KnowledgeEuropean public tender
A method statement that scores points
Nearly every public tender asks for a method statement, in Dutch a plan van aanpak, sometimes called an implementation or work plan. It is where a panel decides whether it trusts you with its contract. The difference between an average and an excellent plan is rarely the content of your work. It is how concrete, honest and easy to follow you make it.
Written by the Atvalio editorial team: people who spent years bidding on tenders themselves. About us
What the best plan does differently
- ConcreteWho, what, whenNot “we will ensure a smooth transition”, but which steps, by whom, in which week.
- MeasurableHow can you tell it works?A goal with a number and a date. Then the buyer can hold you to it, and that builds trust.
- LightLittle from the buyerShow how much time and how many people it takes from them. The less, the better. Their team is busy enough.
- Easy to followRead in one goA clear structure, a timeline, short sentences. A panel member should be able to retell the plan after one reading.
Risks: honesty lasts longest
The part that falls short most often is risks. Bidders keep it small, afraid of coming across as negative. A few generic risks, all “under control”. A panel sees through that. It knows every contract has risks, and it wants to see that you know them too.
Name the real risks of this contract, with what you do to prevent them and what you do if they happen anyway. That shows you understand the contract, and it is exactly what a buyer wants to know before signing.
- The riskSpecific to this contract. Not “staff shortage”, but what happens if two key roles are still unfilled in the first month.
- PreventionWhat you do in advance to reduce the chance.
- If it happens anywayWhat you do then, and how fast. Who the buyer calls.
A plan without real risks is not a positive plan. It is a plan that does not understand the contract.
Concise wins
How long a method statement should be varies per contract. But when the tender documents set no limit, shorter is nearly always better. A panel reads dozens of pages per bidder. A plan that says everything in few words is better understood, better remembered and feels stronger. That is psychology: what reads easily comes across as more credible.
So cut everything that is not about this contract. General text about your company, your vision or your quality system rarely belongs there. Why that text makes no difference, read in why Atvalio does not write generic texts.
Concise beats extensive. Always.
Check how it is assessed
A method statement can be assessed in two ways. As an award criterion it gets a score, and every step up earns points. Then also read how to write for points. A buyer can also simply test an implementation plan: pass or fail. Then what matters is that you cover every required part and make a smooth start plausible. A fail there means your bid is out.
HOW ATVALIO HELPS
Atvalio writes a first draft of your method statement from your company profile and the tender documents. It lists the required parts, asks you about the real risks of this contract and makes goals concrete and measurable. A simulated evaluation panel reads along and points out what is vague or too long. You decide what goes in.
Atvalio Tenders is coming soon. On the waiting list, you can be the first to start a 14-day trial on a real tender.
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