Win your first tender in the public sector
You have never submitted a public tender before, and the whole apparatus — ESPD, procurement regulations, qualification requirements and 400 pages of PDF — looks designed to keep new suppliers out. It is not. Here is how you get across the line the first time.
The challenge
The public market looks impossible from the outside
Many SMBs never bid because the process looks harder than it is. The market is not saturated — it is just locked behind a learning curve that most people give up on before getting through.
SMBs consider it out of reach
Norwegian SMBs say they have never bid on a public tender because the process seems too complicated — even when they have delivered the same kind of work privately.
estimated time on the first tender
Between understanding the tender documentation, filling out the ESPD, gathering certificates and writing the bid itself — it is a week of work without prior experience.
of financial history required
Many companies think they are too small or too young. In practice, requirements can be adjusted, and a parent company or consortium can cover gaps.
Here is how to do it
From no experience to submitted bid in under a week
You don't need a tender department. You need a structured approach — and someone who has read the regulations before you.
Start with the right tender
Pick a contract below the EU/EØS threshold as your first attempt. Fewer formal requirements, faster process, lighter competition. Check the current thresholds — in Norway, DFØ publishes them on anskaffelser.no.
Check qualification before anything else
Read the qualification requirements first — revenue, experience, certifications. If you don't qualify, you won't progress no matter how good the bid is.
Get the ESPD done once
The self-declaration is used on every tender going forward. Fill it out thoroughly once in Tenderen, and it is ready for the rest of the year.
Write specifically, not generally
The evaluator scores against the award criteria — not against how good you are in general. Every paragraph should answer a concrete requirement, with an example.
How it works
Three steps to your first submitted bid
Pick the right tender
Tenderen filters Doffin by threshold value, CPV code and category — so you find tenders you can realistically compete on, not just every tender.
Build the response
Tenderen has read the tender documentation, extracts every requirement as a checkpoint, and suggests text drafts based on your company profile.
Submit with confidence
Run the requirements check before submission — it catches missing attachments, formal errors and reservations that would otherwise get the bid rejected.
First-time bidders win more often than you think
With the right preparation and a structured approach, an SMB with no tender history can compete against established suppliers — and win on specialization and price.
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To submit a public tender
The first tender is the hardest. We take you through it.
Upload a tender you are considering bidding on. Tenderen shows you whether you qualify, what is required, and how to build a competitive bid.