The documents of an average tender run to between 50 and 300 pages. You do not need most of them to decide whether to bid. You need a particular reading order.
Step 1: the notice (10 minutes)
Subject, estimated value, type of procedure, deadline, award criterion, lots, place of performance. If the value is outside your range or the deadline is in a week, stop here.
Step 2: the selection criteria (20 minutes)
The “Requirements for bidders” section or the selection fields in the notice. Three groups: suitability (registrations, licences), economic standing (turnover, insurance), technical capacity (completed contracts, staff, equipment, standards). Compare each point with your company. One requirement you do not meet, with no option of a third party or a consortium, means the end.
Step 3: the technical specification (30–40 minutes)
What exactly is being bought, in what quantities, with what characteristics, by when, with what warranty. Look for:
- minimum technical parameters you must prove with documents;
- deadlines and stages – are they realistic for you;
- standards and certificates – do you have them;
- site conditions – site visits, work in an operating facility, restrictions.
Step 4: the draft contract (20 minutes)
Read five things: method and timing of payment, advance, penalties, performance guarantee, conditions for termination. A tender paid 60 days after acceptance and with no advance needs working capital that not every company has. Penalties of 0.5% a day quickly exceed the profit.
Step 5: the evaluation method (15 minutes)
How the points are divided between price and quality and by which indicators. This sets the strategy of the bid. Read the expert-assessed indicators carefully – they describe exactly what the committee expects to see in the technical proposal.
Step 6: the forms and the list of documents (10 minutes)
What has to be presented and in what form. This is where you make the checklist.
What to skip on the first read
The general legal texts, the articles copied from the law, the standard declarations. You will read them if you decide to bid.
The decision
After the two hours answer four questions: do we meet the requirements; can we deliver the specification on time; are the contract terms acceptable; do we stand a chance under this criterion against these competitors. Four “yes” – bid. One “no” – the next tender.
The AI summaries on Tender Bulgaria do exactly this sorting for you: requirements, specification, contract, method and risks on one screen. The decision stays yours.
Updated on 1 Oct 2026. The article is general information, not legal advice.
