Below I have set out my top 10 tips for preparing a successful farm tender. They are simple but often forgotten. The whole exercise is about really getting into the proposal and making your application stick in the landlord’s mind as one that is strong and credible.

  1. Remember your audience. This could be the landlord, their agent or another farmer. They will probably have lots of applications to consider, so it needs to be relatively quick to read and to the point.
  2. Stand out.< The letting agent may be going through piles of applications and so yours only has a minute of their time to be shortlisted. Do a one page bullet point summary which includes why you are the best applicant.
  3. Do it yourself. Yes we are agents, but we believe in helping you write it not writing it for you. Landlords want to see your work not ours but we are happy to help make sure your tender is perfect.
  4. Show it works with your existing business. Don’t ignore what you do at the moment, it will come out eventually so be upfront and find the positive ways to show the new opportunity works with the existing one.
  5. Financial records. If you have them, grab passed accounts and any financial records. These may not need to be included but could be summarised to show track record.
  6. Consider who should be involved? The key business owners, staff and professionals could all be involved to show you have a supportive team behind you.
  7. Get references. Ask your bank and accountant to provide financial references i.e. say you have enough resources to take on the proposal. Other references from existing landlords and land agents also add weight.
  8. Don’t look at old tenders or business plans, they will be a distraction.
  9. Make use of all parts of the farm. Even if there are waste areas, try to find some use for them or at the least show how they will form part of how the farm is managed.
  10. Make sure you carefully read the letting details. Have the details, a map of the farm and photos to hand to remind you about the property when considering it. It sounds obvious but by constantly reminding yourself about it you will better relate to it.