Tenders and Quotes
Purpose
- Identify all potentially suitable tenders and opportunities to quote
- Understand client requirements
- Competitive pricing
- Detailed review of Specifications and contracts, to avoid extra non-chargeable work
- Regulatory compliance with Specifications and contracts.
Background
Tendering is a relatively complex process requiring significant forethought and development. This procedure seeks to provide a framework for ensuring that tenders are accurately and carefully responded to.
Scope
Quoting and Tendering Staff
Procedure
Tendering
- Respond to Tender/Enquiry or Expression of Interest
- Collect Tender Documents
- Contact Offerer to discuss if possible
- gather all possible information about the offerer, the tender and any other information such as previous tenders to assist with preparation
- Review Tender documents and identify all requirements (list them off)
- Review all conditions
- review resource requirements
- identify underpinning needs of the client
- documents all requirements
- Are there any significantly unusual requirements
- Discuss these requirements with the offerer and confirm these requirements in writing with the offerer.
- Prepare estimate
- Determine the cost of the job and your pricing
- request pricing from your suppliers/subcontractors (if necessary)
- Estimate the timing of the project
- Review the estimate against requirements notes made earlier
- review and identify all forms/documents that must be submitted in conjunction with the primary documents
- review all of the deadlines
- review all conditions in the tender
- Draft Tender response and submit
- If Shortlisted for the project, reassess and review tender submissions against your resources
- If the tender has variations start over from reviewing the tender documents and identifying the requirements of the varied tender document
- Receive order or contract
- Review the order or contract for variations on your submission
- if changes have been made, assess if the changes will be acceptable or what action should be taken
- if Contract is acceptable prepare contract management plan
- at any point where the tender process is either abandoned or your submission is rejected, file to “rejected tender” file with notes on rejection.
Estimates
Reference should be made to applicable Australian Standards, Supplier Product Information, Technical Manuals, client supplied specifications and previous Job Files.
Consideration must be given to any special conditions or problems at the time of tendering.
As tenderers we must be aware of, and allow for, compliance requirements; for example:
- OH&S
- Environmental Management
- Insurances
- Licenses etc and special requirements
- Qualifications.
In addition, when reviewing specifications, tenders, contracts and scope of work, consider the following:
- Do our current safety and environmental procedures cover safety and other considerations in the scope of work
- Are any new processes or equipment needed which require assessment and control
- What are the costs and resources required
- Are there legal implications
- Are we capable of evaluating the safety and environmental impact and the controls required
Review of invitation to tender
On receipt of tender documents and invitation to tender the Tendering staff will:
- Thoroughly assess the scope of works and delivery details of client supplied material such as brochures and statements etc.
- Check client invitation and accompanying conditions for areas that do not coincide with [enter-your-company-name-here] policies.
- Discuss and resolve any differences.
- Prepare tender submission with clarification of any nonconforming matters.
- Submit requested evidence of compliance with Conditions of Contract e.g.:
- financial capability
- adequate resources (eg qualifications, QA status).
Review of contracts
On receipt of letter of acceptance, or contract for signing, the Tendering Staff will:
- Check Client Contract and Order and accompanying conditions for discrepancies against the Tender Submission and Specification
- Ensure addenda are fully considered
- Resolve any continuing differences
- Agree and confirm differences with the client, in writing
- Ensure written Client Letter of Acceptance or Client Order or Signed Contract agreeing to all addenda is received before job commences.