{"id":1079,"date":"2024-11-27T06:25:39","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T06:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/?p=1079"},"modified":"2024-11-28T05:26:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T05:26:05","slug":"the-art-and-science-of-writing-successful-tenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/2024\/11\/27\/the-art-and-science-of-writing-successful-tenders\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art and Science of Writing Successful Tenders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I first started writing tenders for not-for-profit and for purpose organisations, an experienced writer told me: “Strip out all the emotion. Just stick to the facts.”

At the time, I thought it made sense\u2014focus on evidence, metrics, compliance and finance. But over the years, I\u2019ve learned that this approach misses something critical. Successful tenders don\u2019t just tick boxes; they capture hearts and minds. They tell a story\u2014a story that balances facts with emotion, evidence with storytelling, and strategy with authenticity.

Here are my reflections on what makes a successful tender:

\u2728 Collaboration shines:<\/strong> No tender is written alone. Recently, while working on a disability employment program tender, I collaborated with an incredible group of executives, program leaders, site managers, frontline staff, data analysts and project managers. Their collective insights shaped a submission that was not only credible but also deeply grounded in the real needs of participants. I like to think of myself as part of the team, even if only for a short time. Collaboration strengthens the submission and ensures it reflects the voices of people delivering and benefiting from the program.

\ud83c\udfaf Purpose connects: <\/strong>A tender isn\u2019t just a response\u2014it\u2019s a reflection of the organisation\u2019s vision. Aligning with that bigger mission transforms a submission from compliant to compelling. Funders want to see their investment make a meaningful difference, and purpose gives them confidence. Purpose-led tenders resonate because they speak to the why behind the work.

\ud83d\udcca Data + stories inspire: <\/strong>The most powerful submissions weave together hard evidence and lived experiences. Pairing numbers with participant stories creates a narrative that is both emotional and credible. It\u2019s not enough to present data\u2014you need to show the human impact behind it.

\ud83d\udcdd Clarity wins:<\/strong> Complex solutions don\u2019t require complicated language. I pitch my writing as if explaining it to a 12-year-old\u2014not because the content is simplistic, but because clarity ensures assessors understand the value being offered. When every point ties back to the funder\u2019s priorities, the submission becomes easier to read, trust, and fund.

\u2764\ufe0f Emotion matters: <\/strong>That advice I once got about stripping out emotion? I couldn\u2019t disagree more. Thoughtfully used, emotion is what sets a tender apart. It can be as simple as naming a program\u2014something that brings the concept to life and connects on a human level. Emotion shows funders the heart behind the work.

Through Social Impact Agenda, I help not-for-profit and for-purpose organisations find the perfect balance between facts and emotion, evidence and storytelling, and value and investment. A great tender doesn\u2019t just win funding\u2014it builds confidence and resonates with assessors as individuals who, like you, are striving for positive impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I first started writing tenders for not-for-profit and for purpose organisations, an experienced writer told me: “Strip out all the emotion. Just stick to the facts.” At the time, I thought it made sense\u2014focus on evidence, metrics, compliance and finance. But over the years, I\u2019ve learned that this approach […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1084,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1079"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1086,"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1079\/revisions\/1086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/socialimpactagenda.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}