How to Find Tenders - Part 4 | How To Win a Construction Tender

Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by admin

How to Find Tenders

The previous chapter (Getting Experience) dealt with various ways in which new contractors can get experience which apparently addresses various ways of getting jobs. This chapter is going to focus on finding construction tenders. Tenders are projects where multiple contractors compete to win a building contract through a bidding procedure. The first step in securing a tender is knowing how and where to find them. The following are places to find tenders:

National Newspapers

To reach a wide audience, government tenders are usually published in national newspapers. Depending on the advert, applicants have up to 21 days to submit bids. Conditions for applying include paying a non-refundable deposit fee, which can be anyway up to 35 USD depending on the project. You will get tender documents after paying the fee, and you have to fill in the documents and submit them before the deadline. Check the popular national newspapers in your region on a weekly basis, adverts may be published in sections other than the classifieds column.

Regional Newspapers

Where local contractors are preferred, local authorities such as the regional government, town councils and municipalities will advertise tenders in regional newspapers and publications.

Government Publications

As a normal procedure, government tenders will appear in government publications before they are published in private media. You have to subscribe to government publications such as weekly journals, gazettes, newspapers, departmental news and tender announcements. At one time or another, most departments in the government have one or two construction projects going on, and some of these projects may not be found in the central resource. Publications are available in print, electronic documents and online resources offered by the government as a service to the public. Don’t only check the main government website, but also check departmental and regional websites.

Tender Updates

Watching out and collecting tender notices by yourself is a tedious process. Tender aggregators are websites that specialize in collecting information about tenders from different sources. You can either visit the website on a regularly basis to check the latest tenders or you can subscribe to receive tender alerts in your email. Most of these sites are membership sites that require you to pay a subscription fee to access the latest tenders. Look for a site that aggregates tenders in your country. The advantage of using a tender update service is that you cut down the amount of time you would need to search and track multiple tenders related to your industry. Tender information providers do all the searching and organization for you. Just sit down in the comfort of your office and pick the tenders you want.

Company Newsletters and Notice Boards

Tender notices that are advertised in the popular press are easy to get hold of, but there are many organizations, local authorities and companies that don’t advertise tenders in the popular medium. These companies prefer a low profile. Such organizations will publish tenders internally on notice boards, company newsletters and websites. To get hold of tender info from these organizations, you have to monitor the news outlets used by these organizations. It may be a tedious task but it pays in the end. You are bound to meet less competition because these are hard-to-find tenders and if you happen to have a solid profile, your chances of winning the tender will be high.

B2B Forums and Markets

A lot of business is made on B2B forums where companies meet to buy and sell services / products between themselves. When you join a local business-to-business market as a construction company, you should seek to create relationships not only with firms in the construction industry but with organizations in other industries. Companies in unrelated industries may ask you for a quote or invite you to tender if they are planning a construction project. In some cases, they can advertise a tender on the forum.

Construction Magazines

A contractor who wishes to keep with the latest trends in the construction industry should subscribe to a construction magazine or buy a regular copy at the shops. The added benefit of buying a construction magazine is that you can encounter several tender advertisements including the latest news in construction. This is where you get breaking news about who is planning to build to what, at what cost, and in which region. Proposed building plans are announced and sketch models are published.

Proactive Methods of Finding Tenders

Waiting Lists

As a solution for recruitment planning to meet future needs, some companies will keep a database of qualified applicants who will be contacted whenever a vacancy arises. These applicants are put on a waiting list. This solution can be applied to a company’s business contracting department. Some companies have a list of service providers which is updated every year. If you are a building contractor, you can send an application to be included on the list. Advertisements are usually published in the media to invite registered service providers. You will be contacted whenever a construction related project arises.

Standby Lists

A standby list is similar to a waiting list but in this case, it may not be company policy to keep a database of service providers. These companies won’t advertise or invite contractors, and therefore a lot of people won’t know about contracting opportunities in the firm. If a company doesn’t have a waiting list, you can simply send a proposal letter by post or email to the Manager, and ask to be put on standby when the current service provider fails to meet their obligations. If your proposal is attractive, you may be invited for an interview.

Annual Rotational Tenders

Some government departments have contracting programs whereby small and medium enterprises are invited to submit bids for maintenance works and small jobs such as paving, fencing, plumbing and repairs. The tender documents include a schedule of rates where you are required to put your rates against the owner’s rates. To distribute work, contracts are awarded to suitable participants on a rotational basis each year.

Promotional Materials

This is a marketing strategy whereby you distribute promotional material to advertise your brand. Promotional methods include designing and printing brochures that contain your company profile, projects portfolio, services and contact details. You should not only distribute material to the public but you should also reach out to organizations and companies. Organize presentations with Managers and request an interview. If your company is known, there is a high chance of being invited for tenders. Actually, you can be directly invited for a proposed project even if there are no tenders. Other methods of promoting your company include internet marketing and press advertisements.

Social Connections

Attend social functions and events with a view of creating relationships and partnerships. A lot of tender opportunities are heard through the grapevine. You will be surprised at the opportunities you meet by attending several events in a year. A list of events and social gatherings that you can attend were discussed in the previous chapter. These include workshops, conferences, seminars, trade fairs, business conventions, expos, demo shows, fundraising parties, end of year functions, sponsor awards, hotel dinners and business award ceremonies.

Construction Expos

Construction expos are annual shows where products and services in the construction industry are showcased. These shows are attended by building firms, architects, estimators, surveyors, engineering companies, consulting engineers, materials suppliers, plant hire agencies and equipment manufacturers. Specialist companies that provide recruiting and business contracting solutions also attend these shows. If you are a building contractor, you should attend expos to get exposure and get access to insider information on tenders.