Tender Returns and Evaluation

Question 1

What could selecting the wrong contractor lead to?

Answer 1

A bad client / contractor relationship

b) A dissatisfied client
c) An insolvent contractor

Question 2

What are the employers requirements?

Answer 2

Sets out the clients requirements e.g. function, size, accommodation, quality, design

Question 3

What are the contractors proposals?

Answer 3

The contractors response to the ERs

• They are the key document for the client to consider at the tender review
• Often includes plans, elevations, sections and typical details
• Layout drawings and specification for materials and workmanship

Question 4

Why should you as a surveyor examine tenders?

Answer 4

Check tenderer has included everything, if not to ascertain whether they are still the lowest. - Component parts of tender will be used subsequently e.g. valuing variations- Errors in SOR, BOQ need to be identified and dealt with.

Question 5

What should be examined and looked for in a tender?

Answer 5

Arithmetical errors (comp checking)

• Pricing errors (Items not priced, or same item but different prices in diff sections)
• Pricing methods (front, back loading)
• Qualifications

Question 6

How do you evaluate the Contractors proposal for D&B?

Answer 6

• Not solely on price!
• Programme, design, contractors proposals, materials, and method statements, employees all have to be assessed.
• Checking for discrepancies from the ERs
• Easier if the design has already been progressed by the client prior to tender”

Question 7

What criteria should be considered if not on price alone?

Answer 7

• Approach (method statement and programme)- Customer care (liaison with employer)
• Environmental (noise/ nuisance reduction proposals)
• Management (H&S)
• Resources
• Supply chain
• Technical
• D&D (aesthetics, LCC, flexibility in use)

Question 8

What would you do if the lowest tender also has the lowest quality spec?

Answer 8

• The implications should be spelled out to the client e.g. higher maintenance costs
• It is the client’s decision ultimately

Question 9

What is the danger of accepting a very low tender?

Answer 9

• They may have missed some of the works
• The quality may be lower than some of the other tenders had allowed
• This could lead to adversarial relationships”

Question 10

What happens if tenders are returned and are higher than cost plan, pre-tender estimate?

Answer 10

Could be market problems, need to reconcile to identify major differences, VE process could take place on those elements.

Question 11

What would you do if the lowest tenderer had submitting no pricing of the preliminaries, would you recommend he was accepted?”

Answer 11

I would request that these be submitted as fixed and time related prelims

Question 12

What would you do if you considered a contractor submitting the lowest tender to be in financial difficulty?

Answer 12

• As part of the evaluation of tenders you would look at the company accounts (if not at PQ)
• Also request references from previous employers for work recently done
• See if you can find out if subcontractors were paid on time
• Ensure the contractor can provide a bond and that it is in place before commencing

Question 13

On what grounds would you advise the client to re-tender?”

Answer 13

a) Not enough tenderers returned tenders
b) The tendering procedure is compromised
c) If tenders were not at the cost level required

Question 14

How would you deal with a front loaded BQ?

Answer 14

• This is not a pricing error removing the front loading would not reduce tender price
• You can ask the contractor to adjust his pricing to remove it during the analysis

Question 15

What is included in the Tender Report?

Answer 15

o	Executive Summary
o	Comparison of Tender returns
o	Evaluation of each submission
o	Identify length of Programme
o	Any exclusions/clarifications
o	Equalised tender summary
o	Recommendations

Question 16

What are the Rules of Tendering?

Answer 16

Late tenders not considered
Any non-compliant tenders may be dismissed
Abortive costs are not recoverable
Tender enquiry should state how long tender remain open for
OJEU rules apply

Question 17

Tell me about your involvement in tendering one of your projects?

Answer 17

Preparation of the PQQ process and evaluation submissions
Preparing tender documentation including pricing documents
Mid Tender Interviews

Question 18

How do you normalise tender returns?

Answer 18

I would refer to the RICS Tendering Strategies Guidance Note and refer to normalisation/equalisation

Question 19

How can you analyse and score tenders?

Answer 19

This is typically done following the clients guidance on their own priorities. But this would typically include qualitative and cost sections

Question 20

What would you do if a client asked you to change a tender score?

Answer 20

I would request the basis of this request as my recommendation should be a true reflection on my evaluation of the tender submissions.If I do not feel the request is justifiable I would refer the client to my TRR

Question 21

What if your client isn’t happy with recommendation?

Answer 21

Still recommend but explain why others weren’t selected

Question 22

What are the key documents the contractor returns?

Answer 22

Pricing Document
Programme
Quality submission
CPs
Comments on amendments 
Risks
VE

Question 23

What was done if there was any issues with the CPs?

Answer 23

ER’s should take precedence but any discrepency should be raised and dealt with in the PTQs

Question 24

What level of design risk would you expect the contractor to include for?

Answer 24

Although Contractors don’t typically identify design risk as a separate item, I’d expect this to be at around 5% and included within their rates

Question 25

How are errors dealt with?

Answer 25

Alternative 1 - Contractor to accept error and the price, if not withdraw

Alt 2 - Contractor opportunity to make good of this error