October 6, 2025
Tenders as a Growth Driver - When the Process is Not Discouraging
Raphael Mielke (Co-founder of Scelion)
The KOINNO Procurement Report 2024 reveals that public tenders are becoming a genuine growth channel for many SMEs. This trend is increasingly evident for newer companies that have only been in the market for a few years.
A total of 92 SMEs were surveyed. The picture is clear: Among companies that have existed for at least 10 years, about two-thirds have experience with public tenders. In contrast, for young companies founded in the last five years, the figure is only roughly 10-15 percent.
These companies often consider themselves "inexperienced" in the tendering process: complicated procurement portals, different regulations, numerous documents → formal madness. The potential is great, but so are the entry barriers.
Most SMEs do not participate again after their first tender because the process can be exhausting for beginners.
Challenges for an SME
Typical challenges:
even finding suitable tenders
understanding exactly what is required
complying with deadlines, formal requirements, and proof of qualifications
building a complete offer from text modules, references, and appendices
Attempting to accomplish this manually alongside day-to-day business quickly pushes capacity limits, especially for young companies that still face the learning curve. At the same time, the numbers show that established SMEs are already leveraging this channel more effectively and are expanding their lead.
How to Get Started
Scelion addresses precisely these points, making the process manageable, even for companies without years of experience.
The platform structures the entire process: from automatic searching through qualification to offer creation. Tenders are intelligently pre-sorted, requirements are clearly summarized, and matched with the company profile. Recurring content and documents flow into pre-prepared draft offers.
Efficiency for the Experienced, Security for Beginners
Experienced SMEs benefit from increased efficiency and can boost their volume of offers without increasing personnel. Inexperienced companies gain from the fact that entry becomes less risky and less prone to errors: fewer formal errors, fewer missed deadlines, faster learning from each procedure.
This way, the complex tendering process becomes a manageable growth opportunity rather than an obstacle. This is true regardless of whether a company has been in the market for two or twenty years.
Source:
KOINNO Procurement Report | (2024) | KOINNO PROCUREMENT REPORT - Startups and SMEs 2024 | KOINNO Report
