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Bids, Tenders & Proposals
Book

Bids, Tenders & Proposals

Winning Business Through Best Practice

Harold Lewis
Kogan Page, 2007
First Edition: 2002

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Proposal writing expert Harold Lewis offers scads of helpful tips and step-by-step guides for successful bidding. The author helps readers evaluate bidding opportunities, explains what to do (and not do) in creating a bid, and discusses how to make a compelling presentation. While the book does provide some model forms, it is not a book of sample bids and presentations for those wanting to plug and play. Instead, it focuses on teaching you to make uniquely compelling proposals and bids. If you want to create and sustain a winning process for making bids, getAbstract recommends this practical guide to you.

Summary

The Bid Business

When you are competing for a contract or some other type of work awarded through a proposal process, adopt a serious, systematic approach. Respect the process. Avoid having a dismissive attitude toward a potential client’s procedures for awarding contracts. That could lead to your defeat by a better bidder who treats the prize as one worth winning. Successful bidders usually write well, work hard at market research, meticulously follow all the bid’s instructions and requirements, and present their proposals in a dazzling manner.

Compared with private entities, public agencies have much different procedures for submitting proposals, bids and funding requests, including rigid rules for every stage of the process, from public notification to proposal acceptance. Formal bidding procedures issued by many not-for-profit institutions and highly regulated companies resemble strict, public-sector regimens. Bidding processes may vary based on the size of the contract. They usually fall into one of four categories: “open procedure,” “restricted procedure,” “competitive dialogue” or “negotiated procedure.”

A qualified bidder may have to meet certain financial...

About the Author

Harold Lewis has extensive experience in preparing bids, writing tender offers and winning professional contracts in the public and private sectors. He also wrote Choosing and Using Consultants & Advisers.

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