How can you add value to your technical brief for a call for tenders?

After the price proposal, the technical brief is the keystone of the tender response file .

Whether you work in green spaces, security, transport or construction, it's important not to neglect it, because it represents your sales pitch, your expertise and your professionalism. In short, it answers :

• why choose you?
• What sets you apart from other candidates?

How do you write it so that you stand out from the competition and win the contract? Here's our advice!

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What is a technical brief?

Definition

This strategic document contains your technical and commercial proposal and enables private or public decision-makers, the so-called contracting authorities, to assess the company's technical resources and skills before deciding whether or not to award the contract.

You will find the technical brief under other terms, such as :

• technical notice,
• technical offer
• methodology note,
• explanatory memorandum,
• supporting memorandum.

"A genuine award criterion, the technical brief accounts for an average of 40% of the total score for a bid.

☝️ The document is protected by industrial and commercialsecrecy, and the contracting authority may not disclose it to your competitors.

Who writes the technical brief?

The task is often entrusted to a technical writer, who compiles and structures the collaborative work of all the parties involved, i.e. :

• the project team
• the execution team
• the design office
• the site manager
• the legal manager
• communications manager, etc.

How do you write a technical brief for a call for tenders?

Composition of the technical brief

There are no standard technical briefs, but the plan can be broken down as follows:

• presentation of the company:
  • company name
  • contacts,
  • organisation chart,
  • values and commitments (innovation, quality, respect for the environment, etc.),
  • know-how, specialities, expertise;
• the mission:
  • context,
  • objectives of the assignment
  • summary of the issuer's expectations;
• the resources allocated to the project :
  • technical resources
  • human resources,
  • safety measures,
• operating procedure (progress and organisation),
  • technical solutions,
  • organisational resources,
• the proposal:
  • deliverables,
  • the schedule
  • budget,
  • pricing ;
• monitoring and evaluation procedures,
  
• customer and partner references,
• etc.

To find out what is expected, be sure to read the notices providedbeforehand :

• the consultation rules,
• the special terms and conditions (CCP).

Example of a technical brief for a call for tenders

In this video, which is confidential and therefore blurred, you can see an example of a technical brief for the construction industry, including the structure and layout:

8 tips for producing an effective technical brief

The quality of the writing is essential, as it demonstrates the applicant's professionalism, diligence and motivation.

Simply copying and pasting an improved example of a technical brief found on the internet, or recycling an old application, is not good enough, and could even be dangerous.

This could lead to omissions and errors that could be detrimental to you.

1. Be specific, don't unpack all your arguments, but develop those that are of interest to the client, depending on the call for tenders.
   
   
2. Stick to the requested outline, otherwise structure it to make people want to read it . It will make it easier to score and evaluate the resources that the company will deploy to carry out the contract.
   
   
3. Put yourself in the shoes of the organisation looking for a service provider: the questions asked in the file will guide you.
   
   
4. In your introduction, summarise the challenges and needs of the client - in short, talk about the client before talking about yourself.
   
   
5. Harmonise and present your headings in the form of benefits for the customer: positive and attractive!
   
   
6. Illustrate your arguments with facts and similar success stories (examples of cost control, meeting deadlines, customer satisfaction, etc.).
   
   
7. Take care with the writing, especially spelling and formatting. An effective technical brief must be :
   • clear
   • airy
   • concise
   • objective
   • balanced,
   • personalised,
   • tailored to the project.
   
   
8. Use commercial offer management software to improve productivity and quality.

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Professionalise your technical brief to showcase your expertise

Software for content and form

While the content is decisive, the form is always important, as it is the gateway to your proposal.

There are professional tools available for writing and enhancing your commercial offers, which can automate part of the process of responding to invitations to tender.

For example, software such as AOS, designed for professionals in the building and civil engineering and property development sectors, can be used to manage calls for tender online, and in particular to produce accurate cost estimates for a site budget.

For managing technical briefs and their content, there's Proposal Studio, a proposal management software package.

To meet the expected quality of documentation, it helps tender writers and sales, development or bidmanagers to "convince through writing" by :

• capitalising on winning pitches
• respecting the graphic charter.

Key features include

• an intuitive text editor for personalising the proposal ;
• a knowledge base for easy content management;
• merge fields to automatically include key market data in the application section;
• a collaborative module for sharing, validating and tracking bids.

Building a technical brief to win contracts

It's all about winning new customers.

Don't think of writing a technical brief as a waste of time, and don't concentrate solely on the price offer. Produce a persuasive document to prove that you are the best, within the time allowed.