Common mistakes in bidding

Preparation of Bids

Amount of bid security less than required
Not adhering to the laid down format of the bid security form
The validity of the bid less than the required period
Qualification and experience of the contractor/ consultant’s personnel given but their position in the proposed project not stated
Not stating the work method the contractor/ consultants intends to use in the execution of project
Alteration and /cancellations not signed for by the person authorized to sign the bid
Offering unfavorable payment terms while ignoring what is provided for in the bidding document
Offering unrealistically high prices
Not thoroughly examining the instructions to bidders in the bidding documents
Not submitting all the required information at bid submission time
Requesting for clarifications late
Concentrating on the price factor at the expense of other requirements in the tender
Not submitting auditors’ reports with the contractor’s financial statements, when required
Submitting auditors’ reports prepared by a firm not registered with a competent authority

Not indicating the tender identification number on the envelopes containing bids e.g. TB/W/001/09 at the time of submission
Name of contractor or consultant not written on the envelope containing bids
Poor presentation of bid documents e.g. Bid documents not properly arranged and bound
Not submitting the required number of copies with the original
In consulting services tenders, envelopes containing technical proposals and financial proposals not clearly marked