Writing Effective Tender Documents: A How-To Guide

Ever tried baking a cake with a vague recipe?

“Add some flour… mix until it feels right… bake for a while.”

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, right?

That’s exactly how suppliers feel when they receive unclear tender documents. Ambiguous requirements, missing details and inconsistent terms can lead to confusion, poor bids or the wrong supplier winning the contract.

If you want quality responses, you must write quality tenders.

This blog post will walk you through how to write clear and effective tender documents that make suppliers confident and help you get the best value; with practical examples and actionable tips included.

📍Start with a Clear Overview: Open your tender document with a project summary that clearly states:

What you're procuring

The purpose of the project

The expected outcomes

Example: “We are seeking qualified vendors to supply and install 150 solar-powered streetlights across 5 rural communities as part of our rural electrification program.” This clear statement sets expectations from the start and weeds out irrelevant bidders.

📍Define the Scope: Break down the scope of work in simple, structured language. Avoid jargon unless necessary and always define it when used.

Example: Use bullet points or tables to list: Key deliverables, Quantities, Timelines and Locations. This clarity reduces back-and-forth and helps suppliers cost their bids accurately.

📍Spell Out the Evaluation Criteria: If your region allows, include a transparent evaluation matrix showing how bids will be scored.

Example:

Criteria       Weight (%)

Technical Proposal 40%

Pricing        30%

Relevant Experience       20%

Delivery Timeline 10%

📍Make Timelines Crystal Clear: List all key dates clearly in the tender, including:

Tender release date

Deadline for questions/clarification requests

Submission deadline

Bid opening date

Notification of award

Quick Tip: Add a section titled “Important Dates” early in the document, so no one misses them.

📍Include Contact and Clarification Protocols: Designate an official contact person and method for submitting clarification requests/questions.

Quick Tip: Set a cutoff date for questions and compile all answers into a clarification document shared with all bidders and not just the ones who asked the questions. This ensures fairness.

📍Be Clear on Submission Format: Specify:

How bids must be submitted (e.g. online portal, physical copy)

File format requirements (PDF, Word, etc.)

Number of copies, if printed

Labelling and packaging instructions

Quick Tip: Consider using e-procurement platforms to standardize submissions and reduce manual work.

Remember, writing a tender document isn’t just a formality, it’s your first signal to the market about how serious and organized you are.

Need procurement specific training? Reach out to support@efemini.com and we'll get you sorted.