How-to guide

How to track tender deadlines and bids

Missing a tender deadline by an hour means the work was wasted. A simple pipeline - with every deadline in one place and a checklist per bid - keeps the team on time and shows which bids are worth chasing.

Published 8 Nov 20264 min readBy metre2

Quick answer

Log every opportunity as soon as you see it, decide bid or no-bid, put every deadline in one calendar, and record why you won or lost. Open the Metre2 Tender & Bid Management in your browser - it's free for 15 days, then a one-off price, and nothing you type is uploaded.

Log it early

Record the client, value, return date and where the documents are as soon as an opportunity appears - even if you might not bid.

Decide bid or no-bid

Ask the same questions each time: is it our kind of work, can we resource it, do we know the client, what's our chance of winning? Saying no early frees time for bids you can win.

Every date, not just the return date

Clarification question deadlines, site visits, mid-tender interviews and the submission time (often noon, not midnight) all belong in the calendar.

A checklist per bid

Pricing document, method statement, programme, insurances, accreditations, case studies, forms of tender. Reuse a standard checklist and tick it off as you go.

Learn from the result

Record the outcome, the winning price if you can get it and the feedback. After a dozen bids the pattern - who you lose to and why - is worth more than any one result.

Do it in the Metre2 Tender & Bid Management - 15 days free in your browser, or as a Windows app.

Use it in your browser - free, no sign-up Get the Windows app More about Tender & Bid Management

Common mistakes

Tracking only the return date.
Bidding for everything that comes in.
Not asking for feedback after a loss.

Frequently asked questions

Who is this for?

Contractors, subcontractors and consultants who bid regularly and want one place for every tender.

Can it show deadlines and win rates?

Yes. Tender & Bid Management has a pipeline board with deadline countdowns, document checklists, a calendar and win/loss analysis.