Corporate Procurement

Frequently asked questions

We procure goods, works and services from a wide range of suppliers and service providers.

Frequently asked questions has been prepared to assist you with queries relating to business opportunities with us.

What is the difference between a tender and a contract?

The term tender means a formal invitation to trade under the terms of offer and the documents associated with that offer.

A contract is, generally speaking, a legally binding agreement between parties, where there has been offer, acceptance and consideration.

How much time can I expect to spend on preparing a proposal?

It is difficult to provide advice on this because so much depends on the complexity of our requirement and the magnitude of the contract.

What is going to win me the contract?

The evaluation criteria are the keys to your success. These will be published with the specification and will show you how proposals are going to be evaluated, along with the relative weightings of each award criteria.

Can we get together with another company to submit a joint proposal?

Yes, as long as the proposal makes it clear that one of you is going to take overall responsibility for the work done and as long as there is a legal entity with whom we can enter into a contract. Again, this is only permitted where no conflict of interest is created.

I have done lots of work for you before, surely I don't have to describe my company's experience in detail, the way I would to a new client?

Yes, you do. Each tender must stand alone and will be assessed on its merits.

How much detail should I include in my proposal?

Evaluation of tenders is not a matter of checking boxes to indicate that a criterion has been addressed or not.

We want to know how you will do it.

How important are the closing dates?

Absolutely crucial.

If I have concerns with the fairness of the process who should I tell?

If you have concerns with the process you should start by talking with the contact person shown in the request for proposal.

How are proposals evaluated?

The first thing the team does is make sure each tenderer has submitted all the information required and that the tender is not irregular.

Then the evaluation panel will look to see if the tenderer has addressed all of the criteria.

Points are given to indicate how each tenderer performs against each of the criteria, balancing price and quality where appropriate.

This can be done by each team member giving a number and the recorder writing down the average of the marks, or it can be done by consensus. Either way, the proposal is discussed in detail and opinions are exchanged as to the extent to which each criterion is met

Other things to consider

Don't underestimate the evaluation team. People evaluating the tenders are knowledgeable in their fields
Use your tender to suggest solutions, not simply repeat what the specification says and refrain from using jargon
Don't make it too difficult for us to agree terms and conditions with you
Get your tender in on time, late proposals cannot be accepted, regardless of the reason for being late
Errors, try to get it right first time. This will save our time and yours
Make your tender easy to read and provide all the requested information
Before you submit your proposal, make sure everything described under 'evaluation criteria' is either provided or addressed

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