Free procurement guide
Seven questions before you bid on a public contract
You don't need to pursue every attractive-looking tender. Here's a short decision checklist for smaller suppliers.
- Is the deadline realistic? Check clarifications, required visits, evidence, approvals and lead time, not just the submission date.
- Can we actually deliver? Compare locations, capacity, equipment, staffing, insurance and subcontracting rules with the contract scope.
- Are there pass/fail requirements? Check the original documents for minimum financial thresholds, certifications, accreditations and mandatory policies.
- Have we priced the whole obligation? Estimate travel, labour, overhead, mobilisation, contingency and contractual responsibilities.
- Do we have credible evidence? Map each requested case study, policy, reference and certificate to a real document you can provide.
- Does the scoring fit our strengths? Examine quality/price weightings and how evaluators will award points.
- Is the opportunity worth the bid cost? Balance realistic potential benefit against the cost of preparing a compliant response and alternative work.
Want a reusable decision worksheet?
Our £4.99 editable toolkit turns these checks into a repeatable process, with financial estimation, opportunity tracking and evidence gaps.
Always read the contracting authority's live documents. This guide is general information rather than specialist legal or procurement advice.