You’ve downloaded your Tender documents and read through the requirements. Now, it’s time to start filling out your returnable forms, but where do you start? Here are some “Dos and Don’ts” for completing your Tender forms:
Do: Keep a Blank Copy of Your Forms
Mistakes happen. Sometimes, without your realising it. It’s easy to delete or alter sections of the Tender documents accidentally. Deleting questions from the response form will lead to you submitting an incomplete Tender. To prevent this, keep two versions of all returnable Tendering documents: one to complete and submit and one to keep blank. Preserving a blank copy allows you to check your completed form against the original to ensure you haven’t deleted anything or made changes to the template that may impact the success of your bid.
Don’t: Reformat the Form
Not all Tendering forms will be formatted in a way that makes sense to the way you work, or they may use a typeface or font size that you don’t like. It may be tempting to reformat the forms to suit your own preferences, but buyers could take this as a sign of disrespect or that you aren’t taking the process seriously. If the formatting is truly egregious and difficult to work around, we recommend submitting a separate response document as an attachment to the form. Then, within the form, reference the attachment. For example, write, “Please refer to the attachment 01 – Pricing Schedule.” Just make sure to check that the Buyer will accept attachments to supplement their supplied forms before doing this.
Do: Follow All Instructions
Some Buyers have very strict requirements for what can and cannot be included in your response. Buyers may enforce strict word limits or require documents to be named in specific ways. Sometimes, you’ll be required to include all information within the provided templates and won’t be allowed to submit attachments. Whatever the instructions, make sure to follow them, as you don’t want your Tender rejected for going over your word allocation.
Don’t: Leave Questions Blank
There may be some questions that don’t apply to your proposal. For example, a question may ask for information about subcontractors, and you don’t plan to use any. While it may be tempting to leave the question blank, it’s always best to answer with a brief statement such as “We do not intend to use subcontractors to complete the Works.” This lets the Buyer know that you haven’t missed a question.
These are just a few basic things you can do (or not do) to ensure your submission isn’t rejected out of hand.
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