Projects and tenders
Manage a tender from preparation to award
Create a tender on an opportunity, track its key dates and submission checklist, log clarifications and addenda, attach bonds, and record the outcome.
3 min readLast updated
In this article
A tender is a formal invitation to bid with fixed rules and deadlines. Missing a deadline or a required document can disqualify a good offer. In the CRM, each tender belongs to one sales opportunity and carries its dates, its checklist and its correspondence, and its outcome closes the opportunity for you.
Create a tender
Open the opportunity and go to its Tender tab. The tab appears when your company uses tenders.
Select Create tender. Your company's tender checklist is copied onto the new tender.
Fill the Tender no., Title, Tender type, Submission method and Issuer, and the Bid validity (days).
Enter the key dates: Issue date, Site visit, Clarification deadline and Submission deadline. None of them can be before the issue date.
If a bid bond is needed, tick Bid bond required and give the Bid bond amount or Bid bond % and the Currency.
Select Save.
See all tenders
Open CRM › Projects & Tenders › Tenders. Every tender is listed with the soonest submission deadline first, with its Tender no., Title, Opportunity, Tender type, Submission deadline and Status. Filter by status, project or issuer, or search by title or number. Click a tender to open it on its opportunity.
Work the tender
The tender section shows the days left To submission, how much of the checklist is complete, and the number of clarifications and guarantees.
Submission checklist: select Add requirement for each document or task, with its Type, Due date, Responsible and Status (Pending, In progress, Done or Not applicable).
Clarifications and addenda: select Add clarification to record a Question we sent or an Addendum received, with its Reference, Addendum no., the Question / content and the Answer. Unanswered questions show Not answered yet.
Guarantees: select Add guarantee to record the bid bond. See bank guarantees.
Tender documents: keep the tender booklet and your submission files.
Record the outcome
From | You can move to |
|---|---|
Preparing | Mark submitted, Cancelled, No bid |
Submitted | Under evaluation, Awarded, Lost, Cancelled |
Under evaluation | Awarded, Lost, Cancelled |
Each move opens a confirmation that explains its effect:
Mark submitted records the time and who submitted.
Awarded marks the opportunity won.
Lost marks the opportunity lost; a Reason is required.
Cancelled cancels the opportunity; a reason is required.
No bid sets the bid decision to no-go and closes the opportunity as lost with the reason "no bid"; a reason is required.
Reminders are sent before the submission deadline, seven days, two days and on the day.
Common questions
Can one opportunity have two tenders? No. A tender belongs to one opportunity. For a re-tender, follow it on a new opportunity.
Where is the tender checklist template kept? In CRM settings, on the Tender checklist tab.