Preparing to Win: A Practical Guide to Tenders, Frameworks and Tech Partners

I work at the sharp end of tenders, frameworks, recruitment tech and MSPs within the recruitment sector. I wanted to write a practical guide to how procurement meets technology and how to pick a partner without tying up cash too soon. My viewpoint is from a staffing perspective but I expect the same considerations apply to any bid where there is a technology element as part of the service.

I split my time between WinMore on bid strategy (win-more.co.uk) and Zeel Solutions on vendor management, rostering and payroll (zeelsolutions.com). There are of course, plenty of other capable providers in the market - the aim here is to share what helps teams score higher and mobilise reliably once the award lands

Without wishing to teach you to suck eggs - A tender is a formal request from a buyer. A bid is your answer to that request. A framework is a route that pre approves suppliers so buyers can place direct awards or run mini competitions without starting from zero each time. Private processes often look like an RFI that narrows the field and an RFP that decides it. Public processes are more structured and more demanding on evidence. Across both worlds buyers want control of spend, faster delivery, clear compliance, and simple visibility. Technology turns these needs from promises into proof.

Most suppliers face the same timing dilemma. You want to show credible technology in your proposal without committing heavy spend before you have a contract. The practical path is preparation without sunk cost. Choose a partner with a genuine multi tenant model, a repeatable onboarding method and commercial terms that align to usage. That lets you demonstrate how service will run, then configure a client space quickly at award rather than building a one off system.

Your technology story should answer the questions evaluators actually care about. Can you give clear sight of timesheets, approvals, rates and spend. Can you show audit trails and worker compliance. Can you scale across multiple sites and a supplier network. Can you integrate with HR and finance without drama. Can you protect data and meet buyer policies. Do not drown this in marketing. Use real screens, example reports that match the sector, and a short mobilisation plan that names roles, milestones and early life support. Include references that speak to outcomes and numbers, not only warm words.

Government tenders deserve a special note because the portals are strict on word counts and the evidence pack is long. Expect requests for insurances, data protection, information security, social value, accessibility, environmental commitments, whistleblowing and modern slavery. Scoring is explicit and a few points can separate first from third. A bid specialist earns their place here. Their value is structure and discipline. They map questions to scoring, extract win themes, keep answers tight without losing meaning, manage the evidence log, hold version control, keep reviews focused, and land a single voice so the submission reads as one story rather than stitched sections.

Private RFPs feel looser but buyers still look for the same foundations. They want a believable plan that delivers change without disruption. They want measures from day one and a simple way to review them. Bring numbers that hold up in service reviews. Time to fill, shift coverage, first fill rate, fulfilment ratio, invoice accuracy, compliance clearance time. Show how the platform produces these measures and how you will use them in governance with the client.

Selecting a technology partner is about fit. Capability matters where it maps to the outcomes your client values. In health and social care you need strong rota rules, live timesheets, credential tracking and fast onboarding. In construction and field services you need mobile first workflows, location aware scheduling and site based approvals. In professional services you need rate card control, milestone billing and supplier collaboration. Whatever the sector, you will need clean integration to HR and finance, tested security, transparent data ownership and responsive support that solves problems rather than reads scripts.

Implementation speed reduces perceived risk and helps you win. Ask for a simple week by week plan that covers discovery, configuration, data loads, training, go live and early life support. Put names against tasks. Flag risks with sensible mitigations. You do not need a glossy poster. Evaluators want evidence you have done this many times and know where the pitfalls sit. Be realistic on dates. Do not overpromise to grab a few extra marks, as buyers will notice.

Interoperability often decides the result. Most buyers already have systems in place. Show clearly how data will flow on day one and how it can improve over time. If the first step is a file feed to finance with an API later in the contract, say so. Provide a light data dictionary. Add a simple swim lane map that shows what happens when a candidate is onboarded, when a shift is filled, when a timesheet is approved and how an invoice is created, reconciled and paid. Clarity on these basics reduces perceived risk and earns trust.

Commercials should align with value and be easy to reconcile. Keep standing costs light before go live. Let fees scale with activity after award. Volume based or transaction based models can both work if they are simple to explain and simple to bill. Buyers like commercials that track value and allow a small start. Suppliers like models that protect margin as volumes grow. Meet in the middle with terms that flex sensibly, and state them plainly in the bid so finance and procurement can see how cost follows usage.

If tenders and frameworks are a core route to market, build a small set of assets that you use every time. A bid lead who qualifies hard and orchestrates the work. A platform partner who understands bid timelines and mobilises fast. A short internal playbook that sets out how you qualify opportunities, who approves commercial terms, how and when you involve your tech partner, who signs off the final file and how lessons are captured after submission. Keep the playbook short, visible and used.

When you write, make it easy for the evaluator. Start with the outcomes the client wants and show exactly how your service and platform deliver them. Use plain language. Respect the marking scheme. Answer the question on the page. Own the risks and show how you will manage them. Let evidence do the work. Substance beats polish, and believable detail beats grand claims.

As mentioned - I work with WinMore on bid strategy and with Zeel Solutions on vendor management, rostering and payroll for contingent workers. If you have any questions about these businesses, I'm happy to help and I am happy to point you to other providers where they fit better. If a neutral view on a live pursuit, a platform choice or a mobilisation plan would be useful, get in touch for a straightforward conversation.