What questions should I ask a tender consultant before hiring them?

Ask tender consultants about their sector expertise, track record in electrical contracts, pricing structure, and whether they include Schedule of Rates pricing in their service.

The most important question is whether they’ve won electrical sector contracts before, because generic consultants working across all industries won’t understand what Procurement for Housing or NHS Shared Business Services evaluates in electrical frameworks.

TenderAI’s Paul Nightingale won over £300 million in electrical contracts during 15 years at CEF and YESSS Electrical, providing proven expertise that generic consultants lack.

The service combines this track record with AI automation targeting 30-45% win rates versus 10% typical for businesses bidding alone, using £0 per bid pricing until you win rather than £10,000-£15,000 upfront fees that traditional consultants charge.

Plus, TenderAI writes AND prices your Schedule of Rates. Most consultants leave you to spend 40 hours pricing every tender. Ask specifically whether pricing is included.

The Questions That Actually Matter

Most electrical businesses ask tender consultants the wrong questions. They focus on win rates and turnaround times instead of the factors that determine whether the consultant can actually help you win electrical contracts.

Question 1: Have you won electrical sector contracts before?

This is the most important question. Generic consultants work across plumbing, construction, catering and every other sector. They don’t understand electrical wholesale business models, framework requirements, or what technical evidence scores highest with procurement teams.

Paul Nightingale’s answer: £300 million won across PfH, NHS SBS, CCS and regional frameworks. Fifteen years leading tendering at CEF and YESSS. Knows what buyers look for because he’s sat in procurement meetings and received feedback on winning bids.

Question 2: Do you price Schedule of Rates or leave that to me?

Most consultants write the bid but leave you to spend 40 hours matching line items to products, finding manufacturer cost prices, and completing technical specifications.

TenderAI’s answer: We price your complete Schedule of Rates using our manufacturer database. You receive fully-priced tenders at manufacturer cost. You spend 2-3 hours reviewing margins, not 40 hours pricing from scratch.

Question 3: What’s your pricing structure?

Generic consultants charge £10,000-£15,000 per framework bid regardless of outcome. You pay the full amount whether you win or lose, and nothing is reusable for future bids.

TenderAI’s answer: £6,000 one-time setup creating reusable assets, then £0 per bid until you win. Success fees of 2% (capped at £25,000) only when contracts are awarded. The setup investment works for every future bid, making Year 2 substantially cheaper.

Question 4: How involved will I need to be?

Traditional consultants require 20-40 hours of your time per bid through multiple meetings, draft reviews and information requests. They work manually, so everything takes longer.

TenderAI’s answer: AI handles 80% of work in 48 hours. You spend 10-15 hours per bid providing information and approvals via email and video calls on your schedule. No requirement for in-person meetings or extended involvement.

Question 5: What happens after you submit the bid?

Most consultants disappear after submission. They’ve collected their fee and moved to the next client. If you win, you’re on your own for mobilisation. If you lose, you get no analysis of what went wrong.

TenderAI’s answer: We provide 90-day mobilisation support after wins, including contract handover workbooks, account management presentations, performance tools and problem-solving playbooks. After losses, you get detailed analysis and lessons learned for future bids.

Question 6: What do I get at £0 per bid cost?

Traditional consultants include basic bid writing only. Everything else costs extra.

TenderAI’s answer: Complete bid writing (AI plus Paul’s expert review), fully-priced Schedule of Rates at manufacturer cost, daily portal monitoring, proactive opportunity alerts, professional case studies, method statements, portal submission management, and post-submission query support. All at £0 per bid until you win.

Questions That Don’t Matter As Much

Some questions sound important but don’t actually predict success in electrical tendering.

“What’s your win rate?” Generic consultants claim 70-85% win rates, but these include easy bids across all sectors. What matters is electrical sector win rates on competitive frameworks. TenderAI targets 30-45%, which is realistic for contested electrical opportunities.

“How fast can you turn around a bid?” Speed doesn’t matter if the bid loses. What matters is quality that wins contracts. TenderAI delivers in 2-3 weeks, which is faster than traditional consultants whilst maintaining professional standards.

“Can you provide references?” References tell you someone was happy with the service, not whether the consultant won electrical contracts. Track record matters more than testimonials.

The Red Flags to Watch For

Some consultant responses should immediately concern you.

If they can’t name specific electrical frameworks they’ve won (PfH, NHS SBS, CCS), they lack sector expertise. If they work across all industries “because tendering principles are the same”, they’re generalists who’ll learn on your budget.

If they charge £10,000-£15,000 upfront with no success element, their incentives aren’t aligned with yours. They earn the same whether you win £500k or £5 million, and they profit regardless of outcomes.

If they can’t explain what PfH scores highly versus NHS SBS versus CCS, they don’t understand framework-specific requirements. Generic approaches produce generic results.

If they don’t include Schedule of Rates pricing, you’ll spend 40 hours per bid pricing yourself. Ask explicitly: “Do you price the Schedule of Rates or do I?”

What to Ask TenderAI

Before working with TenderAI, electrical businesses typically ask:

How do you combine AI with human expertise? AI drafts 80% of content in 48 hours using proven templates and methodologies. Paul reviews every bid, adding strategic positioning and framework intelligence that AI can’t replicate. AI also prices your Schedule of Rates using manufacturer cost data.

What if we’re not ready for big frameworks yet? Start with smaller contracts (£50k-200k) to build track record, then progress to larger opportunities when ready. The setup investment works for opportunities of any size.

What sectors do you work in? Electrical only. Wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers. No other sectors, which is why the expertise is deeper than generic consultants.

How does the manufacturer database work? We’ve partnered with electrical manufacturers across lighting, cables, wiring accessories, switchgear and distribution. When a tender arrives with a Schedule of Rates, our AI matches line items to manufacturer products and inserts cost prices. You see complete transparency and decide margins.

What if I bid on 10 frameworks and win nothing? You’ve spent £6,000 setup only. Traditional consultants would have charged £100,000-£150,000. Your setup investment still works for future bids at £0 per bid cost.

For electrical businesses evaluating tender consultants, the right questions focus on sector expertise, pricing alignment, Schedule of Rates capability, and proven track record in your specific industry rather than generic claims about win rates or turnaround times.

Stop Losing to the Nationals. Start Winning Contracts.

Find out which frameworks you could win with TenderAI.