What Commissioners Want to See in Domiciliary Care Bids (That Most Providers Miss)

August 4, 2025

🔎 Blog 4 of 7 in our Domiciliary Care Bid Writing Series

In this series, we break down what makes a strong domiciliary care tender response. Each blog tackles a specific area — structure, language, evidence, local knowledge — to help you avoid common pitfalls and score higher in home care bids. If you need tailored support with a live tender, our domiciliary care bid writer service ensures your answers are strategic, detailed, and aligned to commissioner expectations.

🧐 What Do Commissioners Actually Want?

It’s easy to assume commissioners are just looking for compliance — safe, registered, trained services. But in reality, they want more:

Local knowledge and alignment to community needs
Personalisation — not just saying it, but showing how it happens
Outcomes and impact, not just inputs and processes
Workforce stability and values-led recruitment
Evidence of co-production, equity, and inclusion

These are the areas that separate strong tenders from the average ones. An experienced domiciliary care bid writer will ensure these elements aren’t overlooked in your submission.

🚫 What Most Providers Miss

Commissioners read a lot of similar bids. Common mistakes include:

Overuse of vague phrases: “high-quality”, “client-centred”, “empowering” — without real evidence
Cut-and-paste answers from old tenders that ignore the current context or priorities
No clear explanation of how care is reviewed, improved, or tailored over time
Limited detail on how outcomes are tracked and evidenced

Top-scoring bids don’t just say what you do — they explain why it matters, how it works, and what difference it makes.

✅ What to Include Instead

Case studies showing how someone’s support changed over time
KPIs or metrics — even just internal audits, compliments, or satisfaction scores
Co-production mechanisms (client forums, feedback loops, advocate involvement)
Links to local strategy (health integration, prevention goals, equity plans)

The goal is to demonstrate that you’re a strategic, person-led partner — not just a compliant provider.

🔁 Language Tip: Turn Inputs Into Outcomes

Instead of writing: “We use digital care planning and eMAR systems.”
Say: “Our use of digital care planning and eMAR ensures care is accurate, responsive, and auditable — with a 17% reduction in missed medication visits over 6 months.”

It’s the impact of the tool that matters, not the tool itself. And before you submit, consider a specialist proofreading and tender review to make sure every sentence shows clarity, strategy, and impact.

Read the full 7-part series here: