Structuring the Content

The bid specification will normally state how the bid is to be structured and the categories of information that bidders are required to provide within this structure. Some clients may want bidders to set out information in a particular sequence, under standardized section headings; others may instruct bidders to use particular formats or templates in presenting their contract experience, CVs, cost estimates and so forth.

If the structure of the bid is specified by the client, follow it exactly. This cannot be emphasized too strongly. Do not ignore any instructions the client may give about either structure or information content. Your bid is likely to be rejected if it fails to supply fully the information the client has asked for.

What should you not include in a bid? Brochures and other forms of promotional literature. First, they will be seen as an attempt to pad out the bid. Second, they may make the bid look ready-made instead of purpose-designed for that contract. Third, clients by and large do not bother to read general material but turn instead to what you have to say about the contract. Fourth, brochures confuse the function of the bid, since they are essentially pre-qualification material. Clients may require bids to include an account of the contractor's organization, staff, services and fields of specialist expertise; but a few paragraphs written specially for the occasion, focusing on the benefits that your services offer clients and explaining how your skills and professional resources help them meet their objectives, will be more effective than a brochure.

If the structure is left open to your judgement, bear in mind that the bid is a functional document produced not for your benefit but to serve the client's needs. There are categories of information that clients will expect as a minimum to find in every bid:

• a statement of the purpose and origin of the bid;

• a summary of your background as a contractor, your credentials for the assignment and your experience of comparable or related work;

• an outline of your proposed technical approach;

• a work plan and timetable - for example a bar chart indicating timescale and completion dates for each part of the work;

• outputs and deliverables;

• the personnel to be assigned to the work and their individual responsibilities;

• details of management arrangements;

• an estimate or confirmation of the fees and expenses likely to be incurred.

Structure the bid in sections that correspond to these topics and that meet such other requirements as the client may have about the way the work is to be undertaken and managed - for example, sections about quality procedures or risk management.

Normally the preliminary material at the front of the document will include a letter of transmittal. This letter is a counterpart of the client's letter of invitation or other form of approach and should be addressed to the person who signed that letter or made the approach. It can serve the following purposes:

• to signal a key message or theme that has shaped the bid or a salient feature that you hope makes it distinctive or particularly advantageous to the client;

• to draw the client's attention, if appropriate, to the fact that the bid is in more than one volume or that it is accompanied by a financial bid submitted under separate cover.

Keep the letter brief and diplomatic: it is not the place for afterthoughts, apologies, attempts at negotiation or allusions to price. One useful point to make may be an offer to follow up the bid with a face-to-face presentation. If the client has indicated that there will be a round of interviews, confirm your readiness to take part.

The client may also find it helpful to see a glossary of technical terms or a 'quick reference guide' listing, for example, topics discussed in the bid, issues, items and locations - placed not at the end of the bid but ahead of the text.

Introductory section of the bid

This section can usefully perform two functions:

• Identifying the purpose and origin of the bid. Quote the client's reference information and other relevant data. If the bid is in response to a contract notice, letter, fax or e-mail, indicate the date and signatory. If it derives from some other contact, explain what that was. Remember that the bid will not necessarily be evaluated by the person who sent the invitation or whose signature appears formally on a letter. Include this identification material in the text even if it appears also in the letter of transmittal.

• Emphasizing the professional credentials, resources and experience of the firm, group or individual putting forward the bid. Include one or two paragraphs about you or your organization, with the emphasis on benefits that you achieved for clients on comparable projects and attributes that qualify you for the work. This should be a bid-specific description, not an all-purpose one copied from a brochure. Perhaps include matrices and other graphics to portray the sectors in which you have particular competence, the structure of your organization and the technical resources available to you. If the work calls for specialized resources, make an effective selling point here by drawing attention to the appropriateness of the facilities you possess or to which you have access - eg databases, archives, training centres, laboratories. Mention also any relevant processes, technologies, software or hardware in which you may have a proprietary interest. Refer to any specialist advisers and authorities whose skills you may be enlisting in the team, particularly if they include nationally or internationally recognized sources of expertise.

Figure 12.1 shows an example of the opening paragraphs of a bid. It portrays a possible approach to the introductory section, rather than serving as a model.

1 The ABC tender

This tender to provide consultancy services for First Commercial Bank (FCB) is submitted by ABC International Ltd, in response to the letter of invitation (ref. KR/13560/HR/E) dated ...... from ............

The tender complies with both the specification and the Instructions to Tenderers attached to the letter of invitation. ABC International Ltd confirms its acceptance without qualification of the Conditions of Contract enclosed with the Instructions to Tenderers, and its receipt of a copy of the Contract Quality Conditions.

1.1 Structure of the tender document

This introduction is followed by an account of ABC's approach to the concept of partnership, including a statement of its service commitment and an outline of the ways in which ABC will help FCB to maximize the benefits and added value to be gained from a partnership relationship (Section 2).

Section 3 sets out ABC's proposals for developing a programme of continuous improvement, quality management and performance measurement during the course of the contract period. Section 4 presents a company profile, while ABC's experience in similar projects, including comparable partnership relationships with corporate organisations in the financial community, is described in Section 5. Proposed resourcing levels and organizational arrangements for management of the partnership are the subject of Section 6. Section 7 provides CVs of the team members nominated for positions within the FCB support group.

1.2 ABC credentials for this project

As an integrated consultancy specializing in information services for the banking sector, ABC International Ltd is able to meet the skill requirements of the tender in full from its own in-house professional resources, which include experts highly qualified by their background and experience to fulfil the roles specified by FCB.

• Since its launch in 1992, ABC has become one of the most successful and fastest-growing consultancies in the EC financial information sector. ABC's success is based entirely on its ability to meet the requirements of its customers dependably and cost-effectively. These are marketing strengths which it can contribute to a partnership with FCB so as to help FCB enhance its commercial performance and achieve its corporate objectives.

• ABC has proven experience of partnership relationships both through its previous and current work for FCB and other clients in the European financial community and through its continuing work with leading banks and funding institutions such as the European Bank for Technological Development, Second Chemical Bank, Mercantile Investment Corporation and the European Carnegie Fund.

• This experience means that ABC can bring to the proposed partnership both an extensive, up-to-date knowledge of trading environments and an international perspective of innovative and affordable information management solutions, developed through its work with other financial institutions, which can in turn help FCB to reduce the costs of information systems development.

• ABC's existing record of work in information consultancy for FCB means that partnership will ensure continuity of service and the maintenance of proven working relationships, freeing FCB from the costs of delays or learning curves.

Figure 12.1: Example of a bid introduction

If you are associating with other contractors in a group or consortium, present information on each organization in turn. Explain their respective roles and responsibilities in the contract and what each partner contributes to the team and its work. Tell the client who the contracting party will be if the group is awarded the contract. Put forward a convincing image of an integrated group, identifying the strengths that justify its formation and stressing its unity and balance.

It may be useful to include a matrix of team or contractor experience (Figure 12.2). This might highlight recent work for the client or related authorities, together with specialized work in relevant sectors of expertise. If there are individuals in the team who are known to the client from previous successful work, bring this point out. To be really effective, the matrix needs to look brimful of relevance, with every one of its spaces filled.

Team member	Professional experience	Key competencies	Previous work with client
John Andrew	15 years	Design and maintenance of track structures Rail development engineering	Development of track geometry and condition standards
George Brown	12 years	Track maintenance and renewal Coordination of maintenance operations	Maintenance Management Service Contract
James Davis	10 years	Dynamic track inspection Application of track recording technology	Senior Infrastructure Engineer (1997–2002)
Henry Smith	15 years	Track design, construction and maintenance	Maintenance Management Service Contract
Alan White	10 years	Track strengthening and renewal Contract management and supervision	Track Renewal Contract, Southern Area

Figure 12.2: Detail of a matrix of team experience

Some of the information in this introductory section will be developed in detail in subsequent parts of the bid. Here and now your aim is to present the essential points up front so as to fix key messages in the client's mind, messages that will resonate through the bid as its distinctive benefits are set out.

Technical approach and methodology

This area of information, which covers your insight into the client's objectives, the methodology to be applied and the tasks and activities needed to achieve the intended results of the contract, can form the next section of the bid and is discussed in Chapter 13.

Work plan and timetable

Describe in this section your proposed arrangements for managing the work (Chapter 14).

Staffing

This material should cover the personnel resources to be applied to the work, the composition of the contract team, the responsibilities and tasks assigned to each team member and the timing of professional inputs (Chapter 14).

Outputs and deliverables

Information about the results of the work and the items or services that the contractor will provide to the client is discussed in Chapter 15.

Team and project experience

This information includes CVs of team members (Chapter 17) and summaries of experience on similar contracts (Chapter 18).

Price information

Estimates of costs (Chapter 20) will be set out in this section unless the client requires a separate financial bid.

Appendices

These help to meet requirements for detailed information while keeping the main body of the bid trim. Possible material for appendices includes formal documentation such as letters of commitment; extended CVs, particularly when the work involves a large team; detailed contract experience; material published by the contractors; statistics; data-processing facilities and software. The bid specification may be reproduced as an appendix if this is practicable.