ABSTRACT
This chapter is primarily concerned with the invitation to tender using the traditional method of procurement, although much of what is contained here is also relevant to other methods. Invitation to tender via the traditional and design and build methods of procurement comes about in primarily ways. When the tender documentation arrives, the estimator will check that all the information stated in the letter of invitation is enclosed, there is sufficient information to permit a realistic cost of the contract to be produced and that adequate time has been allowed to produce an informed and accurate tender. Receipt of an invitation to tender, the contractor has to decide whether to accept or decline the invitation. The documents are returned to give the opportunity for another contractor to tender. The estimator's tender programme shows these overlaps; while the preliminaries items come first in the decisions on whether items, which needs to be determined.
