How to bid collaboratively

Collaborating with other businesses can be a key tactic for government tendering, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.

Collaborating has the benefit of combining resources, knowledge and skills, which can increase your chances of winning a bid, but it also carries risks. You will need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of collaboration to see if it is right for your business.

The most common approaches to working with other businesses are subcontracting and working in a consortium or joint venture.

This guide explains the advantages and disadvantages of collaborative bidding, the different types of collaborative work arrangements and a checklist of key topics for creating a collaborative agreement.