A tender can be won or lost on small details. Before submitting, a structured review helps ensure your price is competitive, commercially sustainable and aligned with the tender requirements.
1. Confirm the document set
Create a register of every drawing, specification, addendum and tender instruction issued. Check that the latest revisions have been used and flag any discrepancies before your final review.
A missing addendum can introduce a whole package of unpriced work.
2. Check quantities against the scope
Review takeoffs against drawings and specification requirements. Pay attention to interfaces between trades, temporary works, access requirements and items that may not be visible on a single plan.
Where information is incomplete, record a clear allowance or clarification rather than leaving it unaddressed.
3. Review supplier and subcontract quotations
Check that every quote covers the same scope, units and programme assumptions. The lowest number is not automatically the best value if exclusions, lead times or installation requirements differ.
Use a comparison sheet so omissions and qualifications are visible to the commercial team.
4. Test the commercial allowances
Review labour productivity, preliminaries, plant, overheads, contingency and margin. These are often where an apparently competitive tender becomes difficult to deliver profitably.
An independent tender review can provide a useful final check before your submission is issued.
