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There are many moving parts that go into submitting a tender. It’s important to be sure your business is prepared and can meet all the qualifications and requirements that the agency is looking for before you even begin the submission process.
You want to make sure you’ve read through the tender documents in their entirety so you don’t miss out on any important information that could hinder your business from winning the contract. As you’re examining the documents you may find that you have questions that you’d like to ask the agency before placing your final tender. Asking questions isn’t a bad thing and it’s the perfect way to show that you’re interested and that you care about the project or service being requested.
Below we will discuss why it’s beneficial to ask questions during the bidding process to make your tender strong and competitive.
Don’t Hesitate to Ask Questions
As you start reading through the documents of a tender that you’re interested in, you may start to come across things that you need further clarification on. Maybe the scope of work isn’t clear, or you want more detailed information about the specifications and the items being requested. Whatever it might be it never hurts to ask questions to fully understand what the agency is looking for. It’s better to ask your questions than to risk your tender not hitting the mark or being disqualified because it doesn’t meet all the requirements.
Reading through and completely understanding the specifications is an important part of the tendering process. These documents provide you with details on the items or equipment needed whether it be the number of parts needed, maintenance or installation work, specific sizing or brands, removal or cleanup, licenses, and more. Sometimes the specifications aren’t always clear or may require you to reach out to the agency directly for them, so it’s important to make a list of questions that you’d like to ask so you can provide the proper goods and services.
Keep in mind that agencies encourage suppliers to ask questions and it won’t turn them away from choosing your business. Many agencies include a question-and-answer period so it’s important to get all your questions in before the deadline to ensure you get a response. Shortly after the due date, you can expect the answers to be posted publicly for all suppliers interested in the tender to see, which can be helpful if you missed something important, giving you time to adjust your tender accordingly.
Using merx to Ask Questions
Along with being able to find matching open tender opportunities on merx, you can also find out exactly when the Q&A deadline date is. Simply click on the tender you’re interested in and in the description, it’ll provide you with the Q&A deadline date, if there is one, and whether they can be submitted online or not. If they can be submitted online you can do so right through our platform by clicking on the Q&A tab, then click on “Ask Question”, type the subject and question(s) you have, and hit submit. You’ll also be able to view the responses to each question through merx when they’re published.
To start using this feature and many others you’ll need to register with one of our package options.
Whether you’re new to government bidding or are more experienced, you should always ask questions if you need further clarification on certain parts of the tender. It’ll show agencies that you care about their needs, that you want to deliver the best possible products or services, and that you’re confident your business can be a great fit for the job. Start asking your questions today and get one step closer to delivering a well-rounded tender that could very well land you the win.
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