Pricing schedule and cost breakdown

What this is

A simple table that lists every line‑item of the contract, the unit price, quantity and total cost. It also records any optional or contingent costs (e.g., maintenance, support, warranty) so the evaluator can see the full financial picture.

When you need it

Use during the price submission stage after the technical specification has been filled in. Most tenders require a detailed price schedule before the bid is evaluated for economic‑most‑advantageous‑tender (Article 67). It is mandatory when the contract value exceeds the threshold set by the contracting authority.

How to fill it in

1. Identify every work package, supply or service from the tender specifications.
2. For each item write:
3. Item description – as stated in the tender (copy verbatim).
4. Quantity – exact number of units required.
5. Unit price – net amount excluding VAT and taxes.
6. Total price – quantity × unit price.
7. Add optional rows for:
8. Maintenance, support or warranty periods.
9. Contingency amounts (e.g., inflation indexation) if allowed by the tender.
10. Sum all totals to obtain the overall contract value; ensure it does not exceed any ceiling mentioned in the notice.
11. Sign the schedule and attach any supporting cost breakdown calculations.

What wins points

Evaluators assess the price‑quality ratio (Article 67). A transparent, detailed breakdown demonstrates that you have priced every element realistically and enables the authority to verify proportionality. If your schedule follows the tender’s price‑breakdown template precisely, it avoids penalties for non‑compliance and can improve the perceived value‑for‑money.

How this gets you disqualified

• Missing any required line‑item or leaving a column blank may be treated as an incomplete price submission (recital ... – see Directive 2014/24/EU).
• Using aggregated totals without the required unit breakdown can be rejected for lack of transparency.
• Submitting a price that exceeds the authority’s budget ceiling—or fails to respect the declared threshold—leads to automatic rejection (see Article 67 and procurement‑threshold rules).
• Failing to sign or attach the schedule as instructed is an administrative non‑conformity resulting in disqualification.

Template

| Item | Description (as in tender) | Quantity | Unit price (€) | Total price (€) |
|------|----------------------------|----------|----------------|-----------------|
| 1    | [SQUARE BRACKET]          | [ ]      | [ ]            | [ ]             |
| 2    | [SQUARE BRACKET]          | [ ]      | [ ]            | [ ]             |
| …    |                            |          |                |                 |

**Optional / contingent costs**
| Cost type | Description | Amount (€) |
|-----------|-------------|------------|
| Maintenance | [SQUARE BRACKET] | [ ] |
| Warranty   | [SQUARE BRACKET] | [ ] |
| Contingency| [SQUARE BRACKET] | [ ] |

**Overall contract value:** €[TOTAL]