Published 24 August 2026 · 8-minute read
A competitive tender is not simply the lowest total. It should demonstrate that the contractor understands the scope, has priced the work consistently and has clearly recorded assumptions and exclusions. Use this checklist alongside the actual invitation to tender, conditions and submission instructions for your project.
Important: Every tender is different. The tender documents and client instructions take priority over this general checklist.
01
Confirm the tender requirements
- Record the closing date, exact submission time and permitted submission method.
- Confirm the tender validity period and whether an extension may be requested.
- Check all required forms, declarations, schedules and signatures.
- List every drawing, specification, addendum and clarification received.
- Confirm site-visit, briefing and tender-interview requirements.
- Check whether alternatives, qualifications or separate options are permitted.
02
Review the scope and documents
- Read the scope of works against the drawings and specifications.
- Identify missing, inconsistent or unclear information requiring clarification.
- Confirm interfaces with the employer, consultants, nominated parties and other contractors.
- Identify temporary works, protection, testing, commissioning and authority requirements.
- Check access, logistics, working-hour and occupied-site restrictions.
- Maintain a document register so the estimate uses the latest revision.
03
Verify quantities and measurement
- Check the Bill of Quantities or pricing schedule for obvious omissions and duplication.
- Prepare independent quantity takeoffs for high-value and high-risk trades.
- Confirm the required rules or method of measurement.
- Reconcile trade quantities with drawings, schedules and specifications.
- Record measurement assumptions where design information is incomplete.
- Check arithmetic, units, formulas, carried totals and summary-page links.
04
Build up the price
- Use current labour, material, plant and subcontractor quotations.
- Check quotation validity, delivery, wastage, attendance and exclusions.
- Allow for preliminaries, supervision, temporary facilities and project duration.
- Include testing, permits, insurance, bonds and other contractual costs where applicable.
- Review foreign exchange, escalation, lead-time and supply-chain exposure.
- Apply overhead and profit consistently and confirm whether GST is included or excluded.
05
Review programme and resources
- Check that the proposed duration is achievable for the available scope and access.
- Identify long-lead materials, specialist works and approval dependencies.
- Align labour, plant and supervision allowances with the proposed programme.
- Review phasing, sequencing, mobilisation and handover requirements.
- Consider the cost exposure of delay, acceleration and restricted working periods.
06
Record commercial risks
- Review payment terms, retention, liquidated damages and security requirements.
- Identify design responsibility and fitness-for-purpose obligations.
- Review variation, extension-of-time and loss-and-expense procedures.
- Check provisional sums, prime cost sums and contingency treatment.
- State material assumptions, exclusions and qualifications clearly.
- Escalate unacceptable contract amendments for legal or specialist review.
07
Complete the final submission check
- Compare the final total with the internal estimate and approved commercial position.
- Complete an independent review of major rates, quantities and tender totals.
- Ensure qualifications do not contradict the priced submission.
- Check that all forms are completed, signed and dated by authorised persons.
- Verify file names, formats, portal limits and upload completion.
- Retain a complete copy of the final submission and evidence of delivery.
Before you press submit
Carry out a short management review covering the tender total, key risks, qualifications, programme and cash-flow implications. A controlled final review can catch inconsistencies that are difficult to correct after closing.