Essentials of Participating in International Tenders

Tendering is a highly structured and well-defined system with the help of which both public and private sector organizations across the world invite bids from contractors and suppliers for the completion of certain projects. These projects are usually of a very large scale, and therefore require a significant sum of investments. Most of these projects are time sensitive as well, and thus a stringent deadline has to be adhered to for their completion.

In a typical tendering process, the buyer issues a document known as Request for Proposal or Request for Tender. This document underlines their requirements, needs, and expectations from the contract, as well as mentions the selection criteria. And, in response to this document, all interested firms operating in the particular industry can submit their individual bids while highlighting the details of their proposals, outlining their USP and quoting a price. The information mentioned in the proposal also includes the materials to be used for the project and schedule for its completion.

International Tenders
Tenders are issued by a number of well-established and reputed organizations across the globe, and can be related to diverse industries. Participating in global tenders can go a long way in assisting a firm to expand their business prospects and delve into the international market. Organizations issuing tenders on a global platform are usually major multinationals and corporates, NGO’s, and even government agencies and departments. Interested contractors can easily avail information about global tenders through prominent and reliable websites offering latest tender details, as well as through business focused newspapers, journals, and magazines.

While sourcing ideal global tenders to bid for, prospective contractors should take into account the following factors in order to ensure a profitable deal:

• The financial stability and the all-round infrastructure of the company issuing the tender.
  
• The goodwill and the market reliability of the buyer.
  
• The overall capacity of the bidder to orderly complete the contract with utmost efficiency and within the relevant deadline.
  
• The infrastructure, technical abilities, qualifications, experience and accreditations of the bidder and whether it matches with the expectations of the buyer.

The contractors must gain maximum knowledge about the reliability of the buyer before participating in a tendering process in order to avoid any kind of risk, especially when it comes to transnational transactions. They can even seek assistance from a reliable website where latest information about public procurement policies and procedure of various agencies across the globe are regularly published and even emailed to subscribers.

Important Sections that are Included in a Typical Tender Document

Tendering is basically a widely used transactional model through which organizations across the world aim to find the most qualified suppliers and contractors for particular projects or procurements. Be it any country, India, Kenya, Zambia or Tanzania, tenders are typically issued to find the best suppliers and contractors for the completion of large scale projects.

A successful tendering procedure usually involves elaborate paperwork and record keeping. Therefore, tender documents are known to be quite an integral part of the tendering process. They usually are a part of the invitation that is sent to potential contractors by the client organization.

Here are few of the important sections that are included in a typical tender document:

• Conditions for participation: This section provides a brief outline of the most vital conditions that the supplier or the contractor should meet to be considered eligible for the project. The crucial records and documents that prove the overall qualification and eligibility of the bidder are usually included here. The availability of past project records, financial records, insurance documents, as well as relevant licenses are usually some of the key conditions set for participating in the tender bidding procedure.

• Accreditation and quality standard: This is one of the most important sections of the tender document as here the prospective bidders are required to demonstrate that they have the capability to meet all the needs and requirements of the client, to successfully complete the relevant project. The supplier or the contractor must try to provide the clients with a few certifications of quality or authority accreditations here, such as ISI or ISO certificate. They can even choose to provide a summary of various processes or procedures that are followed by their company and can provide assurance of superior quality of product or service.

•  Specifications: In this section, the bidder can underline all the specific details about the goods or services that they would have to provide to the clients. It would also feature the expected time frame for the completion of the project. Any kind of details associated with the pricing, delivery and performance of the project should be mentioned in this section. All of the details provided here typically have a major role to play in the final evaluation made by the client.

• Conditions of contract: In this section of the tender document, all the vital information about the rights and responsibilities of both the client and the contractor are usually provided. It partly marks the various terms and conditions of the work that is to be assigned. This section is incredibly crucial as it provides complete clarity, ensures transparency in the process of tendering.

• The conditions of offer: As the bidders are ultimately submitting their distinct offers they would have to provide their official agreement to the proposed terms and conditions of the contract. In this section, the rough timeline of the tendering process, location wherein the submission must be made, the evaluation process and other key elements are noted.

These are some of the key sections contractors can expect to find in the documents of tenders issued by various organizations across the globe. To acquire all the relevant information about the latest tenders issued in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, India or any other country across multiple industries, people can easily check out some of the most prominent online tendering portals available.

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.

An Insight on the Open Tenders Issued In Brunei

A host of large scale infrastructural projects are undertaken in the nations that come under the ‘developing’ bracket, for their growth, prosperity and development. Brunei is one such developing country. This Southeast Asian country holds the reputation of being a highly industrialized nation, and has gained significant prosperity over the years due to its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields. In fact, Brunei is the fourth largest producer of oil in Southeast Asia. Due to this factor, a host of projects related to oil and natural gas are developed here on quite a common basis. Majority of these projects in Brunei are completed with the help of the tendering system, due to its great benefits and effectiveness. 

Tendering is basically a systematic bidding process with the help of which organizations around the world, including Brunei, invite bids from various prospective contractors for the completion of large scale projects.

Participating in Brunei tenders can be advantageous for the domestic contractors belonging to various parts of the world as with their help they can venture into the global market. Moreover, the tenders issued in this prosperous nation are extremely prestigious and lucrative.

Participating in Brunei tenders
Many of the Brunei tenders are completed with the help of the open tendering process. This procedure basically enables all contractors belonging to a certain industry around the globe to bid for the relevant tender. In the open tendering procedure, all the qualified suppliers and contractors bidding for the project stand at an equal chance of winning the final contract, no matter what their business size or scale is. All sealed bids are opened in front of the public for the purpose of evaluation in case of this system, and the final contract is ultimately awarded on the basis of quality of products offered by the bidders and the amount they will charge for it.

The open tenders issued in Brunei are typically advertised on local, national, and international levels in order to make all the qualified contractors aware of the tendering opportunity. Interested contractors should try to keep a track of these tenders with the help of various prominent online tendering portals available. These portals typically offer up-to-date information about Brunei tenders and other contracts issued around the world.

How can startup companies gain from government contracts?

A tender is very similar to a job advertisement because here the client puts out notification for a particular contract and based on that notification, the different companies submit their quotations. The company with the lowest quote wins the contract. Most companies want to win government contracts because the tenders that are floated by the government offer a number of benefits.

If you are interested in knowing more about the advantages of government tenders, especially for the start-up companies then you can go through the discussion given below:

• If your company wins a government contract then from being just a local company it becomes a nationally recognized organization. Pitching and winning just one government contract can actually do wonders to your career. It is one of the most effective ways of transforming your business.
  
• Most tenders that are floated by the government last for a period of three to five years. So once you win a government contract, you do not have to worry about getting another project immediately.
  
• These tenders are provided to business men based on their merit. As a result, once you win and successfully complete a government project, your value as a dependable business unit definitely increases. This helps you to get other good projects in the future.
  
• Previously only big companies could apply for the tenders floated by the government, however, these days even startup companies can apply for such tenders and thereby expand their new business.
  
• These tenders also help you to develop good rapport with the government officials who further help in winning state tenders in future.
  
• The successful completion of a government project also helps you to make a good profit and you can make use of this profit to expand your business.

Though the State tenders offer a number of advantages, in order to win such contracts it is very important that you fill up the form correctly and submit your application either on or before the scheduled day of submission. In case, for some reason you miss the submission date then you will not be eligible to get the contract. Moreover, before applying it is also vital to find out if you have the required manpower, technology, know-how, resources, investment and capital to successfully complete this project. Make sure that you are ready to face this challenge and before you put your signature on the dotted lines ensure that you have all the necessary things in place. You need to remember that the first impression is your last impression and so your first government contract will help in determining the future of your business. It is necessary to ensure that the prices that you quote in the tender are genuine and in line with the market rates.

If you have started up a new company and want to get relevant information about the different tenders in your domain that have been floated by the government then you can go a reputed website that will provide you with the relevant tender related information.

Understanding the advantages that the tendering system offers

The tendering system basically refers to a procedure through which a number of governmental organizations and corporate business houses invite bids for the completion of projects across the world.  These projects are very much time sensitive and need to be completed within a restricted deadline, and involve a considerable sum of investment too.

In the countries like India as well as European countries like Spain, France and Italy tenders include a well-defined procedure, starting from the issuing of the invitation and opening of the tender to the evaluation of the suppliers and their selection. This planned and methodical procedure ensures that complete transparency is maintained in this system.

The tendering system provides several advantages to both the buyer and the suppliers, some of which are mentioned below:

• In the tendering system, several suppliers vie for the same contract and in an effort to outdo the bids of their competitors tend to offer the most economical deals to the buyer. They even offer the buyers with added incentives in the form of value add and price reductions at times. Thus, through this system the buyers get the advantage of getting the best quality of product at the most economical pricing.
  
• A proper audit trail is maintained for the whole tendering cycle which can be easily reviewed in case of any future disagreements or disputes.
  
• In the tendering process, all the suppliers basically have an equal chance of winning the contract. Since this system reduces any chances of preference or partiality, and ensures the maintenance of absolute transparency hence, even the medium or small scale enterprises get a fair chance of expanding their business opportunities and get a lucrative project through this system.
  
• Through the tendering procedure, the buyer can easily make sure that the selected suppliers follow the regulatory necessities and strategy set by them.
  
• In the tendering system, a competitive environment is always maintained among the suppliers and as a result they are motivated to add in pioneering features into their product to attain an edge over the competitors. Hence, this system can even assist in the overall improvement in the quality of products offered by the suppliers.

The tenders that are floated in the market include government tenders, local tenders, international tenders, as well as commercial tenders. By winning an international project through the tendering procedure suppliers get the chance make a mark on the international market.

About International Tenders
Participating in international tenders offers an outstanding opportunity to local business houses to expand their businesses in brand new profitable markets. The impartial system of tendering offers assurance that even medium and small scale companies can get the chance to acquire Dubai, France, Spain or Italy tenders, if they can meet all the necessities of the buyer. By acquiring an international contract a supplier gets the outstanding opportunity to work on an international project and consequently improve their reputation in the market. To get in depth information about these tenders, interested suppliers can check out the websites which offer updated and precise information about a number of international tenders.

Here’s How to effectively bid for Government Tenders

Due to its high transparency and effectiveness, the system of tendering is popularly used for the completion of various large-scale government projects. Govt tenders are issued by government departments, agencies and offices in order to evaluate a pool of prospective suppliers in an organized and systematic manner, and subsequently identify the most qualified and skilled candidate from among them. The tendering process also eliminates the suppliers who do not have the abilities or capabilities to meet the required standards of the government organizations.



While bidding for a govt tender, it is highly imperative that the suppliers or the contractors put across their points in a clear and precise manner in order to match the specifications desired by the buyer.  Here are a few tips which can be used as a guideline by the bidders while formulating a tender response for a government project:

• Methodically read the tender specification and details: The foremost priority of the bidders should be to understand the minute specifications and details of the tender invitation. They should read each of its aspects thoroughly, and if required even highlight the most important elements. These elements may include the key factors that should be addressed in the response, as well as the priorities and necessities of the buyer.  In addition to this, the bidders also must identify other important areas, such as the deadlines, desired formatting guidelines, and also the method of submitting the response.
  
• Follow the templates provided: In quite a number of cases, the tender specification documents in case of govt tender also feature a certain template design which includes designated sections and units that must be filled in by the bidders.  Each of these sections ideally has specified file formats and file limits.  By following the template guidelines and format in an orderly manner, bidders can subsequently ensure that the tender review panel would not face any problems and inconveniences while considering their request.
  
• Seek clarification for any confusion or queries: It is vital for the bidders to seek clarifications for elements relating to govt tenders as their deadline for clarifications is usually much ahead of the submission deadline, giving the prospective bidders enough time. The factors relating to the tender specifications, bid eligibility as well as nuances of tender quotations should be especially clarified in order to avoid any future confusion or discrepancy.
  
• Be convincing:While formulating the tender response, it is important for the bidders to put a considerable focus on the prime advantages of their proposal and highlight how it would benefit the buyer.  They should essentially underline the requirements of the buyer while pointing out how can they efficiently meet those requirements.  The bidders should also lay emphasis on the fact that they have the required experience, skillset, infrastructure, accreditations, certificates and knowledge to fulfill the necessities of the contract.
  
• Structure the response with care: While writing the tender response, the bidders should aim at keeping it logical, crisp, clear and well-organized, rather than being too descriptive and elaborate. They should ideally include a highly persuasive and well-structured introduction that underlines the rationale, purpose, as well as the central proposition of the bid. The bidders may also include charts, graphs and diagrams in order to explain complex propositions, as well as to provide the tender review team with an engaging break amidst huge chunks of text and to efficiently grasp their attention.

While all these pointers can help the bidders to formulate a good tender response, they would firstly have to find a govt tender relating to their industry in order to participate in it. Hence, suppliers and contractors interested in government projects can browse through the websites offering accurate and updated details about govt tenders in order to take part in its tendering system.