The go/no-go decision: five questions every SME should ask before bidding

The biggest time-waster in tendering isn't writing a weak response. It's writing a strong one to a contract you were never going to win. A disciplined go/no-go process is one of the highest-value habits a small business can build. Most don't have one.

Here are the five questions worth asking every time a new opportunity lands in your inbox.

1. Can we actually deliver this?

Not "could we stretch to it": could you deliver it today, to the standard described, on the timeline given, with your current team and resources? This is a different question, and it deserves an honest answer.

Public sector contracts are legally binding. Underdelivering isn't just a reputational problem: it can result in termination, financial penalties and a record that affects your ability to win future contracts. The question isn't whether you'd like to grow into this contract. It's whether you can deliver it as described, right now.

2. Do we meet the mandatory criteria?

Most tenders include pass/fail selection criteria before your written response is even evaluated. Common ones include minimum turnover thresholds (often one to two times the annual contract value), specific accreditations or certifications, insurance levels and financial standing checks.

Read these first, before you read anything else. Failing a mandatory criterion means your carefully written quality responses don't get read. Find out in five minutes, not after two weeks of writing.

3. Is the timeline realistic?

A rushed response to a complex tender almost always scores lower than a well considered response to a simpler one. If the submission deadline is two weeks away and the tender pack runs to 200 pages with 15 scored questions, be honest about whether you have the capacity to do it properly.

Submitting something is rarely better than not submitting if what you submit reflects badly on your business. Buyers read a lot of responses. They remember names.

4. Is there an incumbent and why is this re-tendering?

Understanding why a contract is out to tender tells you a lot about your chances. If an incumbent has delivered well and the buyer is happy, you're facing an uphill battle, not an impossible one, but one that requires a materially stronger response to overcome the risk premium buyers implicitly attach to change.

If the contract is re-tendering because of performance problems, that changes things. The buyer may be actively motivated to change supplier. That's an opportunity, but you need to understand what went wrong and be able to demonstrate clearly that you won't repeat it.

5. Does winning this help our business?

Public sector contracts can be transformative for small businesses, but not every contract is the right one. A contract that requires significant upfront investment, ties up your best people for two years, or takes you into a sector you don't want to be in long term might not be worth winning even if you can win it.

The right contract, one you can deliver brilliantly, that builds your track record in the areas you want to grow and that the buyer will be delighted with, is worth far more than a larger contract you struggle to deliver.

Apply the go/no-go process consistently. It protects your time, your reputation and your team.