TENDERS

A tender is an invitation to submit a bid to do what is setout in the

tender documents for a certain price.

Why submit a tender?

Submitting a tender is a great way to earn new business. Many large

and small organisations regularly “go out to tender” to find and
appoint suppliers for contracts.

Businesses often use a tender process for large contracts or to

appoint suppliers for a certain amount of time. For example a tender
could be used to appoint a supplier for a new building or a stationary
provider for the next 12 months.

When submitting a tender it's important to remember that it's a

highly competitive process, so it's imperative that you provide your
best quote. Many organisations, particularly government agencies,
will not negotiate prices once the tender has closed.

Questions to ask before you decide to submit a tender

Writing and preparing your response to a tender can be daunting,

expensive and time consuming, and there is no guarantee of success.
Before deciding whether or not to submit a response, take a moment
to consider the following questions:

 Do I meet the requirements specified in the request?

 Am I able to fulfil all of the requirements myself, or do I need to
contract some of the work to another party? If so, to whom will
I contract the work and how much will that cost?
 Do I have the financial capacity to deliver the requirements of
the request?
 Is there an actual or potential conflict of interest that could
prevent me from making a response?
 Do I already have the resources to do the job?
 Is it going to be viable for me?
 Is it within my capacity to do the work?
 Have I read, or am I familiar with, all of the organisation's
policies on purchasing?

Most tender documents also include a contact name. Use this

contact to find out if there's any additional detail or information that
may assist you in preparing your application. Showing interest and
discussing the job will make you more memorable when the decision
panel is analysing all of the submissions.