Receiving relevant invitations to tender? The successful way!

As a subcontractor, you would like nothing more than to work on great projects. You want to receive relevant invitations to tender for work that matches your areas of expertise. But how do you ensure that general contractors know how to find you? That they know what you have to offer and that they also look beyond their regular network of subcontractors?

12Build offers you the possibility of receiving relevant invitations to tender in a just few steps. Follow our steps to receive relevant invitations to tender and become even more successful with your company.

Step 1. The profile checker

The profile checker enables you to see what general contractors know about your company. Over the years, 12Build has a gathered a lot of data from subcontractors. We make a portion of this data visible to general contractors. The profile checker analyses more than 35 components of your profile, enabling you to see directly what is known about your company. But even more important is that you will see what is visible to general contractors. From names and addresses to your areas of expertise and quality ratings.

Test your profile here.

Step 2. Adding to and improving your profile

The profile checker lets you see precisely what you are missing so that you can optimise your profile. Do you want general contractors to see the areas in which you excel? If so, simply add reference projects. Unique projects on which you have worked. Creative solutions you found to problems you encountered. And work which demonstrates you can handle a whole range of jobs. You can do that with photos and descriptions of the project. Adding reference projects is most often forgotten by subcontractors who create a profile with 12Build.

Does your construction company possess specific certification which enables you to take on certain projects? If so, add this to your profile. A general contractor can select the option of certification when searching for a suitable subcontractor. If you have included this in your profile, you will be easier to find for the general contractor. Also do not forget to add links to your social-media pages and website, so that general contractors can assess your company on various platforms.

Have you completed your profile? Are you sure? Check it again with the profile checker.

Step 3. Communication

Main contractors want to receive a number of appropriate tenders to choose from. Tenders from subcontractors who understand what the work involves and who are experts in the type of work that is required. Specialists who meet all the criteria and who possess the appropriate profile. Perhaps you are that ideal subcontractor. All you have to do now is to ensure that the general contractor also knows this. Good communication is essential. Respond as soon as possible to an invitation to tender and show that you understand what the general contractor wants. In every detail.

You can do this in 12Build by indicating whether you are intending to submit a quote or not. Let a general contractor know quickly and easily whether the commission is something for you.

Step 4. Building for the future

It might go without saying, but once the work has been awarded to you, it does not end there. It is essential to store the administration and communication in one place. If not, you can quickly lose the overview, especially in larger projects. Documents you need for the tender, endless e-mail exchanges, collections of Excel spreadsheets and even WhatsApp messages… It pays to bring order and structure to all this. It will prevent you from forgetting something and making mistakes. And then you can focus on what is really important: getting great jobs and delivering quality work.

Try to make photos during the assignment of those aspects you worked on and which you are proud of. You can then use these photos when adding it as a reference project to your 12Build profile.

Here are a few other tips: keep your references and contact details up to date, try to keep in touch with general contractors you have worked for and show that you are a reliable professional every general contractor would want to work with.

12Build

12Build has the leading database for the European construction industry. Hundreds of general contractors use it to search for subcontractors like you. It is therefore precisely where you can find your target group. Optimising your company profile will result in you being found more easily. An extensive company profile on 12Build will even increase your visibility on Google. This will enable you to attract those commissions that are best suited to you.