Is the bid fully compliant? If not, how is it at variance?
Is the document structured in a way that makes it easy for the client to check against the bid specification?
Does it respond to points that the client had emphasized or specified precisely - for example, commitment to the availability of key personnel, competencies required of staff or the scheduling of time inputs and deliverables?
Is it a complete response, in terms of its technical content and the breadth of its analysis?
Does the bid focus sharply on the project and on the closeness of match between what the client requires and what your team can do?
If the bid puts forward an alternative approach or a variation, have you presented a convincing argument for this? Is the variant solution accompanied by a conforming solution?
If you were invited to comment on the bid specification or terms of reference, did you use the opportunity constructively?
Does the bid put across the message that your response offers added value that clients would not be able to obtain from competitors?
Are the outcomes of the work described in terms of the benefits intended by the client or just as services provided by your firm?
Does the bid convey a sense of creativity and dependable innovation?
If a partnership, group or consortium is proposed, does the bid explain the rationale for its formation?
Does the bid identify clearly the personnel forming the work team? Does it emphasize critical 'winning-edge' points about the team, their experience and their knowledge?
Do the CVs communicate the experts' professional and management strengths in ways that are particularly relevant to the requirements of the work?
Does the bid provide supporting evidence that the nominated experts possess the required competencies?
Is there an appropriate balance between information about the technical competencies of the team and information about your contract management skills?
Is there evidence that team members have worked together successfully on comparable projects?
Does the bid express a sense of team integration and commitment?
How well are client issues and requirements analysed?
Does the bid contain original material resulting from your own research and perceptions rather than repeating or paraphrasing data supplied by the client?
Does the bid show empathy with client values and processes, and an understanding of the client's working environment?
Does the bid ignore social or political issues that ought to have been recognized and discussed?
Is the content of the bid structured efficiently in terms of its delivery of information?
Does the bid possess a convincing logic?
Are the parts of the bid signposted to assist navigation through the document?
Is there a bid response matrix?
How much cross-referencing is there from one part of the document to another?
If there is a bid summary, is it used effectively?
How are headings and sub-headings used? Do they highlight outputs and benefits or inputs and services? Is there a logical hierarchy in the use of headings?
Is phrasing consistent within the bid and with the client's documentation?
Are key selling points placed up front and projected strongly and explicitly?
Does the bid appear to have been written expressly for the occasion, rather than assembled by copy-and-paste methods?
Are all technical points and issues adequately explained?
Is the text free of errors in grammar, spelling, sentence construction and punctuation?
If there are numbers in the text, do they add up correctly?
Are appendices or annexes used appropriately for material such as extended CVs, summaries of experience and detailed statistics?
If the bid is to be read by evaluators whose first language is not English, does the way it is written take this into account?
Does the bid have a businesslike feel, as if you have done the job before?
Do the logistics of the assignment, in terms of getting the work done efficiently, appear to have been thought through in detail?
Is there a sense of looking ahead to problems and difficulties that might arise and building in the means to avoid or overcome them?
Does the previous experience outlined in the bid focus on work that is recent, relevant and related to the subject of the bid?
Are your work methods explained logically and comprehensibly?
Is it evident how each component task and activity in the work programme will be addressed?
Is there a direct relationship between activities and outputs?
Are tasks itemized to an appropriate level of detail?
Are options and alternatives analysed?
Are innovative or challenging aspects of the methodology highlighted?
Does the bid avoid the temptation to include project solutions?
How well does the bid convey your strength in managing teams and contracts?
Is there an appropriate emphasis on performance monitoring and progress measurement?
Does the text refer effectively to mechanisms for quality assurance and risk management?
Does the bid look like a professionally produced document and a competent business offer?
Is there evidence that someone has thought about the design of the document and its appearance?
What is the quality of the page layout? Is there a balanced relationship between column width, font size and line spacing?
Do tables have an efficient layout? Are they captioned and numbered consistently?
Is there sufficient graphic content?
Is the style of graphics competent and consistent throughout the document?
Are text and figures well integrated? Or are there discrepancies between them?
Does the tender price match the technical content of the bid?
If the client required separate technical and financial proposals, were these developed in tandem?
Were any work components or inputs underpriced or overpriced?
Were contingencies included for high-risk elements?
How efficiently were the development and production of the bid managed?
How well had the context of the bid been researched?
If there was specialist technical input to the bid, how effectively was it coordinated?
Were there factors that caused difficulties or delays? Could these problems have been foreseen?
Were any particular resources lacking or insufficient? If so, why?
How accurately was the bid translated into work on the ground?
Were correct assumptions made about the project environment, work output, team competencies and so forth, when developing the bid?
Did you recover the costs of your investment in the bid?
What information came from the client about why the bid succeeded or failed?
Have further invitations to bid been received from that client? If not, do you know why?