Fit for tenders – your guide to successful tendering

Identify your target markets; you may already have business contacts that you can use to gain access to the market.    

• Carry out a thorough ‘country screening’ process. Prioritise countries based on previous business or existing contacts and language skills within the company.
• Focus on a few key countries and develop your country and sales strategies.
• Find an effective local representative who can provide professional support and who also has contact with local authorities.
• Obtain sector-relevant preliminary information and documentation via international financial institutions’ databases.

Carefully evaluate the country analyses of the international financial institutions involved in the project concerning your target countries, with a particular focus on project references and sector strategies.

• Research and analyse the medium- and long-term project strategies of development banks (sectoral, regional).
• Identify the relevant financing priorities of the international financial institutions via their websites (Projects & Operations).
• Track projects and reports on the location, project executing agencies, project managers, project scope and level of funding; use the information intelligently and translate it into actionable steps relevant to the success of your project. Continuously update your project pipeline and analyse the Project Award List.
• Exert your influence in good time on the specifications and invitations to tender by maintaining contact with the consultancy firms involved. This will help put your company in the best possible competitive position.
• Develop your projects in the target regions in collaboration with local sales organisations or local partners.

• Get to know the working methods and project cycle in detail.
• Maintain regular personal contact with the financial institutions.
• Demonstrate your expertise, publicise your company and your technology. Conduct presentations (‘brown-bag lunches’) in the international financial institutions’ sector departments.
• Participate in delegation trips to the financial institutions or to your target markets.
• Build up contacts with the local offices of the international financial institutions.

• Be sure to analyse the environment and engage in networking and coordination in the political environment (federal and state ministries, embassies, associations). 
• Ensure political flanking and support from the German embassies (the embassy’s economic affairs department or BMZ desk officer). 
• Establish good contacts within local line ministries.
• Acquire precise knowledge of local conditions.

Obtain the relevant tender documents in good time from the organisations issuing the invitation to tender and ensure that your tender is submitted in good time (‘deadline for submission’).

• Select your invitations to tender carefully.
• Formulate a short and concise expression of interest for potential projects and send it to the identified project manager at the bank and to the implementing organisation.
• Assess the tender documents.
• Analyse the cost structure and establish a budget for your tender.
• Make sure you comply with regulations to avoid disqualification or penalisation.
• Ensure your commercial and technical tender departments are fully up to speed about compliance with bank-specific guidelines. If necessary, seek external support with preparing the tender.  
• Prepare the contract negotiations.
• Check and monitor disbursement procedures.