1. Decode the question
Break the question into its parts and list each one. A question that asks you to "describe your approach to mobilisation, including TUPE, timescales and risk" has at least four elements. Check the specification, the scoring guidance and any clarification responses that change its meaning.
2. Plan against the marking scheme
Read the descriptor for the top mark and turn it into a checklist. If a 5 needs "detailed, specific and evidenced" responses that "add value", plan where each of those will appear.
3. Use the question's own structure
Use headings that mirror the question's sub-points in the same order. Evaluators score against a checklist; make it easy for them to find every item.
4. Make it specific to this contract
Name the buyer's sites, service users, risks and objectives. Show how your approach works for this contract, not for contracts in general.
5. Evidence every claim
Replace adjectives with proof:
- Weak: "We provide an excellent, responsive service."
- Strong: "On our current schools contract we attended 96% of urgent call-outs within four hours last year (contract KPI: 90%)."
Use your own real data, case studies, named roles, processes, tools and accreditations. Never overstate: you may be asked to prove it, and claims can become contract commitments.
6. Features, benefits and commitments
For each feature, say why it matters to this buyer and what you will commit to: "Our helpdesk is staffed from 7am to 7pm (feature), so out-of-hours caretakers can report faults before the school day (benefit). We will report response times monthly against the contract KPIs (commitment)."
7. Write for a tired evaluator
Short paragraphs, plain English, active voice, a one-line summary at the start, diagrams or tables where allowed, and no unexplained acronyms. Stay within the word or page limit; content beyond the limit is usually ignored.
8. Review before you submit
Score your own answer against the descriptors, ideally with someone who did not write it. Our free bid answer review gives you written feedback on one answer.
Frequently asked questions
Should I reuse answers from previous bids?
Reuse your evidence and best paragraphs, but tailor every answer to the new question, buyer and scoring scheme. Evaluators recognise generic copy.
Can I include attachments?
Only where the tender allows it. Unrequested attachments are often not read or scored.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Always follow the tender documents and take legal advice where needed.