Pre-Submission Bid Checklist

Use this checklist before you submit a tender. It follows the checks we make in every bid review, so you can work through your own submission with the buyer’s evaluators in mind.

1. Compliance

• Every instruction in the tender documents has been followed, including formatting and file types.
• Every answer is within its word or page limit.
• All mandatory documents, forms and declarations are completed and attached.
• Every pass or fail question has been answered and meets the requirement.
• Nothing has been attached or appended that the buyer did not ask for.

2. Answering the question asked

• Every part of each question is answered, in the order the buyer asked it.
• Your headings mirror the wording of the question, so the evaluator can find each point quickly.
• Every answer is specific to this contract, not copied unchanged from a previous bid.

3. Evaluation criteria and weightings

• You have read the evaluation criteria and know what earns the top score for each question.
• The most time has gone into the most heavily weighted questions.
• Each answer gives the evaluator clear reasons to award the top score, not just a description of your organisation.

4. Evidence and genuine value

• Every claim is backed by evidence: case studies, figures, named processes or accreditations.
• Your win themes come through in every answer.
• The benefits to this buyer are clear, including any social value commitments you can deliver.

5. Consistency

• Staff names, numbers, timescales and commitments are the same in every answer.
• Your answers match the specification and your pricing.
• Your organisation can deliver everything the bid commits to.

6. Clarity and finish

• Answers use short paragraphs, clear headings and lists where they help.
• Spelling and grammar have been checked by someone who did not write the answer.
• Your organisation’s name, the buyer’s name and the contract name are correct throughout.

7. Submission

• You know the deadline and have planned to upload well before it, leaving time for problems with the buyer’s portal.
• The final versions of every file are the ones you upload.
• Someone senior has signed off the submission.

Want a second pair of eyes?

Our bid reviews start from £995 for an average-sized bid, such as a single lot public sector tender. We score every answer on the buyer’s own scale, mark up your document with tracked changes and comments, and talk you through the feedback on a call. We generally need 48 hours.