You’re Not Just Delivering a Service — You’re Telling a Story
Share
Social care providers often focus their tender responses on policies, processes, and outcomes. That makes sense — commissioners need to see that you’re safe, compliant and effective.
But facts alone don’t win tenders. It’s the human story behind those facts that makes commissioners stop and take notice.
✅ A training programme is great. But what matters is how it changed someone’s practice.
✅ A policy is important. But what matters is how it empowered someone to act safely in a real situation.
✅ An outcome framework is valuable. But what matters is how it helped someone live more independently or reconnected with their community.
💡 You’re not just delivering a service — you’re telling a story.
And that story should be full of:
- People — who they are, what matters to them, and how your service supports them
- Purpose — what you’re trying to achieve and why it matters
- Progress — how you measure success, not in systems but in lives changed
Commissioners read hundreds of tenders that all look the same. What they rarely get is a response that reads like it was written by someone who actually works with people, understands their needs, and knows what good support looks and feels like.
✍️ Ask yourself...
Could someone reading your tender see the person in the process?
Would they understand what your team values — not just what they do?
Have you shown, not just told?
Because in social care, the services that win aren’t just technically correct — they’re emotionally compelling. They feel real. They make the evaluator pause and say, “Yes. This is what we want in our area.”
That’s the power of story — and it’s your secret advantage in any bid.
Written by Mike Harrison, Founder of Impact Guru Ltd — specialists in bid writing and strategy for social care providers
Visit impact-guru.co.uk to browse downloadable strategies, method statements, or get in touch about tender support.