cover letter for tender sample

Tender Cover Letter: 4 Free Templates

Preparing a tender cover letter is a vital step when submitting a proposal for a project or contract. This guide will walk you through the process, offering insights to ensure your message is clear, compelling, and tailored to the specific requirements of the tender.

Let’s embark on this journey together, aiming to present your company’s capabilities and commitment in the most persuasive and professional manner.

Table of Contents

What to Write in a Tender Cover Letter:

When crafting a tender cover letter, it’s crucial to include the following elements:

• Begin by addressing the recipient or the organization inviting the tender. Use formal salutations and ensure that names and titles are accurate.
• Clearly express your company’s interest in the tender opportunity. Briefly highlight why your company is well-suited for the project.
• Provide a concise overview of your company, emphasizing its strengths, capabilities, and relevant experience. Focus on key achievements and competencies that align with the tender requirements.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the project by referencing specific details from the tender document. Highlight how your company’s offerings align with the project’s goals and specifications.
• Clearly articulate the unique value that your company brings to the table. This could include specialized expertise, innovative approaches, or cost-effective solutions.
• If relevant, consider including references or testimonials from previous clients or partners. This provides evidence of your company’s track record and reliability.
• Address any compliance requirements outlined in the tender document. Provide assurances that your company will adhere to all stipulated terms and conditions.
• Outline a realistic timeline for project completion and detail the specific deliverables that will be provided.
• Clearly provide contact information for the designated point of contact within your company. This ensures ease of communication for any queries or clarifications.

How to Write a Tender Cover Letter:

• Customize each tender cover letter to align with the specific requirements, objectives, and preferences outlined in the tender document.
• Keep the letter clear, concise, and focused on the key points that demonstrate your company’s suitability for the project.
• Emphasize experience, qualifications, and successes that directly relate to the tender. This builds confidence in your company’s ability to deliver.
• Maintain a professional tone throughout the letter. Avoid jargon or language that may be unclear to the reader.
• Before finalizing the tender cover letter, ensure it is free of any spelling or grammatical errors. A well-proofread letter reflects attention to detail.

By following these steps and tips, you’ll be well-prepared to compose a compelling Tender Cover Letter that effectively communicates your company’s strengths and suitability for the project. Your letter will serve as a crucial component of your tender submission, showcasing your company’s capabilities in the best possible light.

Letter Template: 1

Tender Cover Letter

James Brown

238 Broadway

United States

The HR Manager

XYZ Company

354 F 63 rd Street

Subject- Tender cover letter. 

We at (Mention the name) Builders are glad to submit our proposal for your consideration in response to Tender Notice No.(Mention  the numbers) for the construction of pedestrian footbridges on major (Mention the name) highways, which is due on (Mention the day/month/year).

We are certain that we are the best company for the contract after carefully reading the tender’s requirements. In the building industry, we have (Mention the numbers) years of expertise and a solid reputation for producing constructions of the highest caliber.

We have completed multiple successful construction projects over the past (Mention the numbers) years, and as a result, our contracting business has developed a reputation as a top trader. (Mention the company name), and (Mention the company name). Are a few of our clients. 

We have successfully finished building roads and bridges during the past ten years. For people, businesses, and governments including the (Mention the name of the department), and (Mentions another department name), (Mention the name) Builders has been a leading and effective trader in the execution of planned developments.

Please find the technical and commercial bids attached. An opportunity to take part in this tender would be an honor.

my sincere thanks

[Handwriting signature]

[Mention the contact details]

[Mention here, if there is any post note to be given]

Download Template : ( pdf, docs, ODT, RTF, txt, HTML, Epub, Etc )

Letter Template: 2

We are glad to submit our proposal for your tender project(Mention the company name), proposed on (Mention the date/month/year), due on (Mention the date/month/year), with tender notice number (Mention the notice numbers).

In the execution of planned building, we, (Mention the name) Builders, are a reputable organization as efficient and successful merchants. We are certain that we are the best company for the tender after carefully reading and researching the specifications and the tender’s rules. We have (Mention  the numbers) years of experience working with people, significant businesses, and governments to deliver high-quality construction projects on schedule.

We have successfully finished several high-profile building projects over the past (Mention the numbers) years. As one of (Mention the country name)’s top contracting companies, (Mention the company name) has taken the lead in carrying out a variety of building projects for private citizens, the government, and big businesses.We have completed multiple successful construction projects over the past (Mention the numbers) years, and as a result, our contracting business has developed a reputation as a top trader. (Mention the company name) , and (Mention the company name). are a few of our clients. Here is a copy of our corporate profile that includes more details about our achievements.

For your consideration, please find our technical and commercial offers attached. We are interested in learning more about what we can do to help the project succeed.I appreciate the chance to participate in this tender.

Yours Sincerely,

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How to Write a Winning Proposal Cover Letter (Plus 5 Real Examples)

First impressions are important—especially in the world of proposals.

That’s why writing a good cover letter is an essential step towards winning a bid. In the request for proposal (RFP) process, this single-page letter marks your first opportunity to grab a prospect’s attention and make it clear that your company is uniquely positioned to solve their problem. So if you’re currently using boilerplate copy… Stop. Immediately .

In this blog, you’ll learn how to write custom proposal cover letters that grab a prospect’s attention and increase your chances of winning RFP responses . Plus, five examples of real proposal cover letters from industry pros.

In this article, you’ll learn: 

What is a Proposal Cover Letter?

• What to Include in a Proposal Cover Letter
• How to Write a Proposal Cover Letter
• 5 Real Proposal Cover Letter Examples ⭐

Next Steps: Build Quality Proposals Faster

A proposal cover letter is a single-page document used to pitch your business offerings to a potential client. In it, the customer can tell whether you’re genuinely engaged and have done your research—or if you’ve simply copy and pasted generic language from past business proposals.

It’s also your first opportunity to convince a client to why they should continue reading your proposal. Considering the average team spends 32 hours writing a single RFP response , it’s critical that your proposal cover letter makes a good impression.

“This is the most important five paragraphs one can write as it’s the only part everyone will read. You must knock it out of the park or you’ll lose.”

What Should You Include in a Proposal Cover Letter?

Like any good cover letter, your proposal should open with a unique offer or positioning. It’s important to establish early on why your team is best suited to solve a client’s problem.

A strong proposal cover letter includes:

• A greeting : Introduce your company and what you do.
• Clear summary: Describe your value propositions at a high-level. Be sure to connect these points to your client’s needs. ( Also known as an executive summary. )
• Personalized offer: Explain to the client what you can uniquely provide to solve their problem.
• Relevant references: Help the prospect understand why they should choose you over competitors.
• Visuals: If you have a designer on your team, include visuals that help emphasize the most important content on this page. For example, use callout boxes to make value propositions stand out for busy procurement teams who are skimming the page.

From the offer you present, to the visuals you include, the details in your proposal cover letter should be all about the client. The goal is to show how your company shines before they even get into the details of your proposal. Demonstrate the qualities that you bring to this potential customer by starting out your relationship on the right foot.

Jon Williams, Managing Director of Strategic Proposals , shares the key points you should concisely hit to be successful.

“Thank the customer, show enthusiasm, demonstrate senior sponsorship, briefly introduce win themes–and then shut up and leave the rest to a brilliant exec summary!”

How to Write a Winning Proposal Cover Letter

From reading the RFP thoroughly, to outlining a clear offer, there are six critical steps that seasoned proposal professionals recommend you take to craft a quality cover letter. ( Psst…you can fast-track these steps by using AI for proposal writing . )

Step 1: Read the RFP Cover to Cover

This step seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many teams skip it. You must read the RFP thoroughly, from cover to cover, before beginning your letter.

While reading, take note of any recurring themes from your prospect. Perhaps they focus on quality of design and ease of use. Or maybe they emphasize needing certain functionalities or features—whatever the case, Kori Warriner of KCI Technologies recommends you consider the following questions as you read through the request for proposal:

Questions to consider:

• What is the client’s reason behind the project? (revitalization, aging infrastructure, etc.)
• ​​Where is the funding for the project coming from?
• Does the client have any hot-button issues regarding the project?
• What is the desired end-result?
• What would speak to the client? (retirement-friendly, aesthetics, budget, etc.)

“You need to make the client feel as though you are speaking directly to them.”

While questions may differ by industry, the idea remains the same. Reading the RFP thoroughly helps you better understand the problems your prospect is facing. Which in turn help you paint a clearer picture of how your company can support them.

(It can also help spark ideas for win themes, or specific language, that truly resonates with the prospect—more on that later.)

“Instead of saying ‘we are pleased’ or other overused statements such as that, I introduce my company, and then switch back to talking about what we can do to help the client reach their goals,” Kori explains.

Step 2: Capture Your Prospect’s Attention Early

Chances are, your prospect is extremely busy. They’re likely to skim your proposal cover letter—which is why you should focus on making it memorable. Use it to create a connection to your prospect and capture their attention early in the proposal.

In the structure of a proposal , the first paragraph is the best place to earn your reader’s attention, shares Senior Proposal Consultant Kelly Allen.

“Try to capture the reader in the first paragraph by relating to them in some way. If they are a current client, leverage your relationship. If not, demonstrate a clear understanding of what they need.” Kelly Allen, Senior Proposal Consultant, UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)

Step 3: Use Clear, Competitive Win Themes

Once you identify their distinct needs, you can formulate which key themes need to be identified in your cover letter. Then, narrow it down to the most persuasive reasons that your prospect should choose your proposal over a competitor. Eileen Kent, President of Custom Keynotes, explains that these are also known as “ win themes ”.

Win themes should be based on what the customer told you they wanted. Position yourself as the one company that can deliver exactly what your prospect is looking for. To do this well, it’s essential that you also understand what your competition is doing.

Here’s how to brush up on what your competitors are offering:

• Review competitors’ websites
• Read competitors’ financial statements
• Look at review websites like G2 or Forrester reports including your competition
• Ask if clients are willing to share competitors’ past RFPs (You never know, unless you ask)

At this stage, you’ll want to focus on how you can stand out from the competition. Eileen also recommends acknowledging any elephants in the room. By that, she means anything that the client may consider your team’s weakness.

She recommends addressing weak points head on to leave a good impression, “The elephant in the room could be your business size. Address it by talking about how you formed a tight team who have exceeded performance expectations, and worked together for years, so they see that as a strength instead,” she explains.

Step 4: Provide a Personalized Offer

Now that you’ve grabbed your prospect’s attention, you need to maintain it. Do this by outlining clear benefits, which speak directly to their pain points in an enticing and clear way.

You should outline how your product will positively impact the buyer and identify what they will get out of your partnership.

“Choose the top 3-5 features of your solution and describe how they will benefit your customer in a single line. Be direct: Here’s what we offer. Here’s how it will solve your problem.”

Step 5: Use a Strong Closing Statement

Your closing statement should be concise, reiterate your capabilities, and highlight the value you deliver. But don’t forget that it’s also an opportunity to connect with your prospect through the proposal process.

“To build a connection, you have to ignore outdated writing advice and not be afraid to use real language” says Rebecca Baumgartner, Sr. Manager, Proposals, PFS .

“Whoever is reading your cover letter can immediately tell if you’re hiding behind jargon or parroting the language of the RFP because you don’t understand what they need,” she explains.

“But when you write authentically, you have the opportunity to show the client you’ve been listening.”

“A great cover letter isn’t stuffy or formal–it’s a conversation between real people, a chance to put aside the technical language of procurement and connect with the human being on the other side.”

Step 6: Add the Finishing Touches

When crafting your proposal cover letter, there are a few final checkpoints to leave your prospect with a good impression.

Graphics aren’t necessary for a proposal cover letter, but they can be helpful. For example: highlighting a quote from a customer in a different font, or using callout boxes to emphasize your key value propositions. Use visuals that help to emphasize your main points, not distract from them.

Here’s what Izane Cloete-Hamilton, CPP APMP, of nFold recommends.

• Use a company letterhead
• Address the letter to the individual specified in the RFP
• Sign the cover letter from a senior person at your company
• If the response is from a strategic partnership between two companies, use dual signatures
• Ensure your letter is no longer than one page

“Sign the proposal cover letter from the highest-level person with signature authority, preferably someone that the customer knows personally.”

Proposal Cover Letters (5 Real Templates)

Now that you know what steps to follow, it’s time to look at some real examples of business proposal cover letters. While you don’t want to copy a boilerplate letter, these templates may provide helpful guidance for your next proposal.

Here are the types of proposal cover letter examples you’ll see above:

• Real proposal cover letter example from a security company
• Example proposal cover letter for an amusement park
• Real proposal letter & executive summary from an enterprise design consultancy
• Winning cover letter example from KCI technologies
• Another proposal cover letter example from a security company

Looking for a sample grant proposal cover letter? Check out this article .

“Remember, your cover letter isn’t about you, it’s about your client. Let them know that you understand them. Then you can talk about how your company can solve their potential challenge.”

To make more time for writing winning proposal cover letters, you’ll need to make some efficiency gains in your overall RFP process. Start by setting your team up with a proposal software that can improve speed and collaboration amongst your team.

Take Aspen Medical for example. Their business development team started using Loopio’s proposal platform in October of 2019. Within a few short months, they were putting together proactive proposals in just 15-30 minutes and seeing a big return on investment (ROI).

In fact, a survey of 165 companies RFP ROI found that those who consistently use proposal software have achieved results of:

• 51% more RFP responses
• 42% less time spent answering proposal questions
• 85% of companies win more business

If you’re looking to improve the pace of your next proposal, try Loopio’s software.

Improve Your Proposal Writing 📝

Want to learn how to master your craft? Read more about proposal writing skills or how to craft a repeatable RFP response template .

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The best proposal software for 2024 (top four tools), the raci chart: how to respond faster to security questionnaires, 51 fascinating rfp statistics on the state of bidding in 2023.

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How to Write a Construction Tender Cover Letter

Head of Sales and Marketing

Oct 21, 2016 6:27:00 AM

Winning a construction tender can be difficult in today’s strong and competitive market.

The best way to attack this problem is to write a cover letter that differentiates you from the crowd, and explains why you’re better than the rest. Some businesses don’t even take the time to include a cover letter, so making the extra effort will give you a valuable advantage.

Below we outline simple ways you can write a winning cover letter for your next construction tender application.

What’s the Purpose of a Tender Cover Letter?

The cover letter is your opportunity to lead the discussion. It allows the reader to feel familiar with who you are what you plan to do, building a strong personal rapport with your business. When it comes to their time of decision, you want to be front of mind.

Put simply, the cover lever lets you explain why your business is the best choice for the job, leaving the guesswork out of it.

Cover Letter Essentials

There are four important things to remember about your construction cover letter:

1. Put it after your title page – This gives you a chance to persuade the reader before they even get into the meat of your tender. And ensure it has your company logo or letterhead on it. This will send the message that you approach every task professionally.

2. It should only be one page in length – Very few people like to read over long documents, and fewer still have the time for it. Say what you need to and say it quick. They’ll thank you for it.

3. Address it to the right person – Too often the cover letter is addressed to the wrong person (and in some cases, the wrong company). This sends all the wrong messages, and will limit your chances of being chosen, even if your tender is actually the pick of the bunch. Often there is a specific contact for the job, so use their name and title. If in doubt, address it to the most senior person.

4. It should be signed – Ensure your cover letter is signed by a senior member of your business, ideally at a similar status to the person who it’s addressed to.

How to Structure Your Cover Letter

There are five parts to your successful tender cover letter, two of which may be optional:

1. Introduction (mandatory) – This is a short sentence where you say something along the lines of “thank you for inviting our business to tender.”

2. Win theme (mandatory) – This is the simple and specific reason why you should be given the job. It can stretch to a few bullet points, but try to keep it short and direct, supporting what’s in your tender.

3. Administrative note (optional) – Sometimes it may be necessary to describe how your tender is structured and what is included. For example, if you also have a DVD as an extra, tell them.

4. Commitment (mandatory) – This is a statement about why you are committed to success of the project. You may also like to include details of other projects you’ve completed.

5. Contact (optional) – These are the details (name, position, telephone and email) of the appropriate contact person in your company and the best way to reach them. This will help build a relationship between the two firms and give the reader an idea of who they’ll be dealing with should you be successful.

Use a Tender Checklist

The cover letter is an important part of the tender process. Use these helpful tips in practice and you’ll be well on your way to a winning tender.

For more guidance on how to improve your tender submissions, including a tender response checklist, enrol in our popular Building a Better Trade Business eCourse today.

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