Vicky Poole

Vicky Poole

Vicky Poole, with 15 years in strategic sales, specialises in Commercial, Government, and Third Sector tenders. Founder of Tender Response, she leads a team aiding SMEs in public sector bids.

More posts from Vicky Poole

24th November 2025 3 Times When You Shouldn’t Ask a Clarification Question

Public sector tenders often come with detailed specifications — but not always. Sometimes, content may feel vague or open to interpretation, prompting suppliers to consider submitting a clarification question. But here’s the thing: not all ambiguity is bad. In fact, there are moments when not asking a question can give you a strategic edge — […]

10th November 2025 Top 3 Tender Submission Mistakes SMEs Must Avoid in Public Sector Bids

SMEs need to focus equally on both the quality of their proposals and the precision of their public sector bids. The public sector evaluation process frequently eliminates suppliers through preventable minor errors instead of their technical proposal content. The following section presents three typical mistakes which frequently occur in tender submissions together with methods to […]

27th October 2025 How to Write a Good Response to a Public Sector Tender Question

For SMEs bidding into the public sector, success often hinges on one thing: the quality of your written responses. While pricing matters, most public contracts are awarded based on best value — and that means achieving a strong score in the quality section of your tender. Crafting a high-scoring response isn’t about creative writing or […]

17th October 2025 How to make your bid better (before submission)

In the final hours before a bid submission, it’s tempting to rely on instinct and experience. But even seasoned bid teams can miss critical marks, especially when frameworks evolve, scoring matrices shift, and buyer expectations become more nuanced. Experienced bid teams leave nothing to chance… we like to evaluate our bids against the tender requirements […]

17th October 2025 Getting ready for G Cloud 15

With G-Cloud 15 applications opening on 23 October 2025, the race is on. But while some consultancies are pushing urgency, at Tender Response, we believe in strategic calm, not last-minute scrambles. Why should you apply to G Cloud? G-Cloud remains the UK public sector’s flagship cloud procurement route, with over £16 billion awarded since 2012. […]

13th October 2025 How to Build a Winning Social Value Response for Public Sector Tenders

The process of creating a response to social value requirements for public sector tender opportunities requires specific steps. The social value section of public sector tenders presents the biggest challenge for SMEs who bid on these opportunities because it now carries significant weight in evaluation scoring. The social value section of tenders represents 10-30% of […]

29th September 2025 Why Is public sector procurement different?

Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you could pick up the phone and speak to someone? They could tell you exactly what they want and you can send a quote. Sadly in public sector… doesn’t work like that.

4th July 2025 What is the Procurement Act 2023—and how does this affect YOU?

At Tender Response, we understand that navigating new government systems can be daunting—especially when they directly impact your ability to bid for public sector contracts. With the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023, many suppliers are unsure how to access critical information like their PPON or generate a Share Code. That’s why we’ve created this […]

20th June 2025 How Long Do Share Codes Last—and How Can I Get a New One?

At Tender Response, we understand that navigating new government systems can be daunting—especially when they directly impact your ability to bid for public sector contracts. With the introduction of the GOV.UK One Login, many suppliers are unsure how to access critical information like their PPON or generate a Share Code. That’s why we’ve created this […]

13th June 2025 Is it possible to get 100% on a public sector tender – YES it is!

At Tender Response, we are public sector procurement specialists, helping businesses to win more public sector contracts. Our team of expert bid writers and consultants have years of experience in crafting winning tenders for a wide range of industries. Whether you’re new to bidding or looking to improve your success rate, we provide tailored support […]

Latest Insights From Tender Response

24th November 2025 3 Times When You Shouldn’t Ask a Clarification Question

Public sector tenders often come with detailed specifications — but not always. Sometimes, content may feel vague or open to interpretation, prompting suppliers to consider submitting a clarification question. But here’s the thing: not all ambiguity is bad. In fact, there are moments when not asking a question can give you a strategic edge — […]

Bid Writing & Tender Management
10th November 2025 Top 3 Tender Submission Mistakes SMEs Must Avoid in Public Sector Bids

SMEs need to focus equally on both the quality of their proposals and the precision of their public sector bids. The public sector evaluation process frequently eliminates suppliers through preventable minor errors instead of their technical proposal content. The following section presents three typical mistakes which frequently occur in tender submissions together with methods to […]

Bid Writing & Tender Management
27th October 2025 How to Write a Good Response to a Public Sector Tender Question

For SMEs bidding into the public sector, success often hinges on one thing: the quality of your written responses. While pricing matters, most public contracts are awarded based on best value — and that means achieving a strong score in the quality section of your tender. Crafting a high-scoring response isn’t about creative writing or […]

Bid Writing & Tender Management