Guide to writing winning security bids and tenders

Security is a very broad industry with a full range of different security services being procured by government departments and the private sector. From manned guarding, to concierge services and CCTV monitoring and facilities management, most security tenders and bids cover a range of different services and are spread over different and multiple lots (often based on Geography).

One of the positives is that as they are usually spread over different lots and for different services, small and medium sizes security firms have a reasonable prospect of success when bidding for contracts which they have the resources, expertise and experience to deliver.

At Tsaks Consulting, our team of bid and tender writers have experience helping security business and organisations across the UK:

• Write winning security industry bids and tenders
• Find security tender and contract opportunities
• Develop a bid library to help you more efficiently win security contracts and bids

Our team have the experience, know-how and expertise to help you win contracts by writing compelling and persuasive bids and tenders. We, at Tsaks Consulting, pride ourselves on being one of the UKs leading bid and tender writing consultancies with experience and a focus on the security industry.

Challenges security business face in winning new contracts and how to overcome them

Security services are often outsourced and therefore, there are contract opportunities arising on an almost daily basis for security services including frameworks. ITTs and SSQs. A key reason is that it’s generally easier for public services to outsource security services rather than employ people directly and purchase and maintain the required equipment.

There are a broad range of different security services, some with specialised services such as baggage and other screening. Although there are lots of tender opportunities, there is also a lot of competition from other security companies and businesses as well as other businesses integrating into the Greek market. For example, facilities management businesses who do not provide security services often expand into security.

Key challenges facing security businesses include:

• Lots of opportunities and deciding what to bid for. A robust bid / no bid process is critical so that you don’t waste your time on security bids you have no real chance of winning. You need to bid for contracts that you have reasonable prospects of success with.
• The high level of competition. You need to be innovative and put forward a high-quality bid that is tailored to the specific job or process. A generic submission will not suffice.
• Innovative competitors and the challenge of matching them. Many large security businesses invest heavily in technology and innovation. For example, they purchase innovative security equipment, invest in IT systems and drive efficiencies in recruitment. You need to match them and, if you are a small to medium sized business, demonstrate how your ability will be an advantage.

Our strategies and tips for winning security contracts – a guide on how to win security tenders

Our bid writers have been writing security bids, proposals and tenders for many years. Through this experience we have developed a solid grasp of what helps you win and what doesn’t. This applies to public sector tenders, NHS tenders, frameworks and private sector bids. Strategies we employ to help you win include:

1. Work your size to your advantage. If you are a large security company looking to win a contract, you are more than likely going to bid for multiple lots. You need to stress the advantages that this brings – in terms of size, service consistency and ease of communication. On the other hand, if you are bidding for just one lot, talk about the benefits that bidding for one lot brings. For example, quality control and focus. Your size and the lots you are bidding for has advantages for the client either way – the important point is to communicate them.
2. Gather insights int the site visit. In most bids, there is a tender briefing where you can visit the site. Alternatively, you may gain access to the sites depending on the nature of the site and availability for public access. Site visits are an excellent opportunity to gain insights into the operation, where you can add value and how. They give you hints on how to price it and often the procurement team who are hosting briefings provide insights and comments which help you understand what they are looking for in the tender. Take advantage of site visits to develop win themes and integrate these into your bid.
3. Ensure you focus on health and safety. This is another key point. Health and Safety is an important component of any tender and absolutely critical in security tenders. You need to ensure all of your personnel have the correct qualifications, that you monitor new employees and check for qualifications, and that you have comprehensive processes in place. The reality is that in order to win a security tender, you need to demonstrate that you have tailored WHS procures that go above and beyond the minimum standard. You should also show that your security or facilities management company has a safety focused culture if you want to win a government or public sector security contract.
4. Explain your quality control and how it will benefit the tender. Many, or most security businesses in the UK are registered with the Security Industry Authority Approved Contractor Scheme. They all have similar quality assurance policies and documentation in place. You need to stand out from the crowd. The best way to do this is to explain the on the ground, practical measures you will take in terms of quality control. Talk about the checks and balances you have, standard operating procedures that are followed and also the way you monitor guars and performance. Where you take advantage of IT systems to manage guards and service quality and respond to any complaints, detail this and apply this to the project at hand. Detailing how you will apply quality assurance processes to the service you deliver as part of the proposed site will help your chances of winning.
5. Present yourself as an easy, no-hassle solution and a safe pair of hands. The reality is if you are awarded the contract, you will need to work with government agency on a daily basis. They want to award the contract to someone who can manage the contract. A company that is easy to work with, reliable and has managed these contracts in the past. They want to be able to communicate with you easily and effectively and will want to know that you have well established communication channels. If you have handled contracts of similar size in the past, be it government and public sector contracts or frameworks (preferred), or private sector contracts, then it’s a great idea to talk about these contracts and your contract management experience. Remember, if they are private sector contracts and you are bidding for your first public sector contracts, talk about the similarities your private sector clients have to public sector clients.
6. Proof, proof and proof. Procurement teams and framework providers are well aware that many security businesses stretch the truth a bit when it comes to tender submissions. The more evidence and proof you can provide in your bid to support your claims the better. Whether it’s letters from suppliers, letters from references, testimonials or other supporting evidence and documentation, it will certainly help add credibility to your bid. It’s also important to quantify your claims throughout your bid. Facts and figures help provide support and credibility to your argument about why you should be selected and awarded the contract.
7. Focus on delivering real value – including value added services. There are many ways to provide value added services in the security industry. From training security guards to identify other issues (such as water leaks), to taking advantage of innovative technologies, and providing social value initiatives, you need to provide value added initiatives to win bids, tenders and frameworks.
8. Detail your recruitment process: The need to demonstrate that you have robust recruitment processes. Many security contracts involve securing public places and sometimes critical facilities. You will need to ensure you have a robust recruitment review and vetting process so that the buyer knows that you have quality personnel who are fully vetted.
9. Quality Control – monitoring and supervision: Detail your monitoring and supervision processes and how this will commit to your quality control.
10. Talk about performance management: You need to show your mechanisms for reporting on performance. Firstly, you need to measure performance and talk about the different matrices which you use to measure. After that, create the link between reporting on performance and how you focus on maintaining standards.
11. Write a compelling Social Value response: More information on how to write a quality social value response is available here. It often commands a substantial weighting criteria and you need to put forward responses that is compelling and measurable. The other key point with social value is to take a local focus on your initiatives and ensure the benefits of the initiatives flow through to the local economy.
12. Thought leadership and innovation: You need to deliver value and offer a competitive advantage to win security tenders over other companies. One way to do that is through innovation. Put forward your innovative initiatives and discuss and detail how they will enable you to deliver value for your clients. Where you have thought leadership initiatives, you should talk about these and the value they have delivered the industry as well as how they empower you to deliver better outcomes for your clients.

Types of security tenders, bids and frameworks our writers can help you win

There are a broad range of security industry tenders. Our experienced bid and tender writing professionals have experience helping security industry stakeholders secure all of the different types of tenders and bids. These include:

Key holding & response tenders

This involves holding the keys for clients to their property and directly responding to any alarm activations or emergencies. The period of time is generally when there is nobody at the premises. A 24/7 service which provides the clients with round the clock protection, these tenders sometimes preference local security companies with the ability to respond quickly and be available 24/7. Small, medium and large security businesses generally bid for these opportunities and our team has experience writing and winning these types of bids.

CCTV Monitoring Tenders and bids

Another type of service with contracts generally being held by specialist providers as well as medium and large businesses. It generally involves remote monitoring of their premises through CCTV. We have helped security companies win these contracts and we always include a tailored focus on the technology in the central control room, training of his personnel and their ability to respond quickly to any incidents.

Concierge services Tenders and Bids

This generally involves providing a front of house or concierge service to clients for their buildings or premises. The tone and focus of the tender and proposal needs to be a bit different in order to be successful and these tenders are more focused on facilities management tenders. The key focus here is client service and customer service.

The personnel need to be trained to not only identify security threats but also provide a welcoming and informative experience to people entering the builder. Professionalism and communication is critical. Our bid or tenders writers will ensure your bid focuses on the professionalism and training of your personnel and how they will create a warm and inviting environment.

Mobile Security Bids and Tenders

Mobile patrols are often incorporated into other security tenders and bids and are sometimes stand-alone. We have helped many security businesses secure frameworks for these types of tenders. They are particularly relevant for securing large outdoor areas that require a security presence. When writing these types of tenders, it also a great idea to focus on your equipment, vehicle servicing and staff training in order to out forward a compelling response.

Events bids and tenders

Whether it’s a community run event or a private event on Council or government premises, a comprehensive security package and service will be required and these are generally large, complicated and multifaceted tenders and bids. Our team has successfully helped security and facilities management businesses bid for contracts to provide security at events including providing access control, crowd management and security personnel.

Cyber bids and tenders

The cyber security industry is a major industry with framework, ITT and SSQ opportunities being released constantly. Our professional bid writers have experience in the IT sector as well as the security sector. We combine this experience to help cyber security businesses win contracts with the UK Government.

 Client testimonials

The Tsaks Consulting team help us with all of our security bids. We have been using them for the past three years. We initially worked with Tsaks Consulting to write our bids and tenders from start to finish since they knew how to write and most importantly win security tenders. Now, with their help, we have built our own in-house capability, however, we still call them for help with specific questions and also tender reviews.

Overall, we would recommend their servicing to any facilities management or security business who is looking to win government contracts and needs professional help.

Speak to our specialist security industry and facilities management tender and bid writers

Our team will help you write your bid or tender or review your bid and tender to ensure you are on-track. Contact our team here to discuss how we can assist with your next bid.

Frequently Asked Questions

I need help with how to bid for security contracts in the UK? Does Tsaks Consulting help with this?

Yes. Tsaks Consulting is a leader in bid and tender writing in the UK for security industry and facilities management services. We know how to bid for security contracts as well as find security contracts. We will help you with the bid management process including writing the bid, submitting it and of course ensuring compliance.

Do you know how to win security contracts in the UK? Can you help my security business win a government contract?

Yes – some strategies we employ to help you win security contracts and bids include:

• Focusing on innovation
• Putting forward a compelling social value response
• Writing detailed quality assurance and reporting processes
• Integrating win themes into your bid or tender process
• Adopting best practice tender writing techniques.

How do I find clients for my security company?

You can look for security contracts and bid for security contracts. Our bid writers at Tsaks Consulting are experts in bid and tender writing for security contracts.