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Tender basics
The basics of bidding, for European public tenders and private tenders. You read where to find tenders, how TenderNed and CPV codes work, which procedures exist and what applies below the threshold. Also: filling in the ESPD, deciding whether to bid, setting up your bid process, naming what sets you apart, working with AI and learning from wins and losses.
- BasicsDifferentiation in bids and proposals: how to show why youWhat differentiation in a tender or proposal is and what it is not, how to find your differentiators, how to move from feature to benefit to proof, how to carry win themes through your whole bid, and how evaluators look at it.November 2026 · 10 min read
- BasicsCPV codes: what is a CPV code and how do you find the right ones?What a CPV code is, how the code is built, how public buyers choose it, which codes fit cleaning, grounds maintenance, security, facilities and IT, and how to combine codes and keywords into a search profile that does not miss tenders. With examples from Dutch tenders.November 2026 · 9 min read
- BasicsFinding public tenders in the Netherlands: where buyers publish their contractsHow to find public tenders in the Netherlands: where Dutch public bodies publish their contracts, what you find on TenderNed, TED and other platforms, how to get noticed for invited contracts and private tenders, and how to set up a search profile.November 2026 · 9 min read
- BasicsWin-loss analysis: learn from won and lost tenders and raise your win rateHow a win-loss analysis helps you learn from won and lost tenders and proposals: what information you get after a Dutch public tender and what you can request, how to run a debrief, a fixed review format, what to measure across tenders and how to raise your win rate.November 2026 · 11 min read
- BasicsTender procedures in the Netherlands explained: which procedure is it, and what does it mean for you?The Dutch public tender procedures for bidders: open, restricted, competitive procedure with negotiation, competitive dialogue, innovation partnership, national and private procedures. With the minimum time limits in Dutch law and what they mean for your planning.November 2026 · 9 min read
- BasicsWriting tenders with AI: what works, what doesn’t and what to watchWriting tenders with AI: where ChatGPT and other language models really help with a public tender or proposal, where they go wrong, what to do with confidential documents and personal data, and what the EU AI Act means for you as a bidder.November 2026 · 9 min read
- BasicsThe bid management process: roles, planning and a fixed way of working for small businessesHow a small business organises its bid management process: the stages from spotting a tender to the review afterwards, who takes which role when the team is small, a bid timeline planned backwards from the deadline, and a bid library that makes every next tender faster.November 2026 · 10 min read
- BasicsPublic contracts below the EU threshold: invited and national tenders in the NetherlandsWhich rules apply when a Dutch municipality or other public body buys below the EU threshold, how single-quote, invited and national procedures work, and how a smaller company gets noticed.November 2026 · 6 min read
- BasicsFilling in the ESPD: what goes in and what to watchWhat the European Single Procurement Document is, which parts you fill in, who needs their own, and where it often goes wrong.October 2026 · 3 min read
- BasicsGo or no-go: when should you tender, and when not?Which questions always need answering, which outcomes mean you are better off not bidding, how to weigh your chance of winning, and how to organise the decision, from sales and operations to management.October 2026 · 3 min read
- BasicsWhat is TenderNed, and how do you find the Dutch public tenders that suit you?How TenderNed works, what you will and will not find there, how to search well and set up alerts, and which mistakes to avoid. For Dutch and foreign companies.October 2026 · 4 min read
READ ON
- GuideEuropean public tenders: the complete guideFrom finding a tender to the award, in seven phases. All our articles on European public tenders, in the order you need them.
- GuideProposals and private tenders: the complete guideFrom RFP to signed contract, in five phases. All our articles on proposals and private tenders, in the order you need them.
- Free calculatorWhat does a bid cost you today?Hours per role times cost per hour, per bid, per year and per contract won.
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