Supplier Guide to Tendering

9. The Dos and Don'ts of Tendering

If you would like to bid for one of our tender opportunities, here are a few useful tips that will make tendering an easier process to contend with:

Do

• Do study the advertisement carefully – this is an opportunity for you to decide whether your business can carry out the contract. This will avoid you wasting valuable time and money tendering for a contract for which you cannot realistically deliver.
• Do register for the tender documents in plenty of time for completion – making sure you put enough time aside to complete the documentation. Check the deadline time and date for submission of tenders.
• Do read carefully and pay close attention to the instructions within the tender document.
• Do make sure you answer the questions as set giving details of the specified requirements and provide evidence as indicated in the guidance. Clear, concise, relative and informative answers are preferred.
• Do ask for clarification if you are uncertain about anything within the tender via the process outlined in the documentation - be sure to ask questions in good time and direct your enquiry via the e tender portal (or as outlined in the documentation)
• Do ensure that prices/costs are accurate  and all information requested supplied.
• Do give careful consideration to your answers and cover all aspects of the question.  This is your opportunity to explain how you will deliver the requirement.
• Do not leave them blank as you cannot be scored points where no answer is provided.
• Do adhere to any page limits and note any minimum quality scoring thresholds. In some tender’s failure to meet a certain score for one or all questions will result in your submission being excluded from the evaluation process. 

Don't

• Do not leave completing your tender to the last minute or return your tender after the date or time of closure as the deadline will have been missed. Late submissions will not be accepted.
• Don’t include un-necessary literature and brochures that are not requested.
• Don’t assume that members of the evaluation panel know what you mean – unless it’s clear. Submissions are evaluated on the basis of your answers and therefore you should be careful to include relevant answers to each point.
• Don’t assume that even if you have worked for the Council in the past or are current suppliers to the Council that you do not need to provide relevant information – you must include information on everything relevant to the tender in question, stating as much detail as possible. All assessments of bids are based on what’s included in the bid only and not on officer’s knowledge/experience of a supplier, we cannot take prior knowledge of a supplier into account during the tender process, only what is submitted in their bid.
• Do not submit unsustainable prices that are undeliverable for the duration of the contract.
• Don’t forget to submit all documents that are requested in the tender documents.
• Don’t be put off by the documents, seek support. Business Wales Tender Advisors are available to help with any questions you may have.