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Ten checks on the first read of a tender, before the bid team is committed. A checklist, and a workbook that holds the facts, the dates, the criteria and the risks on a few pages.
Herman B. Smith
CEO & Co-Founder
Updated Nov 1, 2026
The bid or no-bid decision is made on the first read, whether or not anyone calls it that.
Ten checks take a morning with the pack open. They settle whether you can meet the dates, whether you qualify, how the bid is scored, and what the contract and the ground will cost you, before the estimators start.
Ten checks before you decide to bid
Who and what
The client and how they buy
Client, representative and procurement route are recorded with their source in the pack.
Scope in, scope out
A one-page scope summary with the major elements, the exclusions, the interfaces and what the client supplies.
The contract form and how far it moves
The form and edition are named, the client’s changes are listed, and the contract review checklist runs on them before pricing.
Dates you can meet
Question deadline, site visit, submission and validity are listed with days left, and submission leaves time for review and sign-off.
When and how
How the bid is scored
The award method, each criterion with its weight, and every pass or fail item are listed with their source.
Whether you qualify
Certifications, financial thresholds, references and key staff are each marked met or not, with the evidence named.
How you get paid
Price basis, payment cycle, retention and bonds are recorded with their effect on cash.
What it will cost you
The site and the ground
Site constraints, access, utilities and the ground investigation are listed, with the gaps named and who carries them.
Programme, phasing and permits
Milestones, sectional handovers, closures and permits are listed, with the ones on the critical path marked.
The risks the client names, and the ones it leaves
A short risk list with the owner the documents give each risk, and the unowned ones raised as questions.
What the workbook adds. The yes/no sheet with what a good answer looks like and what to do on a no, a tender facts page with sources, a dates sheet that counts the days left, award criteria and mandatory requirements with a met or not met status, a risk list with owners, a clarifications log, and a go or no-go sheet that reads the other sheets and records the decision.
Patterns, not advice. The invitation, the conditions and the drawings in your pack are what matter.
volve
CHECKLIST / EXCEL WORKBOOK
How to read a tender before you decide to bid
Ten checks before you decide to bid.
For bid managers and estimators