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How to write a tender methodology

The methodology is where you show how you'll actually do the job. It's often the most heavily weighted part of a tender, and the easiest to make generic.

By Bec, Trade Growth Partners6 November 20267 minute read

What a methodology is

A tender methodology explains how you'll deliver the work: the steps, the people, the equipment, the timing and how you'll manage safety, quality and risk along the way. It's sometimes called a work method, delivery approach or project plan.

The buyer uses it to judge whether you understand the job and whether you can deliver it without problems. A strong methodology gives them confidence. A generic one suggests you haven't thought about their project.

What evaluators look for

  • Understanding. Do you understand this site, this scope and what matters to this client?
  • A realistic plan. Are the stages logical and is the timing achievable?
  • The right resources. Do you have the people, plant and subcontractors to do it?
  • Risk awareness. Have you spotted what could go wrong and planned for it?
  • Compliance. Does it meet the specification and the stated requirements?

A simple structure

Always follow the structure the tender asks for first. If it doesn't give one, this order works for most trade and construction jobs:

  1. Understanding of the project. A short summary of the scope, the site and the client's priorities in your own words.
  2. Approach and staging. The work broken into stages, from mobilisation through to completion and handover.
  3. Program. A timeline showing key stages, hold points and how you'll meet the required dates.
  4. Resources. Who's responsible for what, the plant and equipment you'll use and any subcontractors.
  5. Site management. Access, working hours, deliveries, storage, keeping the site tidy and managing impacts on neighbours, staff or the public.
  6. Work health and safety. How you'll identify and control the hazards on this job, inductions, supervision and incident reporting.
  7. Quality. Inspections, hold points, testing and how defects are found and fixed.
  8. Environment. Waste, dust, noise, sediment and any site-specific environmental controls.
  9. Communication. Who the client deals with, how often you'll report and how issues are escalated.
  10. Risks and how you'll manage them. The main project risks and your plan for each.
  11. Completion and handover. Final inspections, documentation, warranties and defect periods.

Tips that lift your score

  • Use the site. If there's a site inspection, go. Mention real details: access points, nearby schools, parking or occupied buildings.
  • Name people. "Our supervisor, with 15 years in school maintenance, will be on site daily" is stronger than "a qualified supervisor".
  • Use tables and simple diagrams. A risk table or a staging diagram is quicker to read than paragraphs.
  • Link back to the criteria. Use the buyer's headings and words, so the evaluator can find what they're scoring.
  • Be honest about constraints. If a timeframe is tight, explain how you'll manage it rather than ignoring it.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Copy and paste from the last tender without changing the details. Evaluators notice the wrong site name.
  • Restating the specification back to the client instead of explaining how you'll deliver it.
  • Attaching a generic safety manual instead of addressing the hazards on this job.
  • Ignoring page limits. Anything over the limit may not be read.

Keep your best methodologies in a tender library. Next time, you're editing a strong draft instead of starting from a blank page.