Tendering and Procurement Negotiation Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Procurement Officers, Category Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-P-057

Before you join: Participants should have practical exposure to purchasing, sourcing, supplier management, contract administration or project procurement.

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 and procurement negotiations determine whether an organisation obtains the right goods, services and works at an acceptable cost, with clear obligations and manageable risk. Weak specifications, poorly structured evaluation criteria, inconsistent bidder communications and unplanned negotiations can produce disputed awards, unsuitable suppliers, cost overruns and contracts that are difficult to manage. Procurement professionals need disciplined methods for competing demand, assessing supplier markets, evaluating bids and reaching commercially sound agreements.

This course develops the practical skills required to plan and run a tender process, from requirements definition through supplier appointment and contract mobilisation. Participants learn to apply the Kraljic matrix, develop sourcing strategies, draft statements of work, create weighted evaluation models, manage clarification processes and document defensible award decisions. The negotiation component covers BATNA, ZOPA, interest-based bargaining, concession planning, cost analysis, package deals and approaches for handling deadlock. Contractual risk, service levels, pricing mechanisms and supplier performance management are addressed throughout.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with procurement cases, group analysis, tender-document reviews, bid-evaluation activities and supplier negotiation simulations. Participants apply methods to realistic purchasing situations such as facilities services, technology procurement, construction works, professional services and strategic supply contracts. They leave with a reusable tender and negotiation toolkit containing planning templates, evaluation models, negotiation preparation tools and contract-management checklists.

The course is suited to procurement staff who already participate in sourcing or supplier discussions and now need greater confidence in leading tender and negotiation activity. It is delivered over five days in a classroom in more than 50 cities or live online, with approximately 32.5 contact hours and a certificate of completion.

What you will be able to do

  • Develop a sourcing strategy using spend analysis, Kraljic positioning and supplier-market research
  • Draft tender documents including specifications, pricing schedules, evaluation criteria and bidder instructions
  • Select appropriate procurement routes using competition, urgency, risk and governance requirements
  • Build weighted bid-evaluation models that produce consistent and defensible award decisions
  • Prepare negotiation mandates using BATNA, ZOPA, issue matrices and concession strategies
  • Conduct commercial negotiations using questioning, anchoring, package deals and deadlock-management techniques
  • Analyse supplier pricing through should-cost models, cost breakdowns and whole-life cost analysis
  • Create contract-management plans covering mobilisation, service levels, change control and performance reviews

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence leading supplier meetings and negotiating commercial terms
  • A defensible method for building tender evaluation criteria and scoring models
  • Clearer judgement when assessing supplier prices, assumptions and cost drivers
  • Stronger ability to protect negotiating positions through planned concessions
  • Practical evidence for procurement, sourcing or contract-management career progression

For your organisation

  • More consistent tender documentation and evaluation records
  • Reduced exposure to challenged awards, unclear requirements and unmanaged bidder communications
  • Improved supplier terms on price, service levels, risk allocation and payment conditions
  • Better comparison of total cost rather than headline purchase price
  • Faster mobilisation through clearer contract obligations, governance and performance measures

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define a controlled procurement approach that aligns requirements, risk, authority and sourcing routes.

  • Procurement cycle gates from demand definition through contract closeout
  • Stakeholder requirements translated into measurable specifications and acceptance criteria
  • Make-or-buy analysis using total cost, capacity and risk evidence
  • Spend segmentation by category, value, criticality and supply-market conditions
  • Procurement routes matched to competition, urgency, risk and policy thresholds
  • Delegated authority limits, approvals and audit trail requirements
  • Conflicts of interest, confidentiality and supplier communications controls

Participants can prepare a sourcing strategy based on category position, market evidence and commercial risk.

  • Category strategy aligned with business need, market structure and sourcing objectives
  • Kraljic matrix positions purchases by profit impact and supply risk
  • Supplier market research identifies capacity, pricing drivers and entry barriers
  • Should-cost models separate materials, labour, overheads, margin and logistics
  • Incoterms 2020 allocation of delivery, insurance, export and import responsibilities
  • Risk register links sourcing threats to owners, controls and contingencies
  • Route-to-market plan sets milestones, governance, bidder list and communication rules

Participants can prepare tender documents that obtain comparable, relevant and contract-ready supplier responses.

  • Statement of work defines scope, deliverables, milestones and acceptance tests
  • Output specifications distinguish mandatory requirements from scored preferences
  • Lotting strategy balances competition, aggregation benefits, access and contract management
  • Evaluation criteria connect requirements, evidence, weighting and scoring guidance
  • Pricing schedules obtain comparable unit rates, assumptions and lifecycle costs
  • Instructions to tenderers specify submission format, deadlines and clarifications
  • Draft terms allocate liabilities, remedies, change control and data obligations

Participants can manage a tender process that treats bidders fairly and maintains an auditable record.

  • Prequalification questionnaires test financial standing, capability and exclusion grounds
  • Open, restricted and negotiated procedures selected against market and risk
  • Bidder communications managed through controlled clarification logs and equal treatment
  • Receipt controls protect bid confidentiality, timestamps and document completeness
  • Probity principles preserve fairness, transparency, defensibility and separation of duties
  • Evaluation panel roles, declarations and moderation protocols documented before scoring
  • Procurement records assembled for approvals, debriefings, challenges and audit

Participants can evaluate tenders consistently, assess supplier risk and prepare an evidence-based award recommendation.

  • Compliance screening identifies mandatory pass-fail requirements and material deviations
  • Weighted scoring converts evaluator evidence into consistent award recommendations
  • Consensus moderation resolves scoring variance without averaging unsupported judgments
  • Whole-life cost analysis compares acquisition, operation, maintenance, disposal and risk
  • Abnormally low bid review tests assumptions, omissions, capacity and delivery risk
  • Due diligence verifies references, financial health, sanctions and beneficial ownership
  • Award reports explain process, scores, approvals, risks and contract conditions

Participants can prepare a structured negotiation plan with clear authority, targets, alternatives and trade-offs.

  • Negotiation mandate defines authority, objectives, concessions and escalation points
  • BATNA assessment establishes alternatives, walk-away position and negotiation power
  • ZOPA analysis identifies feasible agreement ranges before supplier meetings
  • Interest-based bargaining separates stated positions from underlying commercial interests
  • Negotiation issue matrix ranks price, service, risk, terms and relationship priorities
  • Concession strategy trades conditional value rather than granting unilateral discounts
  • Supplier cost drivers inform fact-based targets and challenge questions

Participants can conduct structured supplier negotiations and respond constructively to pressure, claims and impasse.

  • Opening agenda establishes participants, authority, objectives, confidentiality and meeting rules
  • Questioning techniques test claims, uncover constraints and confirm assumptions
  • Anchoring, framing and silence used ethically during commercial discussions
  • Package deals exchange variables across price, volume, service and risk
  • Deadlock management uses adjournment, escalation, alternatives and principled trade-offs
  • Cross-cultural communication adapts pace, hierarchy, decision style and relationship signals
  • Meeting notes capture proposals, conditions, owners and unresolved issues

Participants can negotiate price and performance terms using supplier cost evidence and measurable commercial conditions.

  • Price analysis distinguishes market price, cost price and value price
  • Cost breakdown requests test labour rates, materials, overheads and margin
  • Volume commitments exchanged for rebates, capacity reservations or service improvements
  • Payment terms evaluated against working capital, discounts, risk and supplier health
  • Service levels define measures, reporting, credits, exclusions and escalation
  • Performance incentives align gainshare, painshare and measurable outcomes
  • Indexation clauses specify indices, base dates, triggers and adjustment formulas

Participants can convert tender and negotiation outcomes into clear contract controls and mobilisation actions.

  • Contract formation confirms agreed documents, precedence, signatures and effective dates
  • Key clauses address scope, payment, warranties, indemnities, limitations and termination
  • Contract risk allocation tested through plausible failure and dispute scenarios
  • Change-control procedure records requests, impact assessment, approvals and revised baselines
  • Supplier mobilisation plan assigns deliverables, owners, dates and dependencies
  • Contract management plan schedules governance, performance reviews, risks and records
  • Remedies and escalation routes address non-performance before formal dispute action

Participants can establish supplier governance measures and apply course methods to an upcoming procurement requirement.

  • Supplier relationship segmentation determines governance intensity, collaboration and review frequency
  • Quarterly business reviews track performance, improvement actions, risks and innovations
  • Scorecards combine service, cost, quality, delivery, compliance and relationship measures
  • Benefits tracking validates savings, cost avoidance, cash impact and service outcomes
  • Lessons-learned review captures tender decisions, negotiation outcomes and control improvements
  • Personal application plan identifies a live tender, actions, sponsors and dates
  • Ethical closeout protects records, intellectual property, confidentiality and supplier feedback

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

What you take back to work

  1. Sourcing strategy template
  2. Tender documentation checklist
  3. Weighted bid-evaluation model
  4. Negotiation mandate template
  5. Concession planning matrix
  6. Contract management plan

Who should attend

  • Procurement Officers — need to run controlled tenders and document award decisions
  • Category Managers — need stronger sourcing strategies and supplier negotiation methods
  • Buyers — need practical tools for competitive purchasing and commercial discussions
  • Contract Managers — need to convert negotiated terms into manageable supplier obligations
  • Project Managers — need to procure goods, services or works against defined requirements
  • Technical Evaluators — need to assess supplier submissions fairly and consistently

Skills and tools covered

Tender strategy developmentBid evaluation governanceCommercial negotiation planningSupplier cost analysisContract risk allocationSupplier performance management

Tools and standards

Kraljic Matrix, BATNA, ZOPA, Incoterms 2020

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce tendering, commercial and negotiation methods, followed by case work based on realistic procurement situations. Participants review requirements, assess supplier-market evidence, build evaluation approaches and analyse pricing data in small groups. Negotiation simulations develop preparation, questioning, concession and closing skills under time pressure. Facilitated discussion compares alternative approaches and identifies control points for public, private and regulated procurement. Each participant completes an application plan for a current or forthcoming sourcing requirement.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical exposure to purchasing, sourcing, supplier management, contract administration or project procurement. They should understand basic purchasing terms such as purchase orders, quotations, specifications, supplier selection and contracts. Experience of supporting a tender, evaluating bids or speaking with suppliers is useful, but participants do not need to have led a formal procurement exercise. No legal qualification, finance specialism or prior negotiation course is required. The course explains the commercial and governance concepts needed for the tendering process.

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

Participants should understand basic purchasing activity and have some exposure to suppliers, quotations, contracts or sourcing decisions. No legal training, specialist finance knowledge or previous negotiation qualification is required.

Bring a laptop if available and, where permitted, a non-confidential example of a current tender, supplier issue or upcoming negotiation. Course materials and templates are provided.

The course is designed for procurement officers, buyers, category managers, contract managers, project managers and technical evaluators. It is particularly useful for people moving from transactional buying into formal tendering and supplier negotiations.

Strategic sourcing courses focus more broadly on category planning and long-term supply decisions, while contract management courses focus on post-award performance. This course concentrates on the tender process and the commercial negotiation that leads to contract award.

Participants can use the tender strategy, evaluation, negotiation and contract-management templates on live purchasing requirements. The application plan identifies a specific opportunity, stakeholders, actions and target dates.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, providing approximately 6.5 contact hours daily. Time is divided between instructor input, tender cases, document analysis, group work, negotiation simulations and application planning.

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

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