Tender checklist for suppliers

Transcription

1 Tender checklist for suppliers This checklist has been developed for suppliers to use when tendering, to make sure that all the aspects required are covered. Suppliers can also develop their own checklist based on the requirements of each tender. Item Description Planning your tender Have you registered your interest in this tender? Do you understand all the requirements? Do you need clarification? When is the closing date? Do you have the time and resources for this tender? Is there a tender briefing session planned? Can you meet the requirements alone? Once you have received the tender documents contact the buyer to let them know you intend to put a bid in. If you receive your copy of the tender documents from a third party, register your interest with the buyer so that you receive any amendments. Make sure you have read the tender documents, highlighted important points and understood what is being asked for. If you do not understand something, talk to the buyer. Raise clarification questions if you are not sure what is required by either the tendering instructions or the specification of requirements. When does the tender close and where should it be lodged? Late tenders will not usually be accepted. Consider what time and resources you have available to write and submit this tender, and manage the contract if successful? Look at the timetable and the amount of work needed. Make sure you attend any pre-tender briefing sessions. This is an important opportunity to talk to the buyer and meet your competition! Can you complete the contract in-house or will you need to sub-contract or form a consortium? If you need outside help make sure you give others enough time to provide input into the tender.

2 What are the contract terms and conditions? What are the evaluation criteria? How are you going to respond? Read the contract terms and conditions and make sure you can comply. You must say in your response if you are not accepting any of the terms and conditions under which the buyer expects you to undertake the contract. Look at the criteria against which your tender will be evaluated and note any weighting placed on each of the criteria as this will give you an indication of the degree of importance of different elements. Start to think about how you will formulate your response and determine at an early stage if you can provide a competitive solution to the requirements. Preparing your Pre-Qualification Questionnaire Can you meet the selection criteria? Have you provided details about your organization? Can you provide details of any relevant experience? Have you contacted your referees to confirm they are willing to be a referee? Have you included the financial information requested, including any accounts? Are you able to provide a bank reference? Make sure that you can demonstrate your ability to meet all of the selection criteria and the PQQ requirements. Make sure you provide all the general information requested about your organization, including your contact details. Make sure you can highlight any relevant experience you have in relation to the contract and can evidence your skills and experience in this area. Make sure your referees are willing and able to give you a reference if necessary, and that their contact details are correct. Look at what financial information has been requested and make you sure you have included this. If you are unable to provide any of the information required, contact the named contact immediately. Contact your bank to ask if they can provide you with a reference should you be asked for one.

3 Have you provided details of your staffing and personnel? Have you provided details of facilities, technical equipment and so on (if required)? Are any specific standards required? Do you have the required insurance? Can you meet the Health and Safety requirements? Can you meet the Equal Opps requirements? Can you meet the Environmental requirements? Can you meet the legal and professional conduct standards? Make sure that you have provided any required details of your staff and personnel arrangements in your response. Look at what is being requested where you are being asked to demonstrate your technical ability and make sure you provide information to show you can meet the requirements. Have any specific quality assurance standards been specified and can you meet these? If not, what information about quality assurance in your organization can you provide? Make sure that you can meet the required levels of insurance and you can provide certificates if asked. Are your H&S policy and procedures up to date and have you included all the required information in your submission, including a copy of your policy? Are your Equal Opportunities policy and procedures up to date and have you included all the required information in your submission, including a copy of your policy? Do you have an Environmental policy and what evidence can you provide to show that you work towards sustainability in your organization? Make sure you answer all the questions about your legal standing and, if necessary, provided additional information to qualify your answers.

4 Preparing your tender Read the Invitation to Tender documents carefully Plan and prepare Structure your bid response Focus on the buyer Gather supporting information Respond comprehensively and with evidence Have there been any amendments or clarification issued? Answer all the questions Read the Invitation to Tender carefully and make sure you understand all the requirements and the instructions for preparing and submitting your tender. If anything is unclear, seek clarification as soon as possible. Make sure you have enough time to draft and edit your tender response, including any research or gathering of information you may need to do. Ensure the structure of your tender and coherent response is logical, think about the layout and draft out your structure before you start. Think about who your readers are and what they will be looking for. Write your tender with this in mind, and focus on getting across your solutions to the buyer s needs. Make sure you have gathered and included all additional or supporting information needed. However, make sure you only provide the information requested and do not include additional information unless it is relevant to the responses requested. Make sure that you respond to each requirement as comprehensively as possible, backing up your statements with relevant evidence and examples. Check if there have been any tender amendments or issues raised through clarification and that you have addressed these. Make sure that you have responded to all of the requirements and that you have answered all the questions. Tick them off as you answer them.

5 Edit your tender Do you offer value for money? Have you completed the pricing or cost schedule? Check spelling and grammar, remove unnecessary words, sentences and paragraphs from your proposal, and check for common errors, for example, the correct use of it s and its, affect and effect, your and you re etc. Always ask someone else to proofread your bid document. Have you pitched competitively and is your overall offer and value clear to the buyer? Think of ways of offering additional value in your offer. Structure the pricing as specified. If tender pricing sheets are included complete them in full and total the costs. Submitting your tender Meet the deadline Have you included all the information? Is your tender properly presented in the required format? How can you submit your response? Have you signed the form of tender? Ensure that you leave sufficient time to return the completed tender by the required deadline. Do not leave it until the last day. Also, return your tender to the exact address given and do not deviate from the return instructions given. Check you have included everything in your tender, in particular any specific information or documents you may have been asked to supply. Have you followed the instructions on how to present your tender and is it legible, labelled, referenced and ordered clearly? How does your response need to be submitted - in a paper format or have electronic copies also been requested? How many copies are required? Don t forget to sign all tender documents unsigned documents will not be considered. Check that any mandatory forms have been completed.

6 What needs to be on the tender envelope? Are the relevant people available for clarification? Check to see if specific information is requested to be on the tender envelope - back and front - and how this is to be presented. Make sure that you, and any other people who have been involved in preparing the tender, are available for clarification throughout the evaluation period so that buyers can contact you.