My client, a company in the transport business, was tendering to retain a contract with a publicly owned customer, which they had won four years previously.

Price was discussed, and my client suggested that they would offer the same price as for the previous contract. The price had already been held for four years, and with fuel price increases, I suggested that this seemed to be unlikely to be attainable, and it could even be inferred by the customer that the original price had been far too high. Rather than giving a good impression, it may have given exactly the opposite.

We then investigated why my client wanted to submit the same price. It emerged that my client had introduced more fuel efficient vehicles throughout the previous contract, in some cases halving the fuel consumption.

In the new tender, we ensured that my client’s diligence to matters of cost throughout the previous contract was explained fully. Although this information was not requested, we ensured that it was present in the tender, loud and clear. We highlighted the additional benefit which my client had brought to their customer by not taking up options to increase prices over the life of the contract, and how they had achieved this.

Although each tender is judged on its own merits, this gave the adjudicator the confidence that my client was cost conscious, and had the interests of the customer at heart.

My client was required to give a presentation, and price was not questioned by the customer.

My client retained the business.