How to tender for design Work

If you’re wondering whether to tender for design work and you don’t know where to begin, we can help. This blog provides 7 things to expect when you tender for design work.

First, let’s start with the basics…

What type of design work is out to tender?

Tenders for design work are released by both private and public sector organisations. They could be looking to procure a range of design services. These could include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• Graphic design services
• Print functions
• 3D designs
• Signage
• Produce design schematics for graphics
• Artwork
• Exhibitions
• CGI
• Lighting design
• Illustration
• Cartography
• Branding
• Digital design and more.

7 things to expect when you tender for design work

1. Your economic financial standing

 When you’re tendering for design work, you can expect to have your economic financial standing to be assessed. This is to make sure that you’re able to carry out the work. It is comprised of three things:

• Annual turnover
• Financial ratios
• Insurance(s)

2. Case Studies

When writing your tender for design work, you will likely be asked to provide up to three case studies. These should be from within the last three to five years. These case studies should demonstrate projects that are similar in scope and scale to the one you are tendering for. They should demonstrate your capabilities to work on the project at hand.

Depending on the word count, they could include a positive testimonial from a previous client. This will strengthen your response, but bear in mind you might have to provide their contact details for a follow up. So, you shouldn’t make them up. It may also be a good idea to state if there were any challenges and how you overcame them.

3. CVs

Some buyers may require you to include CVs for those who are to be involved in the project. Buyers want to be reassured that you and your team are experienced and qualified. They should be focused relevant and as concise as possible. Each CV should detail what the specific team member will be responsible for, they should also include:

• Their job title
• Any relevant qualifications or accreditations
• A professional yet friendly picture allowing the buyer to put a face to the name.

4. Outline methodology

You may be required to provide a concise written proposal setting out what your organisation would do. This outline should state how you will produce the work required as per the requirements of the specification.

5. Quality assurance

Depending on the buyer, you may be required to provide details of your quality control process. This could outline how you ensure your organisation’s work is of the highest quality. You should provide details of security information and confirm general data protection. Bear in mind, this may not be required for all tenders for design work.

6. Social value or added value

If you’re tendering in the public sector, you will need to provide details of your business’s social value policy. This is because there is a mandatory 10% weighting on social value for public sector contracts. You will need to detail the environmental, social and economic aspects of the tender. You should consider:

• Encouraging economic growth
• Creating new jobs and skills
• Supporting COVID-19 recovery
• Tackling climate change.

It’s worth noting again, that within the public sector, the contract will be awarded to the MEAT. The MEAT is the most economically advantageous tender. Here, a buyer will be seeking the most value for their money. A buyer will be evaluating your tender response on more than just price. It’s worth remembering that the cheapest bid does not win. The buyer will be looking at a number of aspects, including, but not limited to:

• Quality
• Accessibility
• Technical ability
• The proposed design
• Environmental benefits
• Innovation
• Customer service or ongoing support
• Ability to deliver on time.

The specific evaluation aspects will be stated within the tender documents. These will vary depending on the buyer, so it’s important to read the specification carefully.

7. Framework agreement

Sometimes you can find tenders for design work as part of a framework agreement. Framework agreements are multi-supplier agreements used within the public sector to procure a good or service. Securing a place on a framework can help you secure a pipeline of work for your business. They can run for years at a time with some having the possibility of an extension.

Framework agreements are often split into lots with each lot representing a specific good, work, service or geographical location. They allow for suppliers to apply for the specific lots they specialise in. This means a supplier doesn’t have to be able to deliver every aspect of the contract.

Need assistance with your next tender for design work?

We understand that you might not have the time, resources or experience to write a winning response in-house. Outsourcing to bid writing experts can help you win your next tender, securing a pipeline of work for your business.

Our sister company Hudson Succeed, have over 60 years of bid writing experience and an 87% success rate. They offer four bid writing support services that can help you win more tenders for design work. Whether you’ve never tendered before or need your response proofread before you submit – we can help.

1. A Tender Ready programme
2. The Tender Improvement package
3. Tender Writing services
4. Tender Mentor

Where can I find tenders for design work?

Finding tender for design work for your business can take hours out of your busy day. You likely don’t have the spare time to be searching hundreds of websites and portals for a relevant tender. Many of them post multi-industry opportunities and searching for sector-specific leads can turn into a full-time job!

Luckily for you, we have a time-saving tool that can take the headache out of tendering. Creative Tenders is an easy-to-navigate, centralised portal that hosts all live creative tendering opportunities from across the Creative Industry. There’s no reliance on inaccurate CPV codes!

Our Opportunity Trackers manually search and upload unique, private and public sector opportunities. You’re able to filter and search the results by keyword, budget, location and more. This streamlines the process, allowing you to find the perfect tender for design work.

Below are previous tenders for design work sourced on our portal:

Graphic design commission, Manchester Art Gallery – Platt Hall

Platt Hall- North West- Budget: £6,000

Town Centre Heroes Exhibitions

London Borough of Barnet- London- Budget: Undisclosed

Lelley Fields Crematorium Marketing Strategy and Brand Development

East Riding of Yorkshire- Yorkshire and Humber- Budget: Undisclosed

Restoring Stover Park – Brand and Interpretation Design

Devon County Council- South West- Budget: Undisclosed

Graphic Designer, The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge

The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge- South East- Budget: Undisclosed

A subscription to Creative Tenders can offer your business:

• Access to all exclusive, public and private sector creative contracts in the UK.
• An on-hand Account Manager is available to answer any questions you may have about tenders for design work. They can help you understand the procurement process and answer any questions you have about the tendering process in general.
• A daily email bulletin sent straight to your inbox when new, sector-specific opportunities are uploaded.
• Discounted support from Hudson Succeed, our bid writing division.
• 20-minutes of free bid management consultancy each month.

We source opportunities for sectors including;

• Events Management
• Digital Services
• Design
• Graphic Design
• Marketing & PR
• Print
• Website
• Video Production and many more.

Book a free live demo with Creative Tenders to see how we can help your business grow 

Want to save even more time?

Upgrading to Discover Elite allows you to optimise your tendering opportunities even when you’re busy. Our two upgraded packages can improve your competitor awareness and bidding success rate. Each can help save you even more time when searching for tenders for design work.

The Ultimate Time Saver package offers your business:

• A maximum of five tender breakdowns per month.
• An annual subscription to a maximum of two Hudson Discover sector-specific portals. This option can help businesses that overlap two industries such as Creative and Technology, for example.
• Pre-market and award engagement notices monitored on your behalf.
• Buyer portal management, including registration, password management, downloading documents and assessing viability based on your bid or no-bid
• Weekly phone calls with your dedicated Account Manager to discuss viable creative tendering opportunities.

The Become a Pre-Bid Master package also includes:

• All of the above.
• Up to seven tender breakdowns per month.
• A Bid Strategy delivered by a Senior Bid Manager with a minimum of 5 years of experience. It will also be managed by our Global Bid Director.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business grow.