8 signs of a contract tender
I am the head of a small design studio. I will tell you about some signs of contract tenders.
Unfortunately, tenders often have a pre-agreed contractor and it makes no sense to participate in them. However, there is no sign that the tender is dishonest (or we don’t know about it yet).
State structures cannot simply appoint a customer, but are obliged to conduct a competition - this is the law. And for the contractor, participation in the tender is filling out a bunch of papers, paying for the security of the application and sending papers by commercial mail, so I want to avoid unpromising tenders. To do this, we began to collect signs of such tenders. I will make a reservation that not one of them is a proof, but only one of the signs that something is wrong.
This is the most reliable way. We once found a great contest. The customer knew a friend from a friendly organization. We asked him to find out and after 5 minutes a text message came from a friend stating that the performer was already determined.
On the one hand, the terms for government contracts are always very tight. Therefore, if there is a theoretical probability that it is possible to be in time, then this does not count. But if the statement of work states that the new official website of the region should be done in 1 month, then you should be wary. The design cycle + layout + programming + testing for a large site cannot be less than 2 months, even if you have a thousand employees.
In such tenders, work has already been done in whole or in part. Or, the contractor has an agreement with the customer about the actual dates.
In one competition for creating a video clip, there was a condition for having a RED video camera of a certain model and with certain lenses. Such requirements arise when the customer already has a contractor with such equipment. In this case, the camera could be rented, but the amount of the contract was too low, all the money would go to rent.
There is still a story with video ads. In almost all tenders for it, except for filming the video itself, there is a requirement to broadcast it on certain channels. Moreover, based on the amount, it is clear that there is not enough money for the broadcast. Such tenders almost always win the television channels themselves, as they show this advertisement at home, respectively, greatly reduce costs.
You have to be careful here too. On the one hand, it happens that the maximum cost of the contract (in tenders you offer a price lower than the offered one) is higher than the market one. But if it goes beyond the reasonable, then perhaps this is the amount for a rollback or something like that.
TK in public procurement is not always ideal. Most often they are average. However, there are those where the scope of work is not clear. For example, the requirements for the site, server, database, and usability are described, but the sections and functionality are not described. This is to ensure that no one applies. In such cases, either ask for clarification of the TOR, or do not participate.
Often, the contractor has already done part of the work or all the work. In these cases, the requirements for the tender are asked to provide some ready-made materials in the application: often these are ready-made prototypes or even design options (if we are talking about the site).
It is important to understand that it is possible that the customer really believes that providing a prototype and design before a signed contract is normal. In this case, decide for yourself whether or not to participate.
The notice provides a set of documents. The most important is TK. If corrections have been made to it, and you have already submitted an application, you will have to make a new application. This is also a signal, although TK may be changed at the request of the performers to clarify some points.
In public procurement, all information is open. Check out old tenders. If the same performer makes video clips for the company, then most likely they have already established contact with the customer, and the next order will also go to him.
In the end, I want to remind once again that only alarms about the contractual nature of the tender are listed here. One cannot blame anyone on the basis of these data, although some of them are most likely illegal.
Unfortunately, tenders often have a pre-agreed contractor and it makes no sense to participate in them. However, there is no sign that the tender is dishonest (or we don’t know about it yet).
State structures cannot simply appoint a customer, but are obliged to conduct a competition - this is the law. And for the contractor, participation in the tender is filling out a bunch of papers, paying for the security of the application and sending papers by commercial mail, so I want to avoid unpromising tenders. To do this, we began to collect signs of such tenders. I will make a reservation that not one of them is a proof, but only one of the signs that something is wrong.
1. A friend or acquaintance who has a relationship with the customer
This is the most reliable way. We once found a great contest. The customer knew a friend from a friendly organization. We asked him to find out and after 5 minutes a text message came from a friend stating that the performer was already determined.
2. Short deadlines
On the one hand, the terms for government contracts are always very tight. Therefore, if there is a theoretical probability that it is possible to be in time, then this does not count. But if the statement of work states that the new official website of the region should be done in 1 month, then you should be wary. The design cycle + layout + programming + testing for a large site cannot be less than 2 months, even if you have a thousand employees.
In such tenders, work has already been done in whole or in part. Or, the contractor has an agreement with the customer about the actual dates.
3. Difficult conditions of the contract
In one competition for creating a video clip, there was a condition for having a RED video camera of a certain model and with certain lenses. Such requirements arise when the customer already has a contractor with such equipment. In this case, the camera could be rented, but the amount of the contract was too low, all the money would go to rent.
There is still a story with video ads. In almost all tenders for it, except for filming the video itself, there is a requirement to broadcast it on certain channels. Moreover, based on the amount, it is clear that there is not enough money for the broadcast. Such tenders almost always win the television channels themselves, as they show this advertisement at home, respectively, greatly reduce costs.
4. The contract value is too high
You have to be careful here too. On the one hand, it happens that the maximum cost of the contract (in tenders you offer a price lower than the offered one) is higher than the market one. But if it goes beyond the reasonable, then perhaps this is the amount for a rollback or something like that.
5. Turbid TK, from which the amount of work is not clear
TK in public procurement is not always ideal. Most often they are average. However, there are those where the scope of work is not clear. For example, the requirements for the site, server, database, and usability are described, but the sections and functionality are not described. This is to ensure that no one applies. In such cases, either ask for clarification of the TOR, or do not participate.
6. Together with the application, it is necessary to send part of the work
Often, the contractor has already done part of the work or all the work. In these cases, the requirements for the tender are asked to provide some ready-made materials in the application: often these are ready-made prototypes or even design options (if we are talking about the site).
It is important to understand that it is possible that the customer really believes that providing a prototype and design before a signed contract is normal. In this case, decide for yourself whether or not to participate.
7. Changes to the tender notice
The notice provides a set of documents. The most important is TK. If corrections have been made to it, and you have already submitted an application, you will have to make a new application. This is also a signal, although TK may be changed at the request of the performers to clarify some points.
8. History of the organization
In public procurement, all information is open. Check out old tenders. If the same performer makes video clips for the company, then most likely they have already established contact with the customer, and the next order will also go to him.
In the end, I want to remind once again that only alarms about the contractual nature of the tender are listed here. One cannot blame anyone on the basis of these data, although some of them are most likely illegal.