Source: https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-write-a-tender Guide # How to write a tender: a step-by-step guide for UK SMEs A practical method for writing UK public sector tender responses that score well, with a before-and-after example, a social value section and a pre-submission checklist. Updated 14 Oct 2026 To write a tender, work out exactly how the buyer will score you, then answer every part of every question with specific, provable evidence, in the buyer's order and inside their limits. The tender that wins gives the evaluator the most reasons to award marks against the published criteria, which is a different skill from writing well. Below: how scoring works under the Procurement Act 2023, a step-by-step process, a weak answer rewritten into a strong one, social value, and a pre-submission checklist. ## How UK tenders are scored Since 24 February 2025, most public buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland run tenders under the [Procurement Act 2023](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents). Scottish devolved bodies still follow Scotland's own rules, and procurements that started before that date finish under the old regulations. If you need the background, read our [Procurement Act guide for SMEs](/guides/procurement-act-2023-smes). Three parts of the Act shape how you should write. **The contract goes to the "most advantageous tender".** Under [section 19](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/19), that is the tender which meets the buyer's requirements and best satisfies the award criteria, assessed using the published methodology and weightings. You will still see "MEAT" (most economically advantageous tender) in guides and older documents. That was the term under the old regulations. The idea is similar, but the Act's term is MAT. **The scoring rules are published before you write.** [Section 23](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/23) requires the buyer to describe how tenders will be assessed against the award criteria and to show the relative importance of each criterion, usually as a percentage weighting. It must also say whether failing a criterion disqualifies you. Everything you need to write to the scoring is in the tender documents. **Breaking the rules can cost you the whole bid.** Section 19(3) lets a buyer disregard a tender that breaches a procedural requirement in the tender documents, and one with a price it considers abnormally low (after asking you to justify it). A missed format, a late upload or an ignored instruction can mean your bid is never scored. ### Weightings and scoring scales A typical split might be 60% quality, 30% price and 10% social value, with quality broken into several questions, each carrying its own weighting and word limit. Each question is usually marked on a scale, most often 0 to 5 or 0 to 100, with a written descriptor for each band. Descriptors vary between buyers, but a 0 to 5 scale often follows this pattern: ScoreWhat the descriptor usually says0No answer, or the answer does not address the question1Major gaps or serious concerns about delivery2Partly meets the requirement, with weaknesses or limited evidence3Meets the requirement, with adequate evidence4Meets the requirement fully, with good evidence and some added value5Fully meets every part of the requirement with strong, specific evidence and clear added value for this buyerYour tender's own descriptors are the ones that count, so copy them next to each question in your working document. Three things separate a 3 from a 5: coverage of every part, the strength of the evidence, and relevance to this buyer. Adjectives do not move you up a band. Some buyers also set a minimum score, sometimes called a quality threshold. Score below it on a question and you are out, however good your price. ### Where your effort should go Do the maths before you write. If a question is worth 10% of the total score and marked out of 5, every band you move up is worth 2 percentage points of the whole evaluation. A 5% question moved up a band is worth 1 point. Spend your best evidence and most review time on the heaviest questions, and on any question with a minimum score. ## Step by step: writing a tender response ### 1. Decide whether to bid A bid you cannot win costs as much time as one you can. Before you write anything, check you meet the conditions of participation (turnover, insurance, accreditations, experience) and ask honestly whether you can beat the incumbent. Our free [bid/no-bid scorecard](/tools/bid-no-bid-scorecard) walks you through the questions, and [who won it](/tools/who-won-it) shows who holds the current contract. ### 2. Pull the pack apart Read every document, then build one list of everything the buyer has asked for: - each question, its weighting, its word or page limit and its scoring descriptors - every mandatory requirement and pass/fail question - every document you must upload, in the format they ask for - key dates: the clarification deadline, the submission deadline, and any presentation or site visit Work back from the deadline with our [tender deadline calculator](/tools/tender-deadline-calculator) and set internal dates for first drafts, review and sign-off. Aim to submit a day early. If you upload the tender pack to a bid in TenderNation, it builds this list for you as a requirements checklist with page references, and rates the hard requirements red, amber or green against your company profile. You still need to read the documents, but a requirement buried deep in an appendix is less likely to slip past. ### 3. Ask clarification questions early If anything is ambiguous, contradictory or missing, ask. Typical gaps are TUPE information, volumes, current service levels and exactly how a question will be scored. Buyers usually publish questions and answers to every bidder without saying who asked, so word your question so it does not give away your approach. Check the clarification deadline: it often closes well before the submission deadline. ### 4. Break each question into its parts Most quality questions ask several things at once. "Describe how you will mobilise the service, manage risk during transition and report progress to the council" is three questions. Write each part down as a separate line and make sure your answer has a clear section for each one. Evaluators score against a checklist, and a part you skip is marks you cannot earn. ### 5. Gather evidence before you draft For each part of each question, find the proof: a comparable contract, a measured result, a named role, a process you already run, a certificate. If you have no evidence for a part, you have found a weakness. Fix it or address it honestly. ### 6. Draft to the scoring descriptors Write each answer so the evaluator can match it against the top-band descriptor line by line. Use the buyer's headings, numbering and wording from the specification. Say who does what, when and how, and how the buyer will know it worked. ### 7. Price it properly Price exactly in the buyer's pricing schedule and include everything the specification asks for. Under section 19(3)(c), a buyer may disregard a price it considers abnormally low, but only after telling you and giving you a reasonable chance to show you can deliver at that price. Do not buy the contract at a loss you cannot sustain. ### 8. Review, then submit early Have someone who did not write an answer score it against the descriptors. Then run the checklist below and submit at least a day early. Portals slow down on deadline day and late bids are usually rejected unopened. ## A worked example: turning a weak answer into a strong one *This is an illustrative example. The question, the firm and every figure are invented to show the technique. Use your own facts.* **The question:** "Describe how you will mobilise the grounds maintenance service in the first 30 days, including how you will manage the transfer of existing staff and how you will report progress to the council. (Weighting 10%. Maximum 400 words. Scored 0 to 5.)" Broken into parts, the evaluator is looking for: 1. A mobilisation plan for the first 30 days 2. How staff transfer (TUPE) will be managed 3. How progress will be reported to the council **Weak answer (likely to score 2):** > We are a highly experienced grounds maintenance provider with a proven track record of seamless mobilisations. Our dedicated team is committed to excellence and will work closely with the council to ensure a smooth transition. We understand the importance of communication and will keep the council informed throughout. What is wrong with it: no plan, no timeline, and no mention of staff transfer. Reporting is a vague promise. "Proven track record", "seamless" and "committed to excellence" give the evaluator nothing to score, and the whole answer could be pasted into any bid. **Strong answer (written to score 4 or 5):** > **Mobilisation plan (days 1 to 30)**Our contract manager, who led our last two council mobilisations, runs mobilisation full time for the first 30 days. > > - Days 1 to 5: site survey of all 42 parks and open spaces listed in Schedule 2, confirming access, hazards and current condition with photographs. > - Days 6 to 15: equipment delivered and checked; route plans agreed with your parks officer. > - Days 16 to 30: full service running, with a joint inspection of 10 sites in week 4 to confirm standards. > > **Staff transfer**We will begin TUPE consultation in the first week, using the employee liability information in Appendix C. Each transferring employee gets a one-to-one meeting with our HR lead before day 10, and no terms change at transfer. On our most recent council contract, all 14 transferring staff were still with us at the 12-month review. > > **Reporting to the council**A weekly mobilisation report against this plan goes to your contract manager every Friday, red-rating any slipped task with a recovery date. A mobilisation review meeting at day 30 signs off the move to the monthly KPI report set out in Schedule 4. Why it scores higher: each part of the question has its own section, in the order asked. Every claim can be checked. It cites the buyer's own pack (Schedule 2, Appendix C, Schedule 4), so the plan was clearly written for this contract. The one piece of past evidence is specific and relevant, and it stays well inside the word limit. Only write figures you can prove. The evaluator may ask, and promises in your tender can end up in the contract. ## Social value: how to answer it under PPN 002 Most UK public tenders include a social value question. For central government, [PPN 002](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ppn-002-taking-account-of-social-value-in-the-award-of-contracts) applies to departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies, and requires them to give social value a minimum weighting of 10% of the total score. Councils, NHS bodies and other buyers set their own approach, but many use the same model. Three points from the [PPN 002 guide to using the social value model](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ppn-002-taking-account-of-social-value-in-the-award-of-contracts/ppn-002-guide-to-using-the-social-value-model-html) change how you should write: - **The buyer picks the outcomes.** The model sets out policy outcomes such as fair work, skills for growth, resilient supply chains including SMEs and VCSEs, and sustainable procurement. Answer the ones named in the tender, not the ones you find easiest. - **Evaluators score the plan.** The guide says the assessment is qualitative: evaluators score how your method statement and implementation plan meet the award criteria, and "volumes are not evaluated". A credible, well-planned offer of 4 apprenticeships can outscore a vague promise of 20. - **What you commit to goes into the contract.** PPN 002 says social value commitments made during the procurement must be reflected in the contract as terms or KPIs. Promise only what you will deliver and can report on. The guide also rules out criteria based on a supplier's general corporate policies, so a CSR statement will not score. Tie each commitment to this contract: who delivers it, when, how it is measured and how the buyer will see the results. Small local firms often do well here because their commitments are concrete and close to the buyer. ## Word limits, formats and the small rules - **Word limits:** treat them as hard limits. Some buyers ignore text over the limit and some disqualify the answer. Check whether headings, tables and diagrams count. - **Formats and attachments:** use the buyer's templates, file types and naming, and attach only what the question allows. - **Cross-references:** avoid "see our answer to 3.2". Each answer may be scored by a different evaluator who never reads the other. - **Registration:** for tenders under the Act, check you are registered on the Central Digital Platform and your supplier information is current. Our [Central Digital Platform checklist](/tools/central-digital-platform-checklist) covers what you need. ## After you submit: assessment summary and standstill For a contract awarded through a competitive tendering procedure under the Act, the buyer must send an [assessment summary](/glossary/assessment-summary) to every supplier whose tender was assessed before it publishes the contract award notice ([section 50](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/50)). Publishing that notice starts a mandatory standstill period of eight working days before the contract can be signed ([section 51](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/section/51)). Some awards, such as call-offs from frameworks, have no mandatory standstill or assessment summary. The summary is the most useful document you will get from a lost bid. According to the [GOV.UK guidance on assessment summaries](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-act-2023-guidance-documents-procure-phase/guidance-assessment-summaries-html), an unsuccessful supplier's summary must include a copy of the information given to the winner, redacted where needed, explaining how the winning tender scored against each criterion. Read the two side by side: 1. List each question, its weighting, your score and the winner's score. 2. Multiply each gap by the weighting to see where you lost the most points overall. 3. Read the evaluator comments on your weakest answers and note what was missing. 4. Fix the source material (case studies, method statements, policies) so the next bid starts from a stronger position. TenderNation's AI debriefs do this from the summary you upload: they show where you lost points against the winner, weighted by how much each question counted, and feed the lessons into your next drafts. They are part of the Professional plan; see [pricing](/pricing). If you lost, our guide on [why you lose tenders](/guides/why-you-lose-tenders) shows how to read the scores against the winner and what to change next time. ## Pre-submission checklist Run this before you press submit: - Every question answered in the buyer's order and numbering, with a signposted section for each part - Each answer checked against the top-band scoring descriptor by someone who did not write it - Every claim backed by evidence you can prove, with no generic phrases ("committed to excellence", "proven track record") standing in for it - The buyer's name, documents and requirements referred to, so no answer reads as reusable - Every answer within its word or page limit, using the buyer's counting rules - All mandatory and pass/fail questions answered, and all required documents attached in the right format - Insurance, accreditations and policies current and meeting the levels stated - Pricing schedule complete, in the buyer's format, with nothing missing that the specification asks for - Social value commitments tied to this contract and ones you will deliver and report on - Clarification answers published by the buyer read, and your answers updated to reflect them - Declarations signed by someone with authority - Submitted at least a day early, with a confirmation receipt saved ## Where AI fits, and where it does not AI tools can read a long tender pack quickly, list the requirements and produce a first draft. They cannot supply the evidence that wins marks. An AI draft with no evidence behind it reads like the weak answer above. In TenderNation, answer drafts are built only from your own bid library, company profile and the tender documents. Where the evidence is missing, the draft leaves a visible placeholder for you to fill rather than inventing a fact, and the answer check flags parts of the question you have not covered and generic phrases evaluators mark down. You can try it free for 14 days, no card needed, by [creating an account](/register). ## Keep going - [How to win your first public sector contract](/guides/how-to-win-your-first-public-sector-contract) - [Procurement Act 2023: what SMEs need to know](/guides/procurement-act-2023-smes) - [How to find UK government tenders](/guides/how-to-find-uk-government-tenders) *This guide is a practical summary, not legal advice. The tender documents and the official guidance on GOV.UK are the authoritative sources.* Put this guide to work Search UK, EU and World Bank tenders in one place, get AI summaries and a fit score for each one, and track bids in a pipeline. Professional comes with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. [Browse live tenders](/opportunities)[Start free trial ](/register) 14-day free trial, no card required Browse by sector - [Construction work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/construction-work)356 - [Architecture, engineering & surveying](https://tendernation.io/sectors/architecture-engineering-surveying)131 - [IT services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/it-services)51 - [Business services](https://tendernation.io/sectors/business-services)171 - [Health and social work](https://tendernation.io/sectors/health-social-work)291 - [Sewage, refuse, cleaning & environmental](https://tendernation.io/sectors/sewage-refuse-cleaning-environmental)76 [All sectors ](/sectors) ## More guides [Procurement Act 2023: what SMEs need to knowWhat actually changed when the new rules went live in February 2025, and how small suppliers can use them to win more public work.](https://tendernation.io/guides/procurement-act-2023-smes)[How to find UK government tenders (2026 guide)Where UK public contracts are actually published, which portals matter, and how to build a search that catches the right tenders without drowning you.](https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-find-uk-government-tenders)[How to win your first public sector contractA practical, step-by-step plan for small businesses going after their first government contract, from picking the right tender to using the feedback.](https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-win-your-first-public-sector-contract)[Contracts Finder vs Find a Tender: what's the difference?The UK's two official tender portals explained: what each one covers, how the Procurement Act changed them, and why you probably need both.](https://tendernation.io/guides/contracts-finder-vs-find-a-tender)[Procurement Act notice types: UK1 to UK17 explained for suppliersA supplier's guide to all 17 Procurement Act notices, grouped by stage, with what each one tells you and which ones an SME should act on.](https://tendernation.io/guides/procurement-act-notice-types)[Free vs paid tender alerts in the UK: do you need to pay?The government tender portals are free and send email alerts. For some suppliers that's enough. Here's what they do, what they don't, and when paying makes sense.](https://tendernation.io/guides/free-vs-paid-tender-alerts)[How to bid for council contractsCouncils buy in value bands set by their own contract rules. Learn which band you are bidding in, where each is advertised, and what the council scores.](https://tendernation.io/guides/how-to-bid-for-council-contracts)[How to get on a council approved supplier listWhat "approved supplier list" means in 2026: frameworks, dynamic markets, minor works lists and accreditations like Constructionline, and how to join each one.](https://tendernation.io/guides/council-approved-supplier-lists)[Why you keep losing tenders, and how to fix itHow to get the feedback you are entitled to under the Procurement Act, read your scores against the winner's, and find what really keeps costing you contracts.](https://tendernation.io/guides/why-you-lose-tenders)[Can UK companies bid for EU tenders after Brexit?What the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement give UK suppliers, which EU contracts they cover, and how to find and bid for them on TED.](https://tendernation.io/guides/eu-tenders-for-uk-companies) [Compare TenderNation with other tools ](/compare)