in your application will strengthen your proposal - especially if references are reputable and articulate.

4. Avoid Common Tender Mistakes

There are a number of common tender mistakes that can hurt your submissions. Things like unclear writing, spelling and grammatical errors, inaccurate estimates, lack of signatures and not addressing the project requirements will put you at a severe disadvantage. Ensure you proof-read your proposal and seek third-party assistance if needed.

5. Become Compliance Certified and Get a Competitive Advantage

Australian construction businesses are using their compliance certification to industry standards like ISO 9001 (the international standard for quality management systems) to gain a competitive advantage in their market.

Even more significantly, many tenders specify that certification to standards like ISO 9001 are required in order to submit your proposal. 

Reaching compliance with the ISO 9001 standard has a number of tangible business benefits, like reducing operating costs, driving efficiency and inspiring consumer trust and confidence. When it comes to tender, construction businesses that are certified to the ISO 9001 standard are at a distinct competitive advantage.

To learn more about our compliance services, or to speak to an ISO 9001 consultant, get in touch with us at Compliance Council below.

To strengthen your construction quality management, grab a copy of our popular free resource 'The Construction Quality Templates Toolkit' below: