Tendering and Bid Evaluation Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Managers, Category Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-058

Before you join: Participants should understand basic procurement terminology and have experience supporting purchasing, sourcing, contract administration or supplier management.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Tendering failures often begin before the invitation is issued: unclear requirements, unsuitable procurement routes, weak evaluation criteria, incomplete pricing schedules or undocumented decisions. The results can include bids that cannot be compared fairly, suppliers selected on misleading price assumptions, award challenges, delayed mobilisation and poor contract performance. Procurement teams need a disciplined process that protects competition, produces defensible decisions and converts business needs into enforceable supplier commitments.

This course develops the practical methods used to plan, run and evaluate competitive tenders for goods, services, technology and works. Participants learn to define scope and service levels, assess supply markets, select tender procedures, prepare invitations to tender, manage bidder communications and control clarifications. They build scoring models, conduct technical and commercial evaluations, calculate total cost of ownership, identify abnormally low bids, run moderation meetings and prepare award recommendations. The course also addresses supplier due diligence, negotiation controls, unsuccessful bidder debriefs, standstill requirements and contract handover.

Teaching combines focused instructor briefings with realistic procurement cases from public bodies, banks, NGOs, infrastructure programmes and multinational operations. Participants work through tender documents, bid submissions, scoring evidence, pricing schedules, clarification logs and approval papers. During the first week, they create core planning and evaluation materials; during the second, they test those materials against more difficult commercial, governance and award scenarios. They leave with a completed tender strategy and bid evaluation pack that can be adapted to their own procurement category.

The course suits procurement professionals who already contribute to sourcing activity and now need greater responsibility for tender governance, documentation, evaluation or award decisions.

What you will be able to do

  • Apply procurement route-selection criteria to a defined sourcing requirement
  • Translate stakeholder needs into specifications, service levels and acceptance criteria
  • Develop tender documentation including instructions, pricing schedules and evaluation criteria
  • Construct weighted technical and commercial bid evaluation models
  • Conduct compliance, technical, commercial and due-diligence assessments of bids
  • Analyse total cost of ownership, price variances and abnormally low bids
  • Defend moderation, negotiation and award decisions through auditable evaluation records
  • Produce a complete tender strategy, evaluation workbook and award recommendation

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce tender packs that suppliers can price and respond to accurately
  • Lead evaluation meetings with clearer scoring discipline and evidence standards
  • Recognise commercial risks hidden in low prices, exclusions and assumptions
  • Prepare award papers that withstand management, audit and bidder scrutiny
  • Build a reusable tender strategy for an active procurement requirement

For your organisation

  • Improves consistency between business requirements, tender documents and contract terms
  • Reduces avoidable bid disqualifications, clarifications and procurement delays
  • Creates more defensible supplier-selection decisions and audit records
  • Improves visibility of lifecycle cost, price risk and supplier viability
  • Strengthens mobilisation through earlier transfer of tender commitments into contracts

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can map a controlled tender process from sourcing request to contract handover.

  • Procurement routes matched to spend, risk, market conditions and governance
  • Tender lifecycle from sourcing request through award, notification and contract handover
  • Public procurement principles: transparency, equal treatment, proportionality and accountability
  • Private-sector sourcing objectives: value, continuity, quality, innovation and supplier relationships
  • Authority limits, delegation schedules and approval gates before market engagement
  • Distinguishing tender, RFQ, RFP, ITT and negotiated procedure purposes

Participants can create a procurement plan linked to business needs, risks and approvals.

  • Stakeholder requirements converted into measurable scope, service levels and acceptance criteria
  • Demand analysis separates essential requirements from preferences and untested assumptions
  • Make-or-buy analysis considers total cost, capability, capacity and control
  • Kraljic portfolio positioning guides sourcing effort, competition and supplier treatment
  • Procurement plan sequences approvals, market engagement, tendering and mobilisation
  • Risk register assigns owners, controls, triggers and escalation thresholds

Participants can write clear, measurable and non-discriminatory tender requirements.

  • Outcome-based specifications define results, interfaces, constraints and acceptance measures
  • Statement of work structures deliverables, milestones, responsibilities and reporting
  • SMART service levels specify targets, measurement sources, remedies and exclusions
  • Mandatory requirements separated from weighted preferences and contractual obligations
  • Evaluation criteria traced directly to scope, risks and intended outcomes
  • Specification challenge removes brand bias, ambiguity and unnecessary supplier barriers

Participants can assess market conditions and use evidence to shape tender strategy.

  • Supply-market analysis maps supplier capacity, concentration, entry barriers and price drivers
  • Porter's Five Forces tests competitive pressure and supplier bargaining power
  • Should-cost models separate materials, labour, overheads, margin and contingencies
  • Request for information gathers capability evidence before formal competition
  • Market sounding protocols protect fairness, confidentiality and future bidder access
  • Supplier segmentation identifies strategic dependencies, alternatives and development priorities

Participants can select and justify a tender procedure suited to the requirement.

  • Open, restricted and negotiated procedures matched to risk and market maturity
  • Framework agreements distinguished from standalone tenders, call-offs and dynamic purchasing
  • Single-source justifications document urgency, exclusivity, compatibility and approval evidence
  • Lotting strategy balances competition, integration risk, access and contract management
  • Procurement timetable allows review periods, clarifications, approvals and standstill obligations
  • Decision trees record procedure choices, delegated authority and exception controls

Participants can assemble tender documentation that supports comparable and compliant bids.

  • Instructions to tenderers state submission rules, deadlines and bid validity
  • Data sheets consolidate commercial assumptions, currencies, taxes and contact details
  • Evaluation methodology published with criteria, weights, scoring anchors and thresholds
  • Pricing schedules expose unit rates, quantities, options and escalation assumptions
  • Draft contract aligns scope, pricing, remedies, governance and change control
  • Document hierarchy resolves conflicts among specifications, schedules, conditions and addenda

Participants can set tender terms that allocate risk clearly and proportionately.

  • Risk allocation assigns ownership for delay, defects, inflation and force majeure
  • Liquidated damages distinguished from penalties and linked to measurable loss
  • Performance security, retention and parent guarantees matched to supplier risk
  • Insurance clauses define required cover, limits, evidence and notification duties
  • Intellectual property provisions address ownership, licences, escrow and infringement claims
  • Data protection schedules set processing roles, security controls and breach reporting

Participants can screen prospective bidders using objective and auditable criteria.

  • Prequalification questionnaires test eligibility, capacity, finances and relevant experience
  • Pass-fail criteria use objective evidence, minimum thresholds and stated consequences
  • Financial assessment reviews liquidity, debt, turnover, credit and going-concern indicators
  • Sanctions, debarment and conflict checks recorded through auditable screening steps
  • Reference checks verify comparable delivery, performance issues and client satisfaction
  • Shortlisting decisions document rationale, approvals, equal treatment and bidder notifications

Participants can manage tender release and bidder communications without compromising fairness.

  • Controlled tender release establishes version control, access rights and audit trails
  • Bidder briefing agendas explain process rules without changing published requirements
  • Clarification logs capture questions, answers, recipients, dates and document amendments
  • Addenda management resets deadlines when material changes affect bid preparation
  • Confidentiality protocols protect bidder information, evaluation materials and commercial sensitivity
  • Communication plans designate authorised contacts and escalation routes for enquiries

Participants can distinguish permissible clarification from negotiation and bid improvement.

  • Clarifications distinguish minor confirmation from prohibited material bid improvement
  • Competitive dialogue governance preserves equal treatment, records and confidentiality boundaries
  • Negotiated procedure rules define permissible subjects, rounds and authority limits
  • Best-and-final-offer requests specify changes, deadlines and evaluation treatment
  • BATNA analysis prepares walk-away positions, concessions and approval requirements
  • Negotiation logs record offers, conditions, commitments, unresolved issues and decisions

Participants can control bid receipt and identify compliance issues before evaluation.

  • Secure receipt procedures preserve bid confidentiality, timestamps and chain-of-custody evidence
  • Bid opening records identify submissions, authorised attendees, prices and irregularities
  • Responsiveness checks test signatures, forms, validity and mandatory documentation
  • Compliance matrices distinguish material deviations from clarifiable administrative omissions
  • Arithmetic corrections follow published rules and preserve an auditable calculation trail
  • Late-bid decisions apply stated deadlines, system evidence and delegated authority

Participants can assess technical bids consistently against published evaluation criteria.

  • Evaluator briefings align individual scoring, confidentiality duties and conflict declarations
  • Weighted scoring matrices convert evidence into published criterion scores
  • Behaviourally anchored rating scales describe evidence for each score band
  • Technical compliance reviews test methodology, resources, quality and delivery plans
  • Consensus moderation reconciles scoring differences using documented bid evidence
  • Evaluator notes cite page references, strengths, weaknesses and score rationale

Participants can compare bids using lifecycle cost and normalised commercial assumptions.

  • Total cost of ownership compares acquisition, operation, maintenance, disposal and risk
  • Net present value discounts multi-year pricing, savings and lifecycle cash flows
  • Price normalisation corrects scope differences, exclusions, currencies and tax treatment
  • Scenario analysis tests demand volumes, indexation, exchange rates and options
  • Commercial models separate fixed, variable, contingent and pass-through cost components
  • Bid comparison sheets reconcile pricing schedules, assumptions and calculation anomalies

Participants can investigate unusual pricing while preserving equal treatment and auditability.

  • Should-cost estimates test supplier pricing against market inputs and productivity
  • Variance analysis flags outlier prices, omissions, front-loading and unbalanced rates
  • Abnormally low bid reviews seek explanations without allowing bid reconstruction
  • Cost breakdown requests examine labour, materials, overheads, margin and subcontracting
  • Indexation clauses link price adjustment to stated indices and review dates
  • Currency exposure analysis assigns payment currencies, hedging responsibilities and conversion dates

Participants can lead controlled moderation that produces defensible evaluation records.

  • Evaluation plans assign roles, criteria, timings, records and approval checkpoints
  • Conflict-of-interest declarations identify financial, personal and organisational interests
  • Independent scoring precedes moderation to protect evaluator judgement and accountability
  • Moderation chairs test consensus rationale against evidence and published criteria
  • MEAT models combine quality and price using disclosed weighting formulas
  • Audit files retain evaluation records, approvals, communications and version histories

Participants can plan and document controlled negotiations and final-offer evaluations.

  • Negotiation mandates set objectives, red lines, tradeables and approval routes
  • Concession strategies exchange value only for reciprocal supplier commitments
  • BAFO analysis compares final offers against baseline bids and evaluation rules
  • Negotiation teams allocate lead, commercial, technical and legal responsibilities
  • Meeting minutes distinguish agreed terms, open points and non-binding discussion
  • Post-negotiation evaluation confirms equal treatment, approvals and award basis

Participants can assess supplier risks beyond price and technical capability.

  • Supplier due diligence verifies ownership, sanctions, litigation, tax and adverse media
  • Financial viability reviews ratios, cash flow, forecasts and covenant headroom
  • Modern slavery checks assess policies, disclosures, supply-chain controls and incidents
  • Information-security assessments test controls, certifications, breach history and remediation
  • Environmental and social criteria use proportionate evidence and contract commitments
  • Due-diligence reports state findings, residual risks, mitigations and decision recommendations

Participants can prepare award decisions and manage bidder communications after evaluation.

  • Award recommendations connect evaluation evidence, approvals, risks and contract terms
  • Standstill notices explain award decisions, scores and applicable challenge periods
  • Unsuccessful bidder debriefs communicate reasons without disclosing protected information
  • Procurement challenge files preserve chronology, evidence, legal advice and decisions
  • Complaint handling distinguishes clarification, debrief, formal protest and remedy
  • Authority-to-award papers document value, budget, governance and implementation conditions

Participants can transfer tender commitments into controlled contract mobilisation and performance management.

  • Contract handover packs transfer scope, commitments, risks, contacts and records
  • Mobilisation plans establish milestones, dependencies, acceptance gates and governance meetings
  • Supplier performance KPIs derive from tender promises and contract obligations
  • Benefits realisation baselines track savings, service improvements and risk reduction
  • Change-control procedures protect scope, pricing, authority and auditability after award
  • Lessons-learned reviews capture market response, process delays and document improvements

Participants can build, review and present a complete tender strategy, evaluation workbook and award recommendation.

  • Complete tender strategy integrates requirements, market evidence, procedure and governance
  • Drafted tender documents include instructions, specifications, criteria, pricing and conditions
  • Evaluation workbook records compliance, weighted scores, moderation and commercial analysis
  • Bidder clarification plan protects equal treatment, confidentiality and documented decisions
  • Award recommendation justifies selection, risks, approvals, notification and handover actions
  • Peer review tests traceability from business need through contract mobilisation
  • Panel presentation defends decisions using evidence, rules and evaluation records

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Tender strategy template
  2. Statement of work template
  3. Weighted bid evaluation workbook
  4. Commercial bid comparison model
  5. Supplier due-diligence checklist
  6. Award recommendation paper

Who should attend

  • Procurement Managers — responsible for tender governance, approval quality and supplier selection
  • Category Managers — need repeatable methods for strategic sourcing and competitive events
  • Senior Buyers — lead tender documentation, bidder communications and evaluation administration
  • Procurement Officers — require stronger controls for compliant public or donor-funded procurement
  • Technical Evaluators — need to score evidence consistently against published criteria
  • Project Managers — contribute requirements and manage mobilisation after contract award

Skills and tools covered

Tender strategy developmentSpecification writingBid evaluationCommercial analysisSupplier due diligenceAward governance

Tools and standards

Kraljic Portfolio Matrix, Porter's Five Forces, MEAT evaluation model, BATNA analysis

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings followed by case work, document reviews, group exercises and procurement simulations. Participants examine realistic scopes, bidder questions, technical submissions, pricing schedules and evaluation records. They apply named methods to build tender strategies, specifications, scoring models, commercial analyses and award papers. Moderation and negotiation scenarios develop judgement on equal treatment, confidentiality and evidence. Individual application planning links each method to a current or upcoming procurement requirement.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand basic procurement terminology and have experience supporting purchasing, sourcing, contract administration or supplier management. They should be familiar with reading specifications, quotations, budgets and commercial documents. Some prior exposure to RFQs, RFPs, tenders or evaluation meetings is useful, but participants do not need to have led a formal tender process. No legal qualification, finance specialism, statistical training or prior knowledge of a particular e-sourcing system is required. The course explains both public-sector and private-sector tender controls.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand basic procurement terminology and have some exposure to buying, sourcing, contract administration or supplier management. You do not need to have led a formal tender before, and no legal or finance qualification is required.

Bring a current or planned procurement requirement if your employer permits you to discuss it without sharing confidential information. You may also bring redacted specifications, pricing schedules or evaluation forms for personal application planning.

It is designed for procurement managers, category managers, buyers, procurement officers, project managers and technical evaluators. It is particularly useful for people moving from routine purchasing into structured competitive tendering.

This course concentrates on the controlled tender process: planning, documentation, bidder management, evaluation, award and handover. General procurement courses cover wider purchasing strategy, while contract management courses focus mainly on performance after award.

Participants leave with reusable templates for tender strategy, specifications, scoring, commercial comparison, due diligence and award approval. These can be adapted to goods, services, technology, works and donor-funded procurement requirements.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes planning, documentation and tender-control methods; the second week focuses on evaluation, negotiation, award, mobilisation and the final capstone.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

Related courses in Procurement