Understanding the Tendering Process in Construction Projects

1. Pre‑Tender Stage

• Quantity Surveying

  • Prepare detailed Bill of Quantities (BOQ) to itemize materials, labor and plant requirements.

  • Ensure measurements and specifications align with project drawings.

• Estimation & Costing

  • Develop preliminary and detailed cost estimates based on BOQ.

  • Incorporate overheads, contingencies and local market rates.

2. Tender Documentation

• Tendering & Contracts Management

  • Draft scope of work, pricing schedules and conditions of contract.

  • Define bid submission requirements, evaluation criteria and timelines.

• Planning Engineering

  • Attach draft project schedule (Gantt chart or network diagram) to illustrate time‑cost trade‑offs.

  • Highlight key milestones and resource loading expectations.

3. Bid Invitation & Clarifications

• Tendering & Contracts Management

  • Issue tender notice or invitation to pre‑qualified bidders.

  • Manage site visits, issue addenda and respond to bidder queries in a controlled manner.

• Billing Engineering

  • Advise on interim payment terms and draft sample bill formats to guide bidders in pricing cash flows.

4. Bid Submission & Opening

• Tendering & Contracts Management

  • Receive sealed bids by deadline; conduct formal opening.

  • Record bid details for transparency and audit trail.

• Quantity Surveying

  • Verify that each bid’s BOQ pricing aligns with measured quantities and specifications.

5. Bid Evaluation

• Estimation & Costing

  • Compare bidder rates against independent cost estimates.

  • Identify outliers—unusually low or high bids—for further analysis.

• Tendering & Contracts Management

  • Check compliance with contract conditions, submission requirements and financial stability.

6. Award Recommendation

• Construction Project Management

  • Assess combined technical and financial evaluations to recommend the most balanced bid.

  • Coordinate with stakeholders to finalize award terms.

• Planning Engineering

  • Confirm that the selected bidder’s schedule integrates smoothly with overall project timeline.

7. Contract Finalization & Handover

• Tendering & Contracts Management

  • Issue Letter of Acceptance; prepare and sign contract agreement.

• Billing Engineering

  • Set up payment milestones and templates for progress billing.

• Construction Project Management

  • Kick off project execution, ensuring all contract documents and schedules are in place.

Key Success Factors Understanding the Tendering Process in Construction Projects

• Clarity & Accuracy: Precise BOQs and estimates reduce disputes.

• Timely Communication: Structured Q&A and addenda keep all bidders aligned.

• Integrated Planning: Align cost, time and scope through cross‑discipline collaboration.

By following these steps and leveraging expertise in quantity surveying, estimation & costing, billing engineering, tendering & contracts management, planning engineering and project management, you ensure a transparent, competitive and efficient tendering process—setting your project up for on‑time, on‑budget delivery.