Typical tender process in construction (and how it looks with ProcurePro)

Most contractors still run tenders with emails, spreadsheets, and scattered PDFs. It works — until it doesn’t. Below, we walk the typical tender process step-by-step, then show the same journey on a specialised, end-to-end construction procurement platform (ProcurePro). You’ll see where risk creeps in, why levelling takes forever, and how a live, standardised workflow cuts time, cost, and noise with like-for-like comparisons.

If you want proof points along the way, skim our case studies, including how Jardon achieved 50% faster procurement (read the Jardon case study).

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What is a tender?

A tender is a contractor or supplier’s formal offer to deliver works, goods, or services against an Invitation to Tender (ITT). In construction, tenders span everything from demolition and piling to cladding and MEP, up to the main contract itself.

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The typical tender process (The Old Way)

The following is the “classic” process most QS/CA teams still run today.

1) Pre-qualification and shortlist

You gather a longlist, filter on capability, capacity, H&S, insurance, financials, and references, then invite a shortlist to tender.

2) Build the ITT pack

Drawings, specs, prelims, scope, contract conditions/amendments, pricing schedule, programme assumptions, BIM/EIR if relevant — stitched together from shared drives and emails. (If “scope” is your tripping point, here’s why a Scope of Works Library matters, plus a practical Scope Library eGuide and free Scope of Works templates.)

3) Issue to market

You email out the pack, set return dates, and track who’s in/out. A few bounces, a few OOO replies, and a spreadsheet to track it all.

4) Clarifications and addenda

Questions come in via email and calls. You consolidate, answer, and re-issue addenda — trying to keep everyone on the same version. (There’s a better way to streamline tendering and addendums.)

5) Mid-tender meetings / site visits

You run briefings to de-risk misinterpretation, but answers still fragment across inboxes.

6) Tender returns

Bids arrive in different formats. Some include variant proposals; some are qualified to the hilt; some miss drawings or prelims.

7) Levelling and evaluation

You “make it apples-to-apples”: build a comparison sheet, chase clarifications, extract inclusions/exclusions, normalise prelims and allowances, and test programme/risks. (Apples-to-apples is exactly what Comparisons & Recommendations is built for.)

8) Negotiation / settlement

You meet the preferred tenderer, close gaps, update schedules/rates, and agree changes.

9) Recommendation and approvals

You write the tender report with commercial, technical, programme, and risk commentary, then take it through governance.

10) Contract engrossment and execution

You pull the agreed scope and schedules into the contract, circulate for signatures, and hand over to delivery — hoping nothing gets lost in the shuffle. (See how Contract Creation and Electronic Signature eliminate re-keying and chase-ups.)

Where The Old Way bites

• Information is scattered; version control is fragile.
• Bids arrive in inconsistent formats, making levelling slow and error-prone.
• Clarifications are hard to broadcast evenly, risking an uneven playing field.
• Knowledge doesn’t transfer cleanly to delivery, so mistakes repeat (capture and share them with Lessons Learnt).
• Data from tenders isn’t captured for future pricing intelligence.

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The tender process on ProcurePro (The New Way)

One platform. One live procurement schedule. One standard. The same process — just faster, cleaner, and auditable end-to-end.

1) Source and shortlist

Keep a live supplier database with capability tags, performance history, and compliance status. Invite with one click from the same place you’ll track returns. (Vendor Management centralises it.)

2) Standardise and template the ITT

Use scope libraries and package templates so every ITT is complete and consistent. Attach drawings/specs once; the platform handles the final pack and audit trail. (Start with the Scope of Works Library, plus the Scope Library eGuide.)

3) Issue and track, centrally

Send to a targeted list and see live engagement: received, opened, intent to bid, questions raised. No email wrangling or blind spots. (Tenders & Price Breakdowns.)

4) Clarifications and addenda (broadcast, versioned)

Suppliers submit questions in one place. Answers and addenda publish to all tenderers with automatic alerts, ensuring a level playing field and clean version history.

5) Structured returns

Bidders respond via a structured return form that aligns to your scope. No wild formats. Variant proposals and qualifications are captured explicitly.

6) Like-for-like comparison (levelling without the spreadsheet)

Returns drop straight into a comparison view aligned to your package breakdown. Inclusions, exclusions, rates, prelims, and adjustments are transparent, with flags where scope is missing or duplicated. (Compare & Recommend.)

7) Negotiation, approvals, and governance

Change history is tracked. You add adjustments, attach notes, and generate a clear tender recommendation. Approvals follow a standard workflow with auditability. (More in our FAQ.)

8) Contract documents, generated

Once approved, the platform assembles the contract pack from the final scope, schedules, and agreed changes. No re-keying. No missed attachments. (Contract Creation.)

9) Handover to delivery (with context intact)

Awarded scope, clarifications, and risks flow into delivery — so the site team sees what commercial agreed, not a patchwork of PDFs. Keep everyone aligned with a live procurement schedule.

10) Continuous pricing intelligence

Every tender builds your data lake across projects and packages, supporting smarter supplier strategy and quicker, more confident pricing next time. (Tap into Supply Chain Insights to analyse performance and capacity across vendors.)

Result: Teams gain visibility, consistency, and control — and they unlock speed quickly. For examples across different contractor sizes and sectors, browse the case studies or estimate impact with the Savings Calculator.

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Key points for public and two-stage procurement

• Public projects: A centralised audit trail, broadcast clarifications, and structured returns help maintain fairness and transparency. For updates to UK rules, see our guide to the Procurement Act 2023.
• Two-stage tendering: Stage 1 fee/rates and assumptions are captured; Stage 2 negotiations use structured comparisons and tracked changes, reducing disputes later.
• Variant bids & qualified tenders: Alternative solutions and qualifications are captured alongside the compliant return, so evaluations remain apples-to-apples.

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Why an end-to-end platform matters

• Speed: Standardisation crushes admin and reduces levelling time across every package. (See the 50% faster result in the Jardon case study.)
• Control: A live procurement schedule keeps the whole team aligned on status, blockers, and dates.
• Consistency: Every package follows the same quality standard; nothing critical gets missed thanks to the Scope of Works Library.
• Confidence: You buy the right scope at the right price — and you can prove it with Comparisons & Recommendations.
• Compounding value: Each tender enriches your data, improving future outcomes via Supply Chain Insights.

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Frequently asked questions

Can we still accept variant bids?
Yes. Variant bids and qualifications are captured in a structured way, so you can compare them with the compliant baseline without muddying the water.

What if our supply chain isn’t “techy”?
Bidders respond through a clean, guided flow. You get consistent returns without forcing suppliers to learn a new system. See how different teams onboarded smoothly in our case studies.

Will it work for two-stage procurement?
Absolutely. Stage 1 fee/rates and allowances are captured cleanly, making Stage 2 negotiation faster and more transparent using like-for-like comparisons.

How fast can we get value?
Most teams see quick wins once the process is standardised. Our implementation program is designed to get you set up fast and scaling across projects quickly.

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Final word

Tendering shouldn’t be a marathon of emails and spreadsheets. With a specialised, end-to-end platform, you standardise once — then move faster on every package after that. If you want to see your tender process in this “New Way”, bring a live package and we’ll show you the difference.