8 signs of a contractual tender

I am the head of a small design studio. I'll tell you about some signs of contractual tenders.

Unfortunately, tenders often have a predetermined contractor and it does not make sense to participate in them. However, there is no sign that the tender is dishonest (or we do not yet know about it).

State structures can not simply appoint a customer, and are obliged to hold a competition - this is the law. And for the performer, participation in the tender is the execution of a heap of papers, payment for security of the application and sending the papers by commercial mail, so you want to avoid unpromising tenders. For this, we began to collect signs of such tenders. I will make a reservation that none of them is proof, but only one of the signs that something is wrong.

1. A friend or acquaintance who has a connection with the customer

This is the most reliable way. We once found a great competition. The customer knew a friend from a friendly organization. We asked him to find out and after 5 minutes of a friend came a text message that the performer had already been determined.
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2. Short deadlines

On the one hand, the terms on state contracts are always very tight. Therefore, if there is a theoretical probability that you can make it up, then it does not count. But if the TK indicates that the new official website of the region should be done in 1 month, then you should be wary. Cycle design + layout + programming + testing for a large site can not be less than 2 months, even if you have a thousand employees.

In such tenders, work has already been done in whole or in part. Or the contractor has an agreement with the customer about the real deadlines.

3. Difficult contract terms

In one contest for creating a video, there was a condition for having a RED video camera of a certain model and with certain lenses. Such requirements arise when the customer already has a contractor with such equipment. In this case, the camera could be rented, but the amount of the contract was too low, all the money would have gone on rent.

There is also a story with video ads. Practically in all tenders for it, except for the filming of the video itself, there is a requirement to broadcast it on certain channels. Moreover, based on the amount, it is clear that there will not be enough money for the broadcast. Such tenders almost always benefit the TV channels themselves, since they show this advertisement in their own house, respectively, and greatly reduce costs.

4. Contract cost too high

Here, too, must be careful. On the one hand, it happens that the maximum contract value (in tenders you offer a price lower than the one offered) is higher than the market price. But if it goes beyond the limits of reasonable, then perhaps this is the amount for a pullback or something.

5. Turbid TK, from which the amount of work is not clear

TK in public procurement is not always perfect. Most often they are average. However, there are those where the amount of work is not clear. For example, the requirements for the site, server, database and usability are described, but sections and functionality are not described. This is done to ensure that no one submitted applications. In such cases, either ask to clarify the TK, or do not participate.

6. Together with the application must be sent part of the work.

Often the specified performer has already done part of the work or all the work. In these cases, the requirements for the tender are asked to provide some ready-made materials in the application: often these are ready-made prototypes or even design options (if this is the site).

Here it is important to understand that the customer may actually believe that the provision of prototype and design before the signed contract is normal. In this case, decide for yourself whether or not to participate.

7. Changes in the tender notice

The notice provides a set of documents. The most important is TK. If you made adjustments to it, and you have already submitted an application, you will have to make a new application. This is also a signal, although TK may change, at the request of the executors, to clarify some points.

8. History of the organization

In public procurement all information is open. Check out old tenders. If the same artist makes video clips for the company, then, most likely, they have already established contact with the customer, and the next order will also go to him.

In the end, I want to remind once again that only the alarm signals about the contractual nature of the tender are listed here. You can not blame anyone on the basis of these data, although some of them are most likely illegal.