Alongside our network of expert partners, Bramble Hub regularly submits bids for tenders across all areas of the UK public sector and has been doing so for almost two decades. This wealth of experience gives us a unique insight into the dos and don’ts of public sector tenders.
We asked our in-house Head of Frameworks, Louise Earnshaw for her top tips on winning public sector bids. Here is her advice.
Invest time and resources
Successful bids need structured planning. Allocate sufficient time to draft, undertake internal review, final editing and page turn.
Use the customer’s language and align with requirements
- Carefully review the specification and the contracting authority’s website to understand their priorities and terminology.
- Mirror their language in your responses to demonstrate alignment and understanding of their needs, vision and priorities.
- Address the stated requirements directly, showing you have tailored your solution specifically to this opportunity.
- Avoid generic/marketing material that does not respond to the customer’s specification.
Answer the question fully (HOW, WHY, WHAT)
- Structure your response to clearly answer every aspect of the question:
- explain how you will deliver,
- why your approach is effective and
- what the outcomes will be or evidence of what your company has achieved previously.
- Avoid generic or vague statements; be specific and provide evidence where possible.
Reference case studies effectively
- When including case studies, use a clear structure:
- Problem – What challenge did the customer face?
- Solution – How did you address it?
- Outcomes– What were the tangible, measurable results?
- Relevance – Why is this important to this opportunity?
- This approach reassures evaluators of your track record and relevance.
Make responses easy to evaluate
- Organise your answers in the same order as the tender questions.
- Use headings and bullet points to make your response easy to navigate and for evaluators to award marks.
- Stick to the required format, font and margin settings as specified in the tender documents.
Highlight value add and customer benefits
- Go beyond basic compliance and demonstrate the additional value your business brings, such as innovation, flexibility or social and environmental benefits.
- Clearly articulate the customer benefits—how your solution will improve their operations or outcomes.
Prove your capability and track record
- Explicitly state your relevant skills, experience and qualifications. Reference similar projects you have delivered successfully, especially in the public sector.
- Use testimonials or performance metrics and KPIs where possible to build trust and reduce perceived risk.
Use visuals where appropriate
- Where allowed, include images such as process diagrams, organograms, or workflow charts to illustrate your approach and break up text, making your bid more interesting and readable.
- Ensure visuals are clear, relevant and compliant with formatting requirements.
Adhere strictly to formatting instructions
- Don’t lose marks on technicalities: Follow all instructions regarding font, margins, file format and word/page limits. Non-compliance can result in disqualification or lost marks.
- Final review: Double-check your submission against the requirements before submitting.
Additional practical tips
- Register on the central digital procurement platform to access all public sector opportunities and set up alerts for relevant contracts.
- Engage early: attend pre-market engagement sessions and information days to understand the authority’s needs and raise your profile.
- Build up experience with lower-value contracts before targeting larger opportunities.
- Assign clear roles within your team for bid preparation, review, and submission to ensure a timely and high-quality response.
We hope that SMEs might find Lou’s tips helpful for drafting your own bids in the competitive UK public sector tendering environment.
