Researching government buyers

Once you have analysed a tender request the next step in the tendering process is to find out as much as you can about your potential buyer (i.e. the government agency looking to buy goods or services). Researching your buyer is important - you may discover valuable information that you can use to enhance your tender response. This may increase your chances of delivering a winning bid.

Use different resources - such as government websites and policy documents - to gather as much information as you can about the buyer, and the details of the work they require.

Stay focused on what the tender is asking for, and familiarise yourself with policies, guidelines and laws for tendering. Attend any briefing sessions on the tender process if you can. If you have questions, contact the tender co-ordinator or the nominated contact from the tender request. This can help you to establish a rapport with key contacts in the business.

This guide explains how potential suppliers can learn more about government buyers, and suggests different resources and tools to help with customer research.