How can SLB Legal help?
If you are responding to a tender to win work with the Government or a private business, you need SLB Legal in your corner. Our lawyers have years of experience helping Government and private business issue and respond to tenders. We understand the process and the rules for procurement processes. Our expertise can guide and support your business with submitting your response right through to signing the deal.
Response requirements
Firstly, most, if not all, tenders will have conditions about the process and how a business needs to respond. You need to be aware what these are and follow them in order to put your best foot forward. SLB Legal will review these conditions and make sure that you understand what is required before you respond.
We can then cross-reference your response with the tender requirements to ensure your response complies and is clear about what your business can deliver.
Submitting a response which misleads, misrepresents or is inaccurate about your services or products can result in financial penalties for your business. This is why having SLB Legal review your response before you submit it is so important.
Draft contracts and compliance statements
Secondly, many tenders will contain a draft contract. This contains the terms and conditions that the successful bidder will need to sign up to before delivering their products or services.
Small and medium businesses often do not review this contract. This contract is drafted by and for the Purchaser's. There will be terms in this contract which are unfavourable and risky for your business. We will review this contract and identify these potential risks for you to understand and consider.
Many business owners also don't realise that they can and need to request changes to the terms of the proposed contract as part of their tender response. This is usually called a statement of compliance or contract compliance statement. By not preparing one of these you will leave your business in a position with little or no ability to negotiate contract changes to reduce your supply risk.
Not raising or making any changes to a draft contract will leave your business at a greater risk of breaching the contract with the purchaser.
It is important to not only win the tender, but to win the work on terms that allow you to deliver on your promises.
Having SLB Legal on your bid team could be the difference between a compliant response or a risky one.
If you are responding to a Request for Tender (RTF), Request for Quote (RFQ), Request for Proposal, Expression of Interest (EOI) or any kind of procurement process click here and book a free discovery call with us today.