Which activities belong in the programme?

List source control, requirement extraction, evidence requests, draft dates, review gates, clarification deadlines, sign-off and final upload.

Bid programme controls
ActivityDependencyOutput
Pack reviewIssued filesDocument index
QuestionsOpen issuesClarification log
DraftingEvidence and ownersResponse files
ApprovalTechnical and commercial reviewAccepted positions
SubmissionFinal filesUpload record

How should late inputs be handled?

Record the impact on the response, owner and recovery action. Do not remove a review gate just to make an internal date look complete.

  • Client close date
  • Internal draft date
  • Specialist review
  • Approval buffer
  • Upload and contingency

What should the programme show at handoff?

Show open actions and their effect on final assembly. The programme is a control record, not a promise of client delivery performance.

Common questions

What else should the bid team know?

What should a bid programme include?

It should include client dates, internal gates, evidence requests, reviews, approvals and file assembly.

Who reviews a bid programme?

The bid manager maintains it and each response owner accepts the dates for their work.

Can a response template replace the issued tender?

No. The issued request and addenda control the final submission.

Primary sources

  1. Commonwealth Procurement RulesAustralian Government Department of Finance
  2. The Construction PlaybookUK Cabinet Office
  3. Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 15Acquisition.gov