Why Emotions Belong in Tender Writing (Yes, Really)
Share
When did we decide tenders had to be so sterile?
Social care is about people. Real people. And yet, many tender responses read like they’ve been stripped of all feeling, all humanity — as if compassion, pride, or empathy are weaknesses in a formal bid.
But here’s the truth: emotion is persuasive. Emotion connects. Emotion helps commissioners remember you.
💬 "We supported someone who had lost all trust in services. It took weeks of quiet consistency and gentle encouragement. When she finally attended her first group activity, our support worker cried after the shift."
That’s a sentence you won’t find in many tenders — but it should be.
✅ Why emotion matters in tenders:
- It humanises your service — You’re not just a provider. You’re a team of people who care deeply about outcomes.
- It builds trust — Commissioners want to see that you understand the emotional impact of care, not just the process.
- It’s memorable — A statistic might be skimmed. A story with feeling will be remembered.
🧠 But be careful...
Emotion must be authentic, not manipulative. Don’t overdo it. Share real, grounded experiences. The goal is not sentimentality — it’s truth.
📌 Try this:
Go back over your last tender. Highlight any sentences that feel ‘flat’. Ask yourself — what did this mean to the person supported? What did it feel like for the team? Add a sentence of feeling, not just fact.
✔ Final thought:
Don’t be afraid to show heart. A good tender shows process. A great one shows purpose. The best? It shows humanity too.
- Download Tender-Ready Method Statements
- Explore Strategy Document Templates
- Bid Strategy & Training Support
Written by Mike Harrison, Founder of Impact Guru Ltd — specialists in bid writing and strategy for social care providers