A practical bid/no-bid process
A bid/no-bid decision settles whether a tender is worth your team’s time. First check that you have a route to bid and can meet each mandatory requirement by the stage it applies. Then assess service fit, evidence, capacity, the commercial case and the competition. Record the reasons, any open conditions and who approved the decision. A strong total score should never hide a failed mandatory requirement or an offer the business cannot deliver.
Before you start
Who this helps
- A team deciding whether to commit to a live tender
- Leaders comparing several opportunities that compete for the same people
- A business spending heavily on bids that were weak from the start
Points to check
- Treat an unknown requirement as a question to resolve, not a pass.
- Being on a framework does not mean a call-off suits you.
- Revisit the decision when scope, price assumptions or capacity change.
Start with the facts needed for a decision
Use the complete pack where available: notice, instructions, specification, evaluation, pricing schedule, contract and portal messages. Record the submission and clarification deadlines separately. Check the lot, eligible suppliers and the route to the documents.
Note where each important point comes from. “The sales team thinks we qualify” is less useful than the condition itself, the evidence that meets it and the name of the person who checked. If you cannot get the documents yet, label the assessment preliminary and do not present it as a finished qualification.
Keep hard gates outside the score
A gate asks whether there is a permitted route to bid and whether you can meet each requirement by the time it applies. Check legal identity, exclusions, capability, financial conditions, required evidence and whether you can submit on time. Cabinet Office guidance distinguishes conditions of participation from award criteria under the Procurement Act: passing one does not compensate for failing the other.
Check timing carefully. A requirement to hold something before performance is not necessarily a requirement to have it today. If the wording is unclear, or you are not sure an alternative is permitted, ask a formal clarification question and record the answer.
Assess whether the bid is worth pursuing
Once an opportunity has passed the gates, work through the questions below with delivery, finance and the bid lead. A simple rating, backed by evidence, can help you compare opportunities. Avoid a precise win percentage unless you have a method and results that justify it.
- Service fit: can the proposed work be delivered without inventing a new capability?
- Evidence: can you prove the important claims with relevant examples and data?
- Capacity: are the people you need for the bid and the contract available?
- Commercial case: does the likely price support the required service and risks?
- Competitive position: what would give the buyer a reason to select your offer?
- Strategic value: is the contract useful enough to justify the work and commitments?
Use conditional decisions sparingly
For example, a decision could read: “Proceed with initial planning only. The operations lead must confirm regional cover by Tuesday; the commercial lead must approve the mobilisation budget by Wednesday. No full drafting commitment until both are resolved.” This is a bounded decision with owners and dates.
“Bid, subject to sorting out the details” is not. If a condition cannot realistically be resolved before you must commit to the work, record a no-bid or send the opportunity back for a different approach. Do not keep the team drafting simply because it has already started.
Keep the decision record short and usable
One page is often enough: opportunity and lot, document version, gate results, strongest reasons to pursue, main risks, estimated bid effort, conditions, approver and review date. Link the supporting documents rather than repeating the entire pack.
If several bids overlap, decide on them together. Two attractive tenders may both depend on the same pricing lead and operations director. Make that clash visible before approving both.
Recheck and learn
Reopen the decision when a clarification changes the scope, a partner withdraws, a price assumption fails or the delivery team can no longer meet the plan. The point is to protect the business, even after work has begun.
After the result, compare the original reasons with actual effort and buyer feedback. If you kept overstating how relevant your references were, tighten the evidence check. If the bid was well chosen but lost on price, look at your commercial position rather than simply asking for better writing. For your next opportunity, start with the gate list and name one person to own the decision.
Common questions
01Who should approve a bid?
A person authorised to commit the business’s resources and commercial position should approve it, informed by delivery, finance and the bid lead. An external provider can investigate and recommend, but cannot accept those commitments for you.
02What should we do with an unknown answer?
Record the uncertainty, who will resolve it, the evidence needed and the decision date. Use the buyer’s formal clarification route where necessary. Do not quietly treat an unverified point as either a pass or a failure.
03Should we use a weighted scorecard?
It can help you compare opportunities if the criteria and evidence are clear. Keep mandatory gates separate and check the reasons behind the score. A total should inform the decision, not make it for you.
04Is a no-bid decision a wasted opportunity?
It can free up time for work the business is better placed to win and deliver. Record any follow-up, such as building evidence or joining the right route to market, so the decision still leaves you better prepared.