Core playbook · Free
Tender documents intake checklist
What to extract from the contract notice and tender pack on day one.
Tender documents intake checklist
What this is
A concise list of the essential information a contractor must extract from the contract notice and accompanying tender pack on day one of a procurement.
When you need it
Use immediately after receiving the contract notice (selection stage). It is mandatory for all EU public procurements because missing any required item leads to an incomplete submission that can be rejected outright.
How to fill it in
- Open the contract notice (Article 49) and locate the "Information to be included in contract notices" section.
- Record the following fields:
- Contract reference number
- Procurement title & description of the object
- Estimated total value (including VAT)
- Deadline for submission of tenders
- Date of contract notice publication
- Type of procedure (open, restricted, negotiated etc.)
- Any special conditions or criteria mentioned
- From the tender pack, note:
- Technical specifications / functional requirements
- Evaluation and award criteria (Article 67)
- Required supporting documents (e.g., financial statements, references)
- Store this checklist in a shared folder for all team members to reference.
What wins points
While the intake checklist itself is not scored, completing it ensures you meet administrative compliance – a pass/fail gate. It also lets you spot early any mandatory criteria, enabling you to tailor your offer and avoid costly re‑work, indirectly improving the quality of your response and helping you score higher on the MEAT (most economically advantageous tender) criteria.
How this gets you disqualified
- Missing any of the items listed above in the contract notice leads to an incomplete tender file → automatic rejection under Article 57 exclusion grounds.
- Incorrect or omitted deadline dates cause late submission, a common ground for disqualification.
- Failing to include required supporting documents (e.g., tax certificates) results in non‑compliance with Article 54‑56 administrative checks.
Template
Tender reference: [REF] Procurement title: [TITLE] Description of object: [DESCRIPTION] Estimated total value: [VALUE] EUR Submission deadline: [DATE] Publication date: [DATE] Procedure type: [OPEN/RESTRICTED/...] Special conditions: [...] Technical specs reference: [DOC] Evaluation criteria summary: [CRITERIA] Supporting documents required: [LIST]
What wins points
A complete intake checklist ensures all mandatory data from the contract notice is captured, preventing disqualification for missing information and enabling a compliant full tender submission.
How this gets you disqualified
Omitting any required field (e.g., deadline, reference number) or failing to attach supporting documents leads to automatic rejection under exclusion grounds (Article 57).
What an evaluator actually looks for
First check the contract notice for completeness – evaluators verify that every mandatory item is present before assessing technical merit.
Sources
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