Building competitive advantage through supplier debriefing quality and tendering capabilities

Purpose The study aims to examine the association between supplier debriefing quality (SDQ) and SMEs' tender success, with a focus on the mediating role of tendering capabilities (Procedural, innovational and procedural capabilities). Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 352 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to validate the model. Data was analyzed using Smart Partial Least Squares (SMART-PLS) version 4.0. Findings The study found that SDQ has both direct and indirect effects on SMEs' tender success through innovative, relational and procedural capabilities. Research limitations/implications The study highlights the need for SMEs to develop key tendering capabilities to gain competitive advantage in winning more contracts in public tendering. Originality/value This study extends the emerging literature by examining how SDQ influences SMEs' tender success through innovative, procedural, and relational capabilities in public procurement and supply chain. The study therefore addresses an important gap in the literature by examining the capability-building mechanisms through which SDQ may enhance SMEs' tender success.