Over the last twenty years of my career as a bidder, a number of organizations have approached me for help in responding to bids advertised in newspapers. Many of them are new subscribers to tender notification services like Tender Service Pakistan. The prospect of a continuous stream of potentially lucrative contracts is very seductive, but the reality may be very different, particularly for those who have not yet considered the role that newspaper bids will play in their business development strategy.

Most of the tenders advertised in the newspapers are called by governmental or semi-governmental organizations. Government departments buy billions of rupees worth of products, services and works every year. PPRA procurement guidelines are required for proper procurement of these items. It’s quite a rewarding business, but getting a piece of it takes a bit of work.

Responding to bids advertised in the newspapers isn’t called ‘competitive bidding’ for nothing. It’s a bit like responding to job advertisements that appear in major newspapers. Several other contractors, perhaps equally qualified, have also seen the opportunity and could easily get their hands on the honey pot.

The chances of being selected for a particular tender may be slim.

Another limitation is that, in the tender, the purchasing departments know what they want. By the time an opportunity is tendered, purchasing departments have already decided what they want, and suppliers have a limited set of criteria within which to deliver goods. That’s the bad new.

The good news is that government tenders can be an excellent source of new opportunities, as long as you are picky and selective about what you respond to and are prepared to invest time and effort in strategizing your bidding efforts to achieve your goals.

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