ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the process suppliers of goods and services typically go through when they are asked to submit a price for undertaking a piece of work. It examines the entire bid process from when a supplier is first considered for a particular piece of work to when contracts are signed between the client and the supplier. The bid process should be evaluated immediately after the successful signing of the contract and it may be useful to hold a review once the project is complete. The bid process is managed as a single entity within the bidding organization but the activities that take place are often delegated to separate units within it. Suppliers have to become experts in preparing and submitting winning bids if they are to survive and grow in an increasingly competitive market. For suppliers the bidding process consists of three stages: pre-invitation to tender, proposal preparation and publication and contract negotiations.
