What is the best approach to managing a ‘formal’ travel tender review?

We explore why pre-tender engagement matters, how it shapes better supplier relationships, and why honesty on both sides ultimately leads to more successful outcomes.

Do your due diligence before going out to tender.

Culture, fit, and capability are fundamental to building a successful partnership. Commercial terms and the end solution can always be negotiated, but if a supplier isn’t the right match culturally or operationally, how can the relationship truly succeed? The same principle applies in reverse - being a good partner also means identifying customers who are the right fit and enjoyable to work with.

That’s why I strongly advocate for pre-tender engagement. Take the time to understand the market, the capabilities available and the technologies used for travel, meetings and reporting. Just as importantly, give suppliers the chance to get to know your organisation - its culture, expectations and ways of working. In the long run, this makes procurement more efficient and targeted, because the suppliers invited to tender are those you genuinely want to work with.

From a supplier’s perspective, seeing a tender where they are one of many with no prior relationship or context often raises red flags. Questions naturally arise: Are we just making up the numbers? Does the buyer know what they’re really looking for? What are our actual chances of success in a crowded field? If a supplier receives a tender without prior engagement and with little to no access to meaningful information, those red flags go up fast and high.

So, we may not want your business… just yet. We pride ourselves as a professional services provider in thoroughly understanding the needs and requirements of a prospect before they formally review.

We may not be a good fit for you, and you know what, we’ll be honest about that. Sometimes honesty is the best policy.

We genuinely appreciate your feedback - whether positive or critical. While we may be disappointed if we don't win your business, we value the opportunity to understand why. Honest insights help us learn where we fell short or what made the winning solution stand out. Likewise, if we are successful, we’d love to know what worked well and where we could still improve. It’s all part of our ongoing effort to learn and get better.