Should you bid? Review the tender before committing
Weigh the scope, deadline and mandatory requirements before you invest your team’s time in a response.
A tender can look attractive until the team finds a compulsory briefing, a document it cannot provide, or a delivery schedule it cannot meet. The first review should answer a simple question: is this worth the time it will take to prepare a response?
Start with the notice, then read the current tender documents. Keep the decision tied to the actual requirements and your company's capacity.
Start with the work and the date
Write down what the buyer is asking for, where the work will happen and when the bid closes. Then check whether your team can deliver the work and prepare a credible response before the deadline. Leave time for internal review, signatures and the required submission method.
- What is included in the scope?
- Where and when must the work be delivered?
- When does the tender close, and how must the bid be submitted?
Check the compulsory requirements
Look for eligibility conditions, briefing arrangements, required certificates, declarations and prescribed forms. Record each one as a checkable item, with the relevant page or document beside it. If the wording is unclear, keep the question open until it is resolved against the tender documents.
- Which requirements are compulsory?
- What proof does the buyer request?
- Who will obtain or confirm each item?
Decide with the whole team
A good fit on paper is only part of the decision. Ask the people who will deliver and price the work whether the scope, capacity and commercial terms make sense. Record the reason for bidding or declining so the same questions do not have to be answered again later.
If you decide to proceed, turn the requirements into assigned bid work immediately. If you decline, record why and move on to the next tender.