A good tender document does two jobs. It tells vendors exactly what you need, so the bids you receive can be compared fairly. And it protects you, by recording the rules everyone agreed to before the first price was quoted. A weak tender document produces the opposite: bids that cannot be compared, questions that arrive after the deadline and disputes after the award.
This guide gives you a section-by-section tender document format you can adapt, a weighted bid evaluation template with a worked example, a short list of clauses worth including, and tips for using both so your decision is easy to explain and hard to challenge.
Before you write: decide these first
- What exactly are you buying? Goods, services or a project
- How will you compare bids? Lowest price, or a mix of price and quality
- Who decides? Name the people who will evaluate and approve
- What is your budget range? You do not have to publish it, but you should know it
- What is your timeline? When you need delivery, and when you need to decide
Tender document format: section by section
1. Title page and reference
Tender title, reference number, issuing company, date of issue and the contact person. A reference number makes every later question and answer traceable.
2. Introduction and background
Two or three lines on who you are and why you are issuing the tender. Keep it factual. Vendors use this to judge whether they are a fit.
3. Scope of work or supply
What is to be delivered, in what quantity, to which location and by when. For goods, attach a specification or item list. For services, list the tasks, deliverables and any dependencies. This is the most important section: vague scope produces padded prices.
4. Eligibility criteria
The minimum a bidder must meet to be considered: years in business, similar work completed, registrations or licences, financial standing and any certifications. Mark each as mandatory or desirable.
5. Technical and quality requirements
Standards, warranties, service levels, testing and acceptance criteria. For services, define how performance will be measured.
6. Commercial terms
The price format you want (unit price, lump sum or both), taxes, payment schedule, delivery timeline, penalties for delay and how long the bid should remain valid.
7. Submission instructions
Where and how to submit, the documents required, the last date and time, the language and the format. State what happens to late submissions.
8. Clarifications
The last date for questions, how to send them and how answers will be shared. All answers should go to every bidder.
9. Evaluation method
Say how bids will be scored and the weight of each criterion. Publishing it up front reduces disputes and helps vendors focus on what matters to you.
10. Terms and conditions
Your right to accept or reject any bid or cancel the tender, confidentiality, conflict of interest, how disputes are handled and any contract terms that will apply to the winner.
11. Annexures
Forms for bidders to fill: company details, price schedule, past-work references and declarations. A standard form makes bids easier to compare.
A short template you can copy
Use this skeleton and fill each heading:
- Tender title, reference number, issue date, contact
- About us and purpose of the tender
- Scope: items or services, quantity, location, timeline
- Eligibility: mandatory and desirable
- Technical and quality requirements
- Commercial terms: price format, taxes, payment, validity, penalties
- Key dates: questions by, submission by, decision by
- Submission instructions and required documents
- Evaluation criteria and weights
- Terms and conditions
- Annexures: bidder form, price schedule, references
Bid evaluation template
Score every bid against the same criteria and weights, set before opening any bid. The split below is a common starting point; adjust it to the purchase.
| Criterion | Weight | Score (1–5) | Weighted score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 40% | ||
| Technical fit and quality | 25% | ||
| Delivery timeline | 15% | ||
| Past performance and references | 10% | ||
| Payment and warranty terms | 10% | ||
| Total | 100% |
Weighted score = (score ÷ 5) × weight. Add the five lines for each vendor and compare totals.
Worked example
Suppose you receive two bids for office laptops. Vendor A is cheaper, Vendor B has a better warranty and faster delivery.
| Criterion | Weight | Vendor A score | Vendor A weighted | Vendor B score | Vendor B weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 40 | 5 | 40.0 | 4 | 32.0 |
| Technical fit | 25 | 3 | 15.0 | 4 | 20.0 |
| Delivery | 15 | 3 | 9.0 | 5 | 15.0 |
| References | 10 | 3 | 6.0 | 4 | 8.0 |
| Terms | 10 | 2 | 4.0 | 5 | 10.0 |
| Total | 100 | 74.0 | 85.0 |
Vendor A wins on price but Vendor B scores higher overall. The sheet makes the trade-off visible and gives you a clear reason to explain the decision.
Evaluation methods compared
- Lowest price (L1): simple and transparent. Works when the specification is tight and quality differences are small
- Quality and cost based: weights both. Better for services and anything where quality varies
- Two-stage: screen on eligibility and technical fit first, then open prices only for those who pass
Clauses worth including
- Bid validity: how long prices stay firm, typically 30 to 90 days
- Right to reject: you may reject any or all bids and cancel the tender
- Clarifications: answers are shared with all bidders
- Confidentiality: bid information is not shared with competitors
- Conflict of interest: bidders must disclose relationships
- Delay penalties and warranty: consequences if the winner fails to deliver
- Payment terms: milestones, invoicing and timelines
Have your legal adviser review the terms for larger or higher-risk purchases. This guide is a practical starting point, not legal advice.
Tips for using the template
- Agree the criteria and weights before opening any bid
- Have two people score independently, then compare and discuss differences
- Do not let price drive the other scores: score the technical part before seeing prices if you can
- Record the reason for the winning choice, not only the number
- Keep every bidder's questions and your answers together with the tender
- Tell unsuccessful bidders promptly. It keeps vendors willing to bid next time
Common mistakes
- Copying a tender from a different purchase and leaving irrelevant clauses in
- No evaluation method, so the decision feels arbitrary
- Mandatory criteria that are not really mandatory, which weakens the process when you waive them
- Missing annexure forms, so every vendor submits prices in a different layout
- Unclear dates, especially time zone and cut-off time
Keeping the whole process in one place
A template helps you write the tender. Running it is another task: publishing, collecting bids, answering questions and converting the award into a purchase order. The WibesHR vendor and tender module keeps the tender, bids, bidder messages and the resulting purchase order and bill together, and publishes your tender to the public tender marketplace.
For the publishing side, read how to find and post private tenders in India. To try the workflow yourself, start a free 7-day trial.
Frequently asked questions
What should a tender document include?
A title and reference number, background, scope, eligibility, technical and quality requirements, commercial terms, key dates, submission instructions, evaluation method, terms and conditions and annexure forms.
How do you evaluate tender bids fairly?
Agree the criteria and weights before opening bids, score every bid against the same sheet, have more than one evaluator, and record the reasons for the decision.
Should the lowest bid always win?
Not necessarily. Lowest price works for tightly specified goods. For services or purchases where quality, delivery or support matter, a weighted score gives a better result.
What weights should I use for price and quality?
A common starting point is 40 percent price and 60 percent split across quality, delivery, references and terms. Adjust it to the risk: the higher the cost of failure, the more weight on quality and past performance.
Can I use this template for an RFQ or RFP?
Yes. For an RFQ you can shorten the sections and focus on scope and price. For an RFP, expand the technical section and ask vendors to describe their approach.
