Read a notice and a tender file

The notice tells you a contract exists. The tender file (dossier d'appel d'offres, or DAO) tells you what it takes to win it. With a method, one hour is enough to read what matters and decide whether the bid is worth the work. Do not start writing before this reading: a week of work can fall on a criterion you could have seen on day one.

The notice, field by field

Field	What it tells you	What you do with it
Reference	The notice's number	You quote it on everything: envelopes, letters, bid security
Buyer	Who is buying, and who receives the bid	You check it is the right entity, especially for a large ministry with several departments
Funding	Public budget or funder	You deduce the rules that apply
Subject	What is being bought	You check it is your trade, and the type of contract
Lots	The parts of the contract, evaluated separately	You spot those your size, and whether the number of lots you can win is limited
Getting the file and its price	Where to obtain it and what it costs	You keep the receipt: it is sometimes required to submit, and the price is generally not refunded
Bid security	The guarantee to attach, its amount and term	You call your bank the same day: see Bonds and guarantees
Deadline	The day and hour for submission	You write it down, with the time zone for an international body
Bid opening	The place and time of the session	You plan to attend if you can
Contact	The address for questions	You use it for all written exchanges

What notices often leave out

Many notices are incomplete: no estimated amount, no qualification criteria, no precise submission method, sometimes no contact. That silence does not mean there is no requirement. A notice that announces no bid security can still have one in the file. There is one answer: obtain the file, or write to the buyer, before you decide.

The parts of the file

The layout varies by country and funder, but you will almost always find these elements:

• Instructions to bidders. The rules of the competition in their general version, often taken from a template.
• The data sheet. This is the règlement particulier (RPAO), also called données particulières (DPAO) or bid data sheet. It holds what is specific to this contract: dates, amounts, number of copies, address, submission method.
• Qualification criteria. What you must already have done and have the means to do. They are often disqualifying.
• The evaluation grid. How bids will be judged, by compliance or by points.
• Technical specifications or terms of reference. What is asked for in detail. For works you also find drawings and the technical clauses (CCTP).
• Forms. Letter of bid, bid security template, tables to fill in. They are used as they stand.
• Contract terms. General and special conditions: penalties, advance, retention, payment periods.

The reading order for one hour

The durations are a guide. The idea is to look first for whatever can stop you.

1. 1

   Ten minutes: the notice and the data sheet

   Note the deadline, the address, the submission method, the bid security, the number of copies and the lots.

2. 2

   Fifteen minutes: the qualification and eligibility criteria

   For each criterion write yes, no or to check, with the proof you have. A no that stays no ends the reading.

3. 3

   Ten minutes: the evaluation grid

   Spot what earns points and what eliminates. This tells you where to put your effort.

4. 4

   Ten minutes: the specifications or terms of reference

   Go through them for one question: can you do this, and in the time asked? The detail comes later.

5. 5

   Ten minutes: the contract terms

   Look for late penalties, the advance, retention and the payment period. They decide your cash flow.

6. 6

   Five minutes: the forms

   Count them and spot what needs an outside signature: bank, partner, manufacturer.

Deciding: go or no-go

Answer these five questions in order. A no to any of the first three stops you, unless you can fix it, for example with a partner.

1. 1

   Am I allowed to respond?

   Nationality, legal form, trade, tax and social security standing, no debarment. Also check you have no link with the buyer or with whoever prepared the file, because a conflict of interest can rule you out.

2. 2

   Do I meet each disqualifying criterion on the day of submission?

   Not roughly. Turnover, similar contracts, equipment, staff, approval: with proof, at the date required. If one is missing, look for a joint venture or a smaller lot, or drop it.

3. 3

   Can I get the bid security in time?

   Ask your bank before you start whether it is possible, at what cost and how quickly. If the answer is no, the bid will not be admissible.

4. 4

   Is there enough time?

   Count back from the deadline. Add the certificates to renew, quotes, signatures and the journey.

5. 5

   Is it worth it?

   Estimate the likely margin, the cost of preparing, your current workload, the distance, the payment period and your chances against likely competitors. A contract that ties up your cash for months can cost you more than it brings in.

Asking questions

If the file is unclear or contradictory, ask for a clarification. It is a right nearly everywhere, and asking beats guessing.

• How. In writing, at the address and in the form the file states. An answer given on the phone or in a corridor does not protect you. Quote the reference, the section and the page.
• By when. Before the date set by the file, which falls before the submission deadline. A question sent too late goes unanswered, and the deadline stays where it is.
• Why the answer goes to everyone. All bidders must compete on equal terms. So the buyer circulates the question and the answer, generally without naming who asked. Your competitors will see it too, so word it without giving away your approach.

If a criterion seems written for one supplier alone, a clarification request is also the right moment to say so. See Challenge a decision.

Tracking changes

The buyer can change the file through an addendum (additif), a document that officially alters part of the file: a quantity, a criterion, a date. The addendum becomes part of the file and binds everyone.

What next

If the decision is go, start with what takes longest: The administrative documents and Bonds and guarantees. Then comes the technical bid.