How to read a tender notice before you start writing your bid

Record the reference, buyer, scope, location and contact details for the tender. Save the official link too. These details help you find the right notice when a title is shortened elsewhere or several lots have similar names.

Download the available files. Read the bidder instructions before the technical requirements: know the expected format before drafting. Then find the eligibility conditions, specifications or terms of reference, forms and pricing requirements.

File names and document structures differ between buyers. If a document mentioned in the notice is missing, request it through the stated channel. Do not reconstruct a requirement from an older contract that looks similar.

Underline concrete deliverables: a report, installed equipment, training or a service maintained for a specified period. Note quantities, sites, travel and delivery times. A broad phrase such as “ digital transformation support ” is not enough to price a response.

If the tender has lots, check the rules for the ones you want to bid for. Match every obligation to a resource: a person, an allowed partner, equipment or an expense. This makes it easier to see what your price must cover.

Separate mandatory eligibility conditions from factors used to compare applicants. For each requirement, record the requested evidence and where it will appear in your submission. A CV may not replace a certificate; a client reference may not prove a required qualification.

Do not assume you can add a missing document after submission. If the wording is unclear, ask before the clarification deadline. Your decision to bid should take account of the written reply and the applicable instructions.

Distinguish the deadline for questions, any site visit or meeting, bid submission and bid opening where listed. Record the time and time zone when provided. A note saying “ the 20th ” is not precise enough to plan a submission.

Set an earlier internal deadline for finishing the documents. Leave time for signatures, checks and sending the response. Revisit the official source before submission to look for changed documents or an amended deadline.

No. Read the stated evaluation method. UNDP distinguishes requests for quotations (RFQ), invitations to bid (ITB) and requests for proposals (RFP), where several criteria may matter. An acronym still cannot replace the written criteria for the tender you are answering.

If the buyer provides a scoring grid, use it as a review plan. When a reference is requested, explain the assignment, your role and the relevant outcome. For methodology, connect your steps to the deliverables. Five pages about your company may not answer what the buyer wants to assess.

For each point, add a source page or file, the evidence or action needed, and an owner. This is an organising tool. The tender documents determine the actual requirements.

Use the buyer’s stated submission channel. An opportunity on UNGM may direct you to an electronic procurement system or specify another method. Clicking “ Express interest ” is not, by itself, submission of your proposal.

When the system provides a receipt or a submitted status, save it with the reference and time. If something fails, contact the person named in the instructions and keep a record of the problem. Do not assume that a saved draft, uploaded file or support email counts as a submitted offer.

If you are eligible, understand the deliverables and can meet the schedule, assign the preparation tasks. If a material point is unclear, write a specific question. If a requirement rules you out, record the reason and stop preparing that response.

To practise, open a public offer on WTender, follow its official source and fill in the checklist. Start with a service you understand so you can concentrate on reading the documents.