Top 10 Tendering Mistakes to Avoid
What are the Top 10 Tendering mistakes?
Most things in life revolve around the dos and don’ts; the game of tendering is no different. It may seem exciting to push the boundaries in life sometimes but deviating from the requirements when tendering can cost you a valuable tender that your business desperately needs.
There are many examples of tendering mistakes some of which may seem minor or harmless but could cost you a tender. Let’s be pro-active!
Here are the Top 10 Tendering Mistakes to Avoid:
1. Don’t be late – For the Site Meeting or the Closing Date. Mark the dates on your Calendar, set reminders and know where you are going, preferably before and not on the day. Submit the tender with time to spare. Account for things like traffic, unknown locations or any other obstacles that could result in a last minute rush.
2. Site Meeting – Attend and sign the Register. The purpose of a Site Meeting is for you to have a detailed understanding of the tender requirements and is also significant as you will be able to see who else is planning to tender. When evaluating your tender the Client may check whether you attended and if it’s a Compulsory Meeting you will most likely be disqualified. Either way it makes sense to attend to get useful info regarding the tender.
3. Don’t Assume – if you have questions, if you are unsure, if you think something is incorrect or missing, communicate with the relevant contacts and get clarification, chances are you’re not the only one asking. On that note if your tender is unsuccessful ask why so that you can use the information when applying for future tenders.
4. Don’t be Irrelevant – Keep all your answers clear & concise and most importantly relevant.
5. Copies, Copies, Copies – remember to submit the correct number of copies required and keep an extra copy for your own records.
6. Don’t be Untidy – Imagine how frustrating it is for the person evaluating or adjudicating a tender to try and decipher poor handwriting, or make sense of pages which aren’t in order. An organized and legible document creates a positive impression. After all, you want to present your company in the best light and a well presented tender creates the impression that contracts will be handled with the same care and attention to detail.
7. Don’t Misrepresent – Stick to the facts. Don’t make false statements about your company or its ability. A Tender Document is a legal document and therefore enforceable by law. Misrepresentation or unsatisfactory practices could lead to your company being placed on the National Treasury Restricted List. “Some of the common practices that lead to the restriction of suppliers are poor performance, breach of contract, failure to obtain permission to do remunerative work outside of employment, supply of counterfeit products, and collusion.”
8. Follow the Requirements – Meet all the minimum requirements. Go through the requirements carefully ensuring you meet them. Tenders that do not meet the minimum requirements otherwise known as non-responsive are disqualified.
9. Check, Check & Check again – Admittedly not the most exhilarating task but vitally important. Get someone with fresh eyes to check your tender a final time while making sure all the required documents are attached. Be 100% confident that the tender you are submitting is complete and accurate.
10. Delivery Location – Make sure you know exactly where your tender needs to be delivered to, right down to the Tender Box number, before the Closing Day.
Bonus tip:
Keep abreast of the developments in your sector. Subscribe to a service that provides direct, simple access to valuable building and construction information delivered daily directly to your Inbox, thereby ensuring consistent wealth of new business leads. A service which also provides Support Services if you need assistance or have a query. Want to know more? Contact me on SashaA@L2B.co.za
DYK (according to www.getbiz.co.za):
“A bidder must not quote more than R1 million when the bid document stipulates that the bid is an 80:20. This means that proposals cannot exceed R1 million. Bidders must be aware that 90:10 bids, on the other hand, are valued above R1 million, but bid issuers are not allowed to indicate how much they have budgeted for a project. However, bid issuers are required to indicate whether a bid is a 90:10 or 80:20 in terms of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA). So this serves as a good indicator of how much the bid issuer has set aside for the project.”
Sources:
http://www.getbiz.co.za/index.php/biz-news/business-and-economy/82-top-five-mistakes-that-can-cost-you-a-tender
https://www.westerncape.gov.za/tenders/support/tips
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.
Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward
