Bids Tenders and Proposals :... | Buy

Summary

This unique book is a practical guide to winning contracts and funding through competitive bids, tenders and proposals. Written in a crisp, accessible style using examples and checklists, it explains how to create bids that are outstanding in both technical quality and value for money. This second edition extends the scope and content of the book to make it an even more useful and practical guide to successful tendering. New topics include action during pre-proposal stages of business development and market intelligence. There is more advice to help manage the process of proposal writing, including tips on document collaboration and version control. There is also up-to-date information on EU procurement and research funding, giving the reader the benefit of powerful, best-practice techniques.

Author Biography

Harold Lewis is a writer, editor and independent consultant with more than 30 years of professional experience. He is a leading authority developing and writing competitive tenders.

List of figures	p. ix
A bid to succeed	p. 1
About this book	p. 1
Guidelines to set you on course	p. 4
Developing skills in bid writing	p. 7
Market research and intelligence	p. 8
Bidding for public sector contracts	p. 13
The EU procurement framework	p. 13
Key aspects of the procurement regulations	p. 15
Outline of the procurement process	p. 20
Priorities for the public sector	p. 23
Bidding for project funding	p. 26
Tendering for the private sector	p. 29
Equal concern for value for money	p. 29
Bidding for research funding	p. 34
Tendering for EU-funded research	p. 35
Essential dos and don'ts	p. 41
Research council and government funding	p. 43
Pre-qualifying for tender opportunities	p. 46
Pre-qualification information	p. 48
Guidance to get you ahead	p. 50
Capability statements	p. 52
Deciding to bid	p. 54
Issues to consider	p. 55
Risk assessment	p. 63
Analysing the bid specification	p. 66
Points for checklists	p. 68
Managing the bid	p. 81
Planning and coordination	p. 82
Document management and version control	p. 86
Programming production and delivery	p. 89
Checking bid quality	p. 90
Bringing together resources and inputs	p. 92
Using a bid development worksheet	p. 96
Maintaining bid records	p. 96
Bid development outline	p. 100
Talking to the client	p. 101
Bidding in partnership	p. 105
Guidelines for association	p. 106
Overseas bids: teaming up with local associates	p. 109
Thinking the work through	p. 114
Get the measure of the work	p. 115
Match technical content and price	p. 116
Recognize and manage risk	p. 117
Reduce the risk of contract failure	p. 120
Developing and writing the bid	p. 122
Structuring the content	p. 123
Thinking different	p. 129
Bid letters	p. 130
Two items that add value to the bid - a summary and a response matrix	p. 131
Creating the text	p. 133
Editing the bid	p. 138
Explaining approach and methodology	p. 146
Shaping the argument	p. 146
Commenting on the bid specification	p. 147
Writing about methodology	p. 148
Focusing on contract management	p. 159
Team management and resources	p. 161
Management interface	p. 164
Quality management	p. 169
Defining outputs and deliverables	p. 171
Contract deliverables	p. 172
Communicating added value	p. 178
Presenting CVs	p. 184
Management of CVs	p. 185
Standardizing CV format and structure	p. 187
Basic structure for CVs	p. 190
Resumes	p. 197
Describing professional experience	p. 198
Client references	p. 198
Project summaries	p. 200
Bringing experience to life	p. 202
Making good use of graphics	p. 205
Types of bid graphics	p. 206
Guidelines for effective graphics	p. 206
Design software	p. 209
The bid cover	p. 210
Bid design and page layout	p. 210
Stating your price	p. 213
Components of price information	p. 214
Cost assumptions	p. 219
Payment	p. 221
Separate financial proposals	p. 222
Best practice in dealing with price	p. 224
Financial information in research bids	p. 227
Producing and submitting the bid	p. 229
Electronic submission	p. 229
Size and presentation	p. 231
Packaging and delivery	p. 233
Understanding how clients evaluate tenders	p. 235
Evaluation criteria in public sector procurement	p. 235
Methods of evaluating bids	p. 237
Questions clients ask	p. 241
Evaluation of research proposals	p. 247
Presentations to clients	p. 249
Planning and making the presentation	p. 249
Visual aids	p. 252
Pitfalls to avoid	p. 252
Do your own tender auditing	p. 254
Using feedback from clients	p. 254
The auditing procedure	p. 255
Audit parameters in detail	p. 259
Applying the results of the audit	p. 264
Ten true stories	p. 266
And the moral of these stories?	p. 270
Index	p. 271
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Supplemental Materials

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Excerpts

1 A bid to succeed 1 About this book 1; Guidelines to set you on course 4; Developing skills in bid writing 7; Market research and intelligence 8 2 Bidding for public sector contracts 13 The EU procurement framework 13; Key aspects of the procurement regulations 15; Outline of the procurement process 20; Priorities for the public sector 23; Bidding for project funding 26 3 Tendering for the private sector 29 Equal concern for value for money 29 4 Bidding for research funding 34 Tendering for EU-funded research 35; Essential dos and don'ts 41; Research council and government funding 43 5 Pre-qualifying for tender opportunities 46 Pre-qualification information 48; Guidance to get you ahead 50; Capability statements 52 6 Deciding to bid 54 Issues to consider 55; Risk assessment 63 7 Analysing the bid specification 66 Points for checklists 68 8 Managing the bid 81 Planning and coordination 82; Document management and version control 86; Programming production and delivery 89; Checking bid quality 90; Bringing together resources and inputs 92; Using a bid development worksheet 96; Maintaining bid records 96; Bid development outline 100 9 Talking to the client 101 10 Bidding in partnership 105 Guidelines for association 106; Overseas bids: teaming up with local associates 109 11 Thinking the work through 114 Get the measure of the work 115; Match technical content and price 116; Recognize and manage risk 117; Reduce the risk of contract failure 120 12 Developing and writing the bid 122 Structuring the content 123; Thinking different 129; Bid letters 130; Two items that add value to the bid - a summary and a response matrix 131; Creating the text 133; Editing the bid 138 13 Explaining approach and methodology 146 Shaping the argument 146; Commenting on the bid specification 147; Writing about methodology 148 14 Focusing on contract management 159 Team management and resources 161; Management interface 164; Quality management 169 15 Defining outputs and deliverables 171 Contract deliverables 172 16 Communicating added value 178 17 Presenting CVs 184 Management of CVs 185; Standardizing CV format and structure 187; Basic structure for CVs 190; Résumés 197 18 Describing professional experience 198 Client references 198; Project summaries 200; Bringing experience to life 202 19 Making good use of graphics 205 Types of bid graphics 206; Guidelines for effective graphics 206; Design software 209; The bid cover 210; Bid design and page layout 210 20 Stating your price 213 Components of price information 214; Cost assumptions 219; Payment 221; Separate financial proposals 222; Best practice in dealing with price 224; Financial information in research bids 227 21 Producing and submitting the bid 229 Electronic submission 229; Size and presentation 231; Packaging and delivery 233 22 Understanding how clients evaluate tenders 235 Evaluation criteria in public sector procurement 235; Methods of evaluating bids 237; Questions clients ask 241; Evaluation of research proposals 247 23 Presentations to clients 249 Planning and making the presentation 249; Visual aids 252; Pitfalls to avoid 252 24 Do your own tender auditing 254 Using feedback from clients 254; The auditing procedure 255; Audit parameters in detail 259; Applying the results of the audit 264 25 Ten true stories 266 And the moral of these stories? 270