After searching, identifying, researching and qualifying that the potential tender is a genuine and achievable opportunity for your business:

1. Register and sign into the portal that the contract is being procured through. Your company information will be needed for this step, including both Company Registration and VAT number, but most importantly the contact name and email address of the chosen administrator. Once logged in, register an interest in the tender, to be able to access the available documents. Download all available tender documentation, saving it to your own secure filing system.
2. Make yourself completely familiar with the portal. This is important. Ensure you are aware of the contact number/email address for any technical help available. Read the documentation thoroughly. Create a summary of the tender for your procurement team. Include in the summary: Contracting Authority, Type of Contract, Service Description, Value, Timescale (include a timetable if possible), Procedure Route; and any additional helpful relevant information. Print up the timetable, and diarise.
3. Create a Response Schedule, to include a Contact List with names, email addresses, telephone numbers and titles of all involved, a Planning Sheet with a timetable for the management and development of the tender response, a Response Sheet to insert all the authority questions, along with columns for advice and guidance on answering, and the final response for each, a Clarification sheet to be able to log all clarifications submitted by other potential suppliers along with your own, and finally a Pricing Sheet. This response schedule can then be used as a template and filed for future tender use.
4. Responses MUST follow the guidelines issued by the authority. Word count, Font size and theme used, diagrams, attachments, and the completing of all answers must be as requested, or the submission can/will be rejected.
5. The bid administrator is responsible for the management of the response, and ensuring all those involved with the tender are keeping to the timetable. The technical questions will need to be completed by subject experts, however the administrator will need to bring all of the information together.
6. Set up an archive file where older versions of all documentation can be filed to ensure there is an audit trail for the entire process of the tender.
7. Any clarifications your company have, should be gathered via the response schedule and submitted to the authority in the requested form, (usually via the online portal messaging service) by the specified published timeline.
8. Some portals will email the administrator to inform when new versions of any tender documentation are issued. However other portals do not, and it may be necessary to sign into the portal on a daily basis, to ensure the correct and most up to date version of documentation is being used for the tender at all times.
9. Once all questions have been double checked you can begin to enter the information into the portal. Ensure you leave yourself plenty of time for this last important part of the tender submission. Do not leave the entering of data until the last minute, as the portals will be under pressure (and can crash) with all potential suppliers trying to submit and meet the same deadline.
10. Under EU directive, at the beginning of the Alcatel 10day standstill period all unsuccessful potential suppliers can ask for detailed feedback on their submission. The authority is obliged to respond to you within 15 days of your request. The buyers feedback, regardless of the outcome, will help your company to refine and improve your next response. It will also help to identify and target areas that need reworking to present your capabilities in the best possible manner, which in turn will help you win more business through the tender process.