An invitation to tender (ITT, also known as a call for bids or a request for tenders) is a formal, structured procedure for generating competing offers from different potential suppliers or contractors looking to obtain an award of business activity in works, supply, or service

contract A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of thos ...

s, often from companies who have been previously assessed for suitability by means of a supplier questionnaire (SQ) or pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ). Unlike a request for proposal (RFP), which is used when a company sources for business proposals, ITTs are used when a government or company does not require the submission of an original business proposal and is looking solely to award a contract based on the best tender submitted. As a result, whereas ITTs are often decided based on the best price offered, decisions on RFPs may also involve other considerations such as technology and innovation. Both are forms of

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. At the same time, variants may be requested in an ITT, which allow suppliers to offer proposals which differ in non-essential terms from the supplies or services requested. The

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

has suggested that requesting variants is one way in which suppliers can be asked to offer more

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solutions to meeting public needs. Public sector organisations in many countries are legally obliged to release tenders for works and services. In the majority of cases, these are listed on their websites and traditional print media. Electronic procurement and tendering systems or

e-procurement E-procurement (electronic procurement, sometimes also known as supplier exchange) is a collective term used to refer to a range of technologies which can be used to automate the internal and external processes associated with procurement, strat ...

are also increasingly prevalent. The European Union states that 235,000 calls for tender are issued annually using its

Tenders Electronic Daily Government procurement or public procurement is undertaken by the public authorities of the European Union (EU) and its member states in order to award contracts for public works and for the purchase of goods and services in accordance with pri ...

system, including those issued by countries in the

European Economic Area The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Asso ...

and beyond.

Terminology

Various terms are used globally to refer to an invitation to tender. The term "notice inviting tenders" (NIT) is often used in India. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

's institutions often use the terms "calls for tenders" and "calls for expressions of interest". Other terms used in the United States include "Invitation for Bid" (IFB).

Types

Open tenders (also known as open calls for tenders or advertised tenders) are open to all vendors or contractors who can guarantee performance. Restricted tenders (also known as restricted calls for tenders or invited tenders) are only open to selected pre-qualified vendors or contractors. The tender stage may form part of a two-stage process; the first stage comprises issuing an expression-of-interest (EOI) tender call, resulting in a

shortlist A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...

of selected suitable vendors. The reasons for using restricted tenders differ in scope and purpose. Sole source tenders involve only one potential supplier being invited to submit a tender. A sole source tender may be used where there is essentially only one suitable supplier of the services or product. Tenders have a bid preparation period available to bidders. Research has shown that the length of this period might affect the number of bids and, as a result, the level of

competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indi ...

among tenderers. The interval between advertising a tender or inviting tender submissions, and the close of the bid preparation period, may be subject to regulation in public sector tendering. The European Commission has issued best practice guidelines which emphasise the need to allow suppliers adequate time for bid preparation including the time which small businesses might require to find partners for joint bidding and prepare an agreed bid.

Process

Pre-qualification questionnaires

Supplier questionnaires or pre-qualification questionnaires ensure that potential suppliers are all asked the same information when assessing their suitability to be invited to tender or to have their tenders evaluated. Some organisations issue a standard pre-qualification questionnaire, for example the UK government has developed standard core PQQ questions which have been revised several times and are mandated for use across government, and has also stipulated that PQQs should not be used by central government contracting bodies when procuring goods or services valued less than the threshold values set by UK procurement legislation.

Tender box

A tender box is a mailbox used to receive the physical tender or bid documents, or a digital equivalent. The tender box is not implemented in every country around the world.

Tender validity date

A tender validity date is a date until which a tenderer commits to keeping their prices (and other tender details) open for

acceptance Acceptance in psychology is a person's recognition and assent to the finality of a situation without attempting to change or protest it. This plays out at both the individual and societal level as people experience change. Types of acceptanc ...

(or otherwise) by the client. Such a date is usually included in a form of tender, either as a specified date or as the termination of a specified period from another key tender date. For example, in tendering for gym equipment in 2013,

West Dunbartonshire Council West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

required tenderers to accept that "Your tender shall remain open for acceptance for ninety (90) days from the date for return of tenders indicated above, or any subsequent date notified to you by us. Your tender may be accepted by us at any time during this period."

Tender evaluation

There are several different methods for available for tender evaluation, which are related to the proposition method asked by the procurement management:

Lowest price

This method is the simplest and oldest of all. Under this the procurement contract is awarded to the best price. Some relevant methods are these of examining the overall or in parts and in total discount in a given price list or on a given budget. One of the options available under rules applicable to

government procurement in the European Union Government procurement or public procurement is undertaken by the public authorities of the European Union (EU) and its member states in order to award contracts for public works and for the purchase of goods and services in accordance with pri ...

(EU).

Most economically advantageous

This is applicable to proposals of different quality within the limits set. Under this the proposals are graded according to their price for value and the contract is awarded to the one with the best grade. Similar to this is the grading of the proposals according to time, making the proposals needing less time of implementation seem more valuable. One of the proposed for public tenders within the EU.

Mean value

The contract is awarded to a bid close to the

mean value A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...

of the proposals received. This may apply to procurements where numerous proposals are expected and there is a need for a market-representing value.Assaf, S., Bubshait, A. and Aitah, R.
Bid-awarding systems: An overview
''Cost Engineering'', August 1998; 40, 8; ABI/INFORM Global, p. 37, accessed on 17 October 2024

Exclusion of the extremes

Under this method the proposals that are deviating the most from the mass of the proposals are excluded and then the procedure continues with one of the above methods. There are also many variants and/or combinations of these main methods. Upon completion of tender evaluation it is usual to award a contract.

Post-tender negotiation

Post-tender

negotiation Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more parties to resolve points of difference, gain an advantage for an individual or Collective bargaining, collective, or craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. The parties aspire to agree on m ...

involves negotiation between an intending buyer and seller after a seller's tender has been submitted.

Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), formerly the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, is a global professional body working for the procurement and supply profession in many regions of the world. It promotes best pract ...

Tendering and Post Tender Negotiation
accessed 4 June 2018

References

Procurement Governmental auctions