Tender response: decision to bid and preparation of the bid

Situations relevant to the tender response package

• An SME hesitates to bid for a public contract and must first settle its decision.
• A design office had a bid rejected on administrative grounds in a previous procedure.
• A bidder drafts a technical proposal without testing it against the evaluation criteria.
• A company responds to a private body’s call for tenders within a tight deadline.
• A bid covers several lots and requires a precise backward schedule up to the deadline.

Process

1. Purchase and onboarding. The client first acquires the Tender response intake form (CV-06). ASKonsult then opens the secure exchange space.
2. Synchronous scoping. Session 1, a 60-minute videoconference, addresses the decision to bid and the evaluation criteria. It also establishes the backward schedule up to the deadline.
3. Asynchronous collection. The client then completes the intake form and submits the tender documents as well as the supporting documents. Written questions flow in both directions.
4. Analysis and correction. The firm’s in-house engineering team then checks administrative compliance, then structures and proofreads the technical proposal. Session 2, a 60-minute videoconference, provides the review.
5. Synchronous delivery. Finally, session 3, a 60-minute videoconference, takes place at least two working days before the deadline. It covers the final check of the technical bid and the handover of the validated deliverable.

Deliverable

The tender response deliverable first comprises a completed decision grid. A document checklist then makes it possible to verify the administrative completeness of the bid. The outline of the technical proposal and its annotations, in addition, test the content against the evaluation criteria. Finally, a submission backward schedule orders the last steps. ASKonsult hands over the whole set at session 3, at least two working days before the deadline.

Prerequisites

The package first requires the completed Tender response intake form (CV-06). The complete tender documents and the administrative documents complete this foundation. In addition, subscription takes place at least 15 working days before the submission deadline. Time frames run from receipt of a complete file.

Frequently asked questions

How is the package quote established?

The quote rests on a qualification exchange prior to subscription. This exchange covers in particular the number of lots and the scale of the technical proposal. The special conditions then set the scope, timetable, number of sessions, expected documents and deliverable. ASKonsult then creates the order from the accepted quote. The timetable also takes the submission deadline into account.

Why must subscription take place at least 15 working days before the deadline?

The package runs over 10 to 15 working days, aligned with the submission deadline. The delivery session must also take place at least two working days before that date. A later subscription would therefore not leave the time needed for collection, analysis and review. This lead time thus preserves the quality of the final check.

How are the sessions and asynchronous work distributed?

The package includes three 60-minute videoconference sessions, 3 hours in total. The first provides scoping, the second the review, and the third the final check. Between these sessions, collection and analysis take place asynchronously, through the secure exchange space. Written questions flow there in both directions.

Does the package cover drafting and submitting the bid?

No. The tender response remains the bidder’s own work: the package includes neither the full drafting of the technical proposal nor the financial bid. Submitting the bid also remains the bidder’s responsibility. In addition, admissibility and award rest with the buyer alone. The service is therefore an obligation of means, with no guarantee of result.

Do the documents submitted remain confidential?

The firm treats as confidential the tender documents, administrative documents and technical proposal submitted. These items circulate solely through the secure exchange space and serve only the purposes of the service. This obligation also survives the end of the relationship. Reciprocally, the client undertakes the same discretion with regard to non-public tools and deliverables.

Which tools and follow-ups relate to the package?

The interactive training course “Public procurement: deciding and bidding” (IA-02) explores the approach further. The Assistant for using the decision-support tools (IA-05) supports, for its part, the completion of the tools, without issuing any opinion. The register for tracking public procurement bonds and guarantees (P-09) then extends the work. Finally, recurring support falls under the Steering subscription (A-02).

Out of scope

The package excludes the full drafting of the technical proposal as well as the financial bid. Submitting the bid also remains the bidder’s responsibility. Pre-litigation or litigation challenges fall to an authorised professional, to whom ASKonsult refers the client. Finally, the package carries no guarantee of admissibility or award, which rest with the buyer alone.