Why You’re Losing Tenders on Sustainability

From Sustainability Solved by Will Richardson · 07:53

Show by Will Richardson

A lot of tenders lose marks on the sustainability page before anyone reads it properly. If you've lost a contract in the last year without being told exactly why, there's a good chance this was the reason.Sustainability has moved from a tick box to real points in the final decision. We go through the three things evaluators mark against. Baseline compliance comes first: a missing Carbon Reduction Plan or a gap in your Scope 3 data can mean a score of zero. Measurable metrics come next, where good work loses marks because the answer describes the culture instead of the contract. Supply chain data is the third, and it's quietly knocking out incumbent suppliers. If you bid for public sector or large corporate contracts, this one is for you and your bid team.You'll leave with one exercise for this week. Reread your last losing tender's sustainability answer with a red pen. Circle every number and underline every adjective. If the underlining wins, you've found where the points went.If you'd like an honest read on whether your sustainability answers are costing you points, book 30 minutes with me: https://tidycal.com/willrichardson/ssbywrpodcast30Read on Substack: https://willsussolved.substack.com/Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@willsussolvedConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sustsolvedbywillrichardsonFollow the show, and tell me the strangest sustainability question you've seen in a tender.Mentioned in this episode:Experienced Sustainability ExecutiveDo you know a company that needs my experience? Sustainability executive with 25 years helping organisations turn environmental ambition into commercial results. Founded Green Element in 2004 and grew it into one of the UK’s larger sustainability consultancies and one of the country’s first B Corps, leading a team of around 30 and serving 500+ organisations. Experienced across marketing, sales and executive leadership: running a business day to day, and working alongside other organisations’ C-suites to build sustainability into how they operate. Clients include some of the UK’s largest organisations, among them The Guardian, Grant Thornton, Linklaters and Fevertree, where the work helped reshape each business through a sustainability lens. Co-created Compare Your Footprint, carbon accounting software used in 30+ countries and sold in 2025. Eight years hosting Sustainability Solved, with 230+ episodes and 30,000+ followers, building a deep knowledge base from conversations with business leaders on what actually works. Guest lecturer on master’s programmes, and writer and co-producer of environmental training courses, including the first fully online IEMA-approved EMS implementation course. The thread through all of it: a sustainable business can also be a successful business.Contact MeSponsorship For Main PodcastPodcast Advertising

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