Scope boundary
State what is in and what is out at every junction. Builders work, support steel, fire stopping, access panels, protection and final clean sit between packages and are the most common source of a claim after award.
Performance basis
Where performance is required, name the system and its evidence rather than a number in isolation. A tenderer cannot price a rating without knowing which tested assembly it comes from, and a number without a system invites a substitution.
Approval route and sample regime
Say how many samples are required, who approves them, and how long approval takes. Approval duration belongs in the programme; when it is missing, the manufacturing period absorbs it.
Programme and access
Give the dates that matter: information release, approval, manufacture, delivery and installation windows, plus the access and craneage available. A specialist package priced without an access constraint will be repriced when it is discovered.
Six lines worth adding to every tender
- Material and system, stated per element
- Interfaces and who resolves each one
- Sample and mock-up requirements with approval durations
- Whether installation and supervision are included
- Delivery sequence and site access constraints
- The information the tenderer must return, not just a price
