Common mistakes when submitting a bid
1. How to avoid mistakes when participating in a public bidding process
2. Errors according to the stages of a public bidding process
- Identification of the advertisement
- Downloading and reading the bidding documents
- Identification of key points
- Presentation of the offer
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How to avoid mistakes when participating in a public bidding process
From inlicitando.com we know that the preparation of a bid for a public tender is a race against the clock. After receiving and reading a tender notice one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is “there is no time, I can’t make it”; this is because the deadline for submitting bids is usually very tight.
However, if we analyze the issues that arise most frequently throughout the bidding process, we can better manage our time and increase our chances of achieving our goal: submitting the best bid and winning a contract with the government.
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Common errors at each stage of a public bidding process
In order to identify and avoid common mistakes when applying for a public tender, it is a good practice to analyze the stages and actions we take in the process.
1. Identification phase of the announcement or alert
ERROR = ARRIVING LATE
How many times have you heard about a tender when it is almost closed or even worse when it has already been awarded to one of your competitors? With so many sources of information, it is logical to lose sight of a bidding opportunity.
It also happens that sometimes ads are published on “special” dates, for example on a late Friday, vacations or just before a public holiday.
Being the first to know about a business opportunity with the State gives us an advantage, since we will have more days to prepare the offer. Hiring a notification alert service can be vital in this step, as every minute counts.
2. Phase of downloading and reading of specifications
ERROR = NOT DETECTING WHAT IS IMPORTANT
The contract documents are the “instructions” for the bidding process, in which the Contracting Authority explains:
- The maximum price you are willing to pay
- Who can submit a bid and how to do so.
For this reason it is important to download both the Administrative Clauses and Technical Specifications, as well as any other published document: Justifying Memorandum, Previous Announcements, etc.
A detailed reading of each document will help us to identify all the essential aspects of the bid.
3. Key Point Identification Phase: Preparation of documentation
ERROR = LACK OF ORGANIZATION
Once we have read and analyzed the bid documents, we must identify and organize the documents. This will help us to focus correctly on each of the groups of documentation that will make up our offer:
- Administrative group: This is to respond to the criteria related to the capacity to act. For example, solvency or the need to present in a joint venture to meet any of the access requirements.
- Technical group or criteria subject to value judgment: When working on the presentation of the technical offer, it is extremely important to remember that it must be adapted to the evaluation criteria. This is when we must focus on highlighting our technical solution over the competition.
- Economic group or criteria evaluated by formulas: In order to calculate the best price to offer, it is very helpful to have reports or analyses of similar awards from the same entity, as this will give us a key competitive advantage.
We must also keep in mind that there are certain documents that will be requested most of the time we send a proposal.
4. Bid submission phase
The most awaited moment arrives and so does the phase with definite failures that we must not allow. At this point it is possible to list several common mistakes, for example:
ERROR = COMPUTER PROBLEMS:
Multiply your business opportunities in the Public Sector
Whatever your sector, participation in public tenders can only offer you important business opportunities.