The Two-Stage Structure: Pre-Qualification (SQ) vs Full Tender (ITT)
Larger contracts are often run in two stages. First a Selection Questionnaire (SQ), formerly the PQQ, filters suppliers on eligibility: financial standing, insurance, and relevant experience. Only those who pass receive the full Invitation to Tender (ITT).
Smaller contracts skip the SQ and use a single-stage ITT. Either way, knowing which stage you are at tells you what the document in front of you is asking for: can you bid? (SQ) versus here is your bid (ITT). New to the term ITT? Start with what an Invitation to Tender is.
The Invitation to Tender: Where the Rules Live
The ITT, sometimes called the “Instructions to Tenderers”, is the rulebook. Read it first and read it twice. It tells you:
Deadlines and timeline
Submission deadline, clarification deadline, and the contract start date.
Format and limits
Word or page limits per question, file formats, and how to submit.
Mandatory documents
The exact list of forms and declarations that must be returned.
Grounds for rejection
What counts as non-compliant. Getting this wrong disqualifies you before scoring begins.
The Specification: What the Buyer Actually Wants
The specification (or “statement of requirements”) describes the work: scope, volumes, service levels, locations, and the outcomes the buyer expects. It is also the source material for every quality answer you write, so read it before touching anything else.
Read it against your own capability honestly. A specification that demands 24/7 cover or a certification you do not hold is telling you something important before you spend a week writing.
Conditions of Contract and Pricing Schedule: Where Bids Are Won or Lost on Paper
Conditions of contract
The terms you accept if you win: liabilities, payment terms, KPIs, and termination rights. Read these before you price; onerous terms carry real cost.
Pricing schedule
A fixed template for your costs. Complete it exactly as instructed. Reformatting it, or pricing outside the template, is a common disqualifier.
Evaluation Criteria: How the Buyer Scores You
This is the single most important section, and the one first-timers skim. It tells you the quality/price split and the weight of every question. That tells you exactly where to spend your effort.
Map the weightings before writing. If quality is 60% and split across four questions, those four answers earn most of your score. Price is secondary.
A Worked Example
Take a typical NHS services ITT. The evaluation section reads: “Quality 60% / Price 40%. Quality assessed against questions Q3.1–Q3.4.”
The translation
Four written questions determine the majority of your score. The pricing schedule decides less than half. Most SMEs spend 80% of their time on price, yet the criteria reward the opposite approach.
Now that you know what’s inside the pack, the next challenge is getting through it without missing a disqualifying clause. See how to read a bid pack like an analyst. For how AI handles the reading at scale, go to reading tenders with AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a tender document, an ITT, and a bid pack?
They describe the same thing at different levels. An Invitation to Tender (ITT) is the formal name for the document a buyer issues. "Bid pack" is how suppliers colloquially refer to everything they receive: the ITT plus annexes, specification, pricing template and any draft contract. "Tender document" is the umbrella term covering all of it.
Do I have to respond to every section of a tender document?
Yes, with rare exceptions. Most public-sector tenders are pass/fail on completeness. A missing pricing schedule or unsigned declaration can disqualify an otherwise strong bid regardless of quality. Read the Instructions to Tenderers section first; it specifies exactly which documents are mandatory for submission.
What is a Selection Questionnaire (SQ) and is it different from a PQQ?
They are functionally identical. The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) was the standard term before 2016; the Crown Commercial Service replaced it with the standardised Selection Questionnaire (SQ) for most UK public contracts. Both gate your entry to the full tender stage by checking financial standing, insurance and relevant experience.