The steps involved in tender preparation

Every year, governments call upon the private sector to provide competitive bids for the supply of goods and services. The tender requests from governments attract small, medium, and large businesses across several sectors, from office supplies to major construction projects. Tender processes in the government sector have many common elements. So, here are some of the important steps involved in preparing a competitive tender.

Register your interest
This is the first step involved in the process. You should follow the instructions in the tender document to register your interest with the purchasing agency. This vital step will assist you in keeping you up to date on any tender information session.

Attend tender information sessions
In case you have registered through a tender website, closely follow the website for updates about the tender. You can also attend tender information sessions. These provide you with good opportunities to ask questions and make contact with the agency. However, it has to be remembered that government agencies are under no obligation to make available copies of information, presentations, etc., that may be given at an information session.

Prepare your tender response strategy
In case you are bidding for a big tender, you need to plan your tender carefully and consider the requirements and resources involved. For example, if you are eyeing tenders in Poland,then you need to consider certain things like the cost involved, information to gather, competition, chances of winning, etc.

Analyzing the tender request
The chief element involved in developing a tender response is to examine the tender request. You need to take a call as to whether the opportunity is a good one for your business or not. Is it worthwhile to invest time, money and resources into developing a competitive tender response? For example, if you get some Poland tenders, will you be logistically and practically able to fulfill it?

How to analyze a tender request
Now you need to decide whether or not to make an official tender response. This is a very significant decision to make. It is to be remembered that developing a tender will require money and usage of valuable resources, and leaving the development of the tender for a later stage can have serious ramifications for your business.

Check for recently awarded contracts
If you have any doubts regarding any requirements in the tender request, you should contact the tender coordinator for clarification. Also, review recently awarded contracts. The details of recently awarded government contracts can be found on tender websites. There you can find out which type of companies won similar tenders in the past? What is the contracting agency looking for? What can you do to live up to the expectations?

Write a compelling bid
Prepare your tender proposal carefully. This involves a lot of planning, drafting, and refining. Make sure that you use the response forms provided and answer all questions. Think of various propositions through which you can set your tender apart from others. Assess the evaluation criteria to get a good understanding of things the government agency is particularly looking for and will be evaluating your offer against.

Understand the payment terms
While preparing your tender, ensure that you are aware of the payment schedule specified. Government payment schedules will vary from agency to agency and procurement to procurement. You might not get paid as soon as the job is finished or goods are delivered. So, in case you require a different payment method to what has been specified, you should mention the same in your bid.

Present your bid
Tender panels involved in high-value contracts may ask for a formal presentation from bidders. If you are required to present your bid to an evaluation panel, then be careful about the key messages in your proposal. So, plan your presentation wisely, rehearse,if possible, and if you feel presentation is not your forte,then get some coaching for the same.

Things to Know About the Tender Procurement Process in Poland

For international investors and service providers, information accuracy and timeliness are of utmost importance. Each country and region have its laid guidelines and methods to be followed to send a valid and acceptable bid on a tender.

Poland coming under the European guidelines follows the procurement system of based on Act of Public Procurement Law (PPPL) enforced in 2004 with amendments. Different types of public finance sector units are obliged to follow PPL. These contracts are awarded on the basis of merit, fair rules of competition equal treatment of economic operators. These laws are meant to oversee the impartiality and objective representation of people involved in the preparation and conduct of the PPL law.

Poland has a very transparent contact awarding procedure which are conducted in writing and in the Polish language. Sometimes the awarding entity may agree to the submission of requests of tenders, statements, and documentation in the language of the country in which the contract is awarded. Thus, Poland tenders can be procured in a relatively easier way as compared to other countries.

Transparency

The relation between the awarding entity and the economic operator are overseen by the provisions of the act of Civil Code unless some other rules apply or the PPL stays. The PPL comes into force for contracts above30,000 EUR.

Things to Know

You are eligible to bid for Poland tenders and complete a project in Poland only when you fulfill the following conditions –

1. Knowledge and strong expertise
   
2. Authorizations and licenses by law and particular entity
   
3. Appropriate technical knowledge, potential personnel to fulfill the contract,
   
4. Strong economic and financial standing to meet the costs involved

The contract notice will have all the requisitions drafted, and one needs to be very sure of the specifics. Service providers may also bid for projects jointly and can appoint a person to represent them for the contract awarding. Your company will also be required to go through security and approval from National Register of Criminal Records as a material proof of your company’s conduct and a certificate issued by authorized bodies for quality control, for the supplies and services that you are offering. This requirement is not mandatory for below certain thresholds of contractual value.