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 guessing what evaluators want to hear. It’s about presenting your business clearly, confidently, and in a way that aligns with the buyer’s priorities. Here’s how to do exactly that.

Why Quality Responses Matter

Public sector procurement is built on principles of fairness, transparency, and competition. Every supplier is evaluated against the same published criteria, and your written answers are the primary way evaluators assess how well you meet the requirements.

It’s not uncommon for SMEs to feel unsure about this part of the process — especially if they don’t have a dedicated bid team. But the truth is, you don’t need to be a professional writer to succeed. What you do need is a clear structure, relevant information, and a confident tone.

Step 1: Understand the Tender Question

Before you write a single word, take time to fully understand what the question is asking. This might sound obvious, but many bidders lose marks because they only answer part of the question, or miss an embedded requirement.

Look carefully for action words like “describe”, “explain”, or “evidence”. These tell you what type of answer is needed. Then, identify whether the question has multiple parts — for example, asking about both your methodology and your team, or requesting a delivery plan and risk management strategy.

Also, be aware of any implied expectations. For example, if a question mentions “outcomes” or “benefits to the community,” you’ll need to go beyond just what you do — and explain why it matters to the buyer.

Tip: Mirror the structure of the question in your response. If the question has three clear parts, your answer should have three corresponding sections. This makes it easy for the evaluator to follow and ensures nothing is missed.

Step 2: Use the Right Information

A strong response draws from two key information sources:

• The Tender Pack, which includes everything the buyer provides — such as the Invitation to Tender (ITT), the Specification or Scope of Services, evaluation criteria, and sometimes a Social Value Instruction Pack.
• Your internal Knowledge Base, which is made up of your own documents — policies, procedures, staff qualifications, project case studies, accreditations, and more.

A common mistake is relying too heavily on the buyer’s documents — summarising what the ITT says instead of showing how you meet those requirements. Instead, your response should use the Tender Pack to understand what is required, and your Knowledge Base to demonstrate how you will deliver it.

Always check the document type before you start drafting. Responses should be based on facts and experiences from your organisation — not assumptions about the buyer’s needs.

Step 3: Follow the Tender Response Wireframe

Using a consistent structure across all your responses helps ensure every question is answered fully, clearly, and persuasively. At Tender Response, we recommend this six-part wireframe to keep your answers focused and evaluator-friendly:

1. Commitment Statement
   Open with a direct, confident statement that shows you understand the requirement and are fully committed to delivering it. This is also the place to reference relevant accreditations, standards, or internal policies — for example, confirming your ISO 9001-certified quality management system or adherence to PPN 06/21 for carbon reduction.

   This sets the tone for the rest of your answer and immediately builds evaluator confidence in your credibility.

2. The Team
   Buyers want to know who will be delivering the work — not just what will be done. Introduce key personnel by name and role, and include brief but relevant credentials. For example, “Jane Smith, our Contract Manager, holds NEBOSH and IOSH certifications and has led similar contracts for over 5 years.”

   Be clear about what each person will do and how their experience is directly relevant to the tender. This helps evaluators see that your team is both qualified and ready to deliver from day one.

3. Approach to Delivery
   This is where you explain how the work will get done. Outline your methodology in logical steps, referencing any tools, systems, or frameworks you’ll use to ensure quality, safety, or compliance.

   Where appropriate, align your approach to specific details in the Tender Pack — for example, referencing shift patterns, response times, or the need for customer service reporting. This shows you’ve read and understood the brief and have tailored your delivery plan accordingly.

4. Evidence and Experience
   Now it’s time to build trust with real-world proof. Reference past contracts or projects that demonstrate your ability to deliver similar services to a high standard. Focus on outcomes, not just activities — for instance, “We achieved a 98.6% compliance rate across 12 NHS sites during a 24-month contract.”

   Be selective: use examples from your own Knowledge Base that closely match the scope, scale, or sector of the current opportunity. This reinforces your credibility and helps evaluators visualise your ability to replicate success.

5. Challenge and Resolution
   Public contracts rarely go exactly as planned — and buyers know this. That’s why sharing a challenge you’ve faced (and how you overcame it) can be powerful. The key is to focus on what you learned and how it improved your processes.

   For example: “During a multi-site rollout for a local authority, we encountered a late-stage subcontractor issue. By activating our contingency plan, we reassigned internal teams and still completed the project on time with no service disruption.”

   This section demonstrates resilience, accountability, and forward planning — all qualities buyers look for.

6. Value Add
   Finally, show what else you bring to the table. This could be innovation, cost efficiency, social value, or something that enhances the buyer’s outcomes.

   Examples might include using low-emission vehicles to reduce carbon footprint, offering free training to council apprentices, or implementing a digital reporting dashboard that improves contract oversight.

   Always tie this back to the buyer’s goals. Adding value is only effective if it aligns with what matters to them.

 A bit about us…

Strong public sector tender responses aren’t about writing more — they’re about writing better. When you take time to understand the question, use the right evidence, and follow a proven structure, you give yourself the best possible chance of scoring highly.

At Tender Response, we work with SMEs across the UK to craft clear, confident, and compliant responses that stand out for all the right reasons. Whether you need full bid support or a second pair of eyes, we’re here to help.

Ready to take your next response from good to great? Let’s talk.

This article was posted by:

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.

View all posts by Vicky Poole