A client has decided to bid for an Invitation to Tender (ITT) so we’re running a kick-off meeting with them to go through the specification, determine our win strategy, outline our process and, most importantly, to assign owners to each of the questions.
That final part of the process is crucial because it gives one subject matter expert (SME) (sometimes more, but best practice is one) the responsibility to ensure the question drafts are completed on time and to the required standard, and reduces prevarication.
Typically, we suggest, as best practice, a kick-off meeting should include:
The customer’s key requirements
Feedback on the bid documentation from each departmental lead
The capture of any formal clarification questions required
An overview of the proposed service/solution
Your relationship with the customer
The likely competition
Finalising the win themes and the strategy for mitigating any weaknesses
How the tender will be assessed/what needs to be submitted
Agreeing SME question ownership
Agreeing the final draft (Red Team) reviewers
The bid plan, including all key internal/external deadlines
Impart Director Richard explains, "The kick-off meeting is a critical part of the bidding process. It sets the best-practice plan into motion and ensures that everyone knows and understands their roles, and the deadlines involved, to ensure a high-scoring bid is produced."
If you’d like to know how Impart could support you, please email Richard Tobias at richard.tobias@impart.co.uk or call for a no-obligation chat on 07831 403899.