“We’ve Always Done It That Way” — Why That Sentence Loses You Tenders
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There’s a phrase I dread reading in tenders — not because it’s written explicitly, but because it echoes loudly between the lines.
“We’ve always done it that way.”
It hides in responses that don’t challenge themselves. It lurks in sentences that list tasks without context or outcomes. It shows up when a provider describes what they do, but not why they do it, or how it changes lives.
It’s one of the biggest tender mistakes I see — and one of the easiest traps to fall into.
🧠 Familiarity breeds… low scores
If you’re delivering great care every day, it’s tempting to write about your service as though the quality is self-evident.
But commissioners aren’t scoring you based on whether you’re busy, longstanding, or hardworking. They’re scoring the clarity, relevance and innovation of your written response.
And risk-averse phrasing like:
- “We continue to…”
- “Our usual process is…”
- “We’ve always provided…”
…rarely inspires confidence that you’ll evolve or adapt to their vision.
💡 Risk-averse ≠ risk-aware
There’s a difference between being safe and being static.
Strong bids show a willingness to reflect, improve and innovate — not just settle into routines.
That might look like:
- Updating systems after feedback, not just audits
- Trialling new digital tools to enhance staff efficiency
- Rethinking rotas or support plans to better match individual rhythms
- Changing your training focus based on real incident trends
What makes a service good isn’t that it does the same thing well every year. What makes it great is that it listens, learns, and moves.
🚫 “That’s how we’ve always done it” doesn’t win tenders — it loses them
Commissioners want to know you can evolve with policy, people and priorities. Your bid should tell that story:
- How you respond to change
- How you review what’s working (and what isn’t)
- How you support staff to do things better, not just repeat the same
Don’t let risk-aversion shrink your tender score. Show you’re an organisation that thinks, not just delivers.