How to Bid for Singapore Tenders with Partners: A Joint-Bid Guide
How small firms and domain experts bid for GeBIZ and enterprise tenders together: who leads, what to agree before submitting, and how Ground Control runs each stage.
A joint bid lets two or more firms answer one tender together, each leading the part it knows best, so a small team can go after work that needs more than one kind of expertise. One firm usually leads and submits; the others are named in the proposal for their part.
At On The Ground we bid this way with domain experts. They bring the field: the practice, the standards and the references the buyer will score. We bring Ground Control, our method for running the work with Claude Code, which screens tenders, writes the first draft quickly and builds any software, data or AI the bid needs. This guide explains how a joint bid works and what to agree before you submit.
Why small firms bid for tenders together
Many tenders ask for several capabilities at once, and a buyer scores each of them. A staff engagement survey tender, for example, needs survey design and norms, a data platform, analysis and a written report. Few small firms are strong in all four.
Bidding together helps in three ways:
• Coverage. Each scored criterion is answered by someone who does that work for a living.
• References. The buyer sees named past work for each part, not a promise to learn on the job.
• Speed. One side can screen and draft while the other checks the method and the people. Tender windows are often only a few weeks long.
Lead and partner: who does what
Decide early who leads. The lead usually submits the bid, holds the contract and answers the buyer's questions. Partners deliver their named part. Either side can be the lead: often it is whoever is closest to the heaviest-scored criterion.
Whatever the split, three things hold in our bids:
• Each side leads its own field. The expert owns the method for their part; we own screening, bid writing and any software, data or AI work.
• Each side is named in the proposal for what it delivers, with its own references and people.
• Each side prices its own share. Price is agreed tender by tender, never at first contact.
Check the tender documents for what they say about consortiums, subcontracting and who must be registered as the supplier. These conditions differ from notice to notice, so read them for each tender rather than assuming.
How Ground Control runs a joint bid, stage by stage
Ground Control covers the whole life of a bid, not only the writing.
• Find. We sweep GeBIZ and other tender boards every few days and sort what fits by sector. When a tender matches a partner's field, it is flagged for them.
• Brief. The partner gets one pack: the tender exactly as issued, our first draft with the gaps marked, and a one-page question sheet. The first conversation is about the bid, not about getting acquainted.
• Bid. The partner's answers fill the gaps: their part, two references for the work being scored, the people and their CVs, time, and any conflicts. Claude Code checks the draft against the tender's requirements before a person signs off.
• Deliver. After an award, the same method runs project management, meeting notes into actions, milestone reports and invoicing.
The build behind the drafting step is in our tender bid workflow guide.
What to agree before you submit
Most joint-bid problems come from things nobody wrote down. Before submission, agree in writing:
• Scope. Which sections and deliverables each side owns.
• People. Who is named, and that they are actually available on the dates in the tender.
• Price. Each side's share, and how it appears in the price schedule.
• Terms that come with the tender. Intellectual property, data handling and payment timing are usually set by the buyer, so confirm both sides can accept them.
• Conflicts. Whether either side works for the buyer, its current provider or a competing bidder.
• Presenting. Who attends if the buyer asks for a presentation or clarification.
What stays with people
AI does the reading, sorting and first drafts. People decide. In every bid we run, a person makes the go or no-go call, sets the price, signs the declarations and presses submit.
Two rules matter most with AI-assisted bids:
• Never invent credentials. Every reference, certificate and number must come from a real file the partner has supplied. Our bid rules tell Claude Code to mark a gap rather than fill it.
• Keep confidential documents confidential. Tender packs and partner details are shared only with the people bidding, and no partner's name or price goes into another partner's pack.
Our guide to GeBIZ tenders with AI covers what to automate and what to keep human in more detail.
How to start bidding with us
If you are a domain expert who wants to bid for government or enterprise tenders, email haojun@ontheground.agency with your company profile and the fields you lead in. There is no fee to join, and we only pass on tenders we intend to bid on together.
The partners we are looking for, and what we will ask you, are on our Partners & Clients page. To see the method itself, start with Ground Control or the Get Seen, Get Sales, Get Paid series.
Frequently asked questions
Can two companies bid for one Singapore government tender together?
Often, yes. Many tenders allow a lead supplier to bid with partners or subcontractors, with each named for its part. The conditions differ between notices, so read each tender's documents on consortiums, subcontracting and supplier registration before deciding how to structure the bid.
Who should lead a joint tender bid?
Usually the firm closest to the heaviest-scored part of the tender, or the one best placed to hold the contract and answer the buyer. The lead submits and manages the bid; partners deliver and are named for their parts. Either side can lead, and it can change from tender to tender.
How is the price split in a joint bid?
Each side prices its own share of the work, and the shares are combined in the price schedule. With On The Ground, price is agreed tender by tender once a specific bid is decided, never at first contact, and there is no fee to join as a partner.
How does AI help with a joint tender bid?
AI helps screen tenders, organise the documents, build a compliance check against the requirements and write a first draft quickly. People still decide whether to bid, set the price, sign the declarations and submit, and every credential in the bid comes from a real file.
