Knowledge Base

Bidding for public tenders

Practical guides for suppliers bidding for public contracts: screening, mandatory requirements, consortia, deadlines, clarifications, evaluation and award.

General guidance, not legal advice. Public procurement rules differ by country, by buyer and by procedure, and the tender documents and the law that governs them decide. Where a guide cites a rule, it names the jurisdiction and links the official text.

  1. Article 1Public tender bidding: a practical guide for suppliersHow bidding for a public tender works, phase by phase: screening notices, eligibility, deadlines, clarification questions, evaluation and the award.Read article 5 min read
  2. Article 2How to spot a tender that is already decidedWarning signs that a public tender is written around one supplier, when a detailed specification is legitimate, and what a bidder can do about it.Read article 5 min read
  3. Article 3Can one missed mandatory requirement disqualify a bid?Why one missing certificate, turnover figure or form can end a strong public bid, how pass or fail requirements work, and how to check a bid.Read article 5 min read
  4. Article 4Consortia, joint ventures and subcontracting in tendersHow smaller companies meet tender qualification criteria through consortia, joint ventures, reliance on a partner's capacity or subcontractors.Read article 5 min read
  5. Article 5Tender deadlines, late submissions and portal outagesHow strictly tender deadlines and submission timestamps are enforced, what to do when a procurement portal fails, and how to submit without risk.Read article 5 min read
  6. Article 6Clarification questions in public tendersHow to ask a tender clarification question without revealing your approach, when to ask, and whether an answer that contradicts the documents binds.Read article 5 min read
  7. Article 7How tenders are evaluated: price, quality and MEATHow public buyers weigh price against quality: MEAT and best value, published weightings such as 70/30, price scoring formulas, and bidding to them.Read article 5 min read
  8. Article 8Sealed bids, debriefs and challenging a tender awardWhy public tenders stay sealed until the deadline, what feedback losing bidders can get, and how standstill periods and challenges work in the EU, UK and US.Read article 5 min read
  9. Article 9Public procurement glossary for suppliersPublic procurement terms suppliers meet in tenders, defined one by one: ITT and RFP, selection and award criteria, MEAT, ESPD, standstill, debriefing.Read article 6 min read