Foreign calls and tenders: how to participate

Every year, calls and tenders are a real opportunity for companies in every country at the international level.
Participation in these calls requires specific precautions and a particular attention. The quality of contents that describe the offer is as important as the offer itself, and the institutional aspects should not be underestimated. The reasons that can lead to the exclusion of a proposal in the evaluation phase may often include the incompleteness or incorrectness of the documents required for participation. Therefore, for a company it is essential, especially in the context of an international tender, to have the right technical, legal and administrative skills and to make use of a professional translation agency.

Which documents are needed to participate in international tenders?

When participating in an international tender, a series of documents, administrative procedures and certificates must be submitted to the bodies concerned:

• certificate of registration with the Chamber of Commerce
• document certifying that the company is up to date with the payment of social security contributions and charges
• list of company directors and shareholders
• certified copy of the financial statements approved by the tax administration
• certified copy of the company’s articles of incorporation
• technical offer of the company concerning supplies and products
• cost analysis
• CVs or degree certificates of the professionals involved
• bank references

The role of the Project Manager in managing the participation procedure

To prepare the documents needed to participate in a tender, the support of a Project Manager is crucial. This specialized figure plans the activities in a rigorous way, structuring them in 4 main phases:

1. ANALYSIS
   The analysis is key to understand the requirements of the tender notice, clarify any interpretative doubts and evaluate the budget and the real interest of the company in participating.
2. ORGANISATION
   The company prepares for participation in the tender and plans the drafting of the required documentation. The Project Manager identifies the person responsible for the collection and drafting of the contents and manages their delivery times.
3. DRAFTING
   The operating phase begins and the required documents are prepared, which are usually divided into technical and economic ones, accompanied by any additional documents specifically requested for the tender.
4. PRESENTATION
   The last phase is the documentation review. The proposal is reviewed, checked and corrected, the completeness of the information and the uniformity of styles and formal aspects are verified.

How to effectively write the documentation for calls and tenders

Among the documents to be submitted for participation in calls and tenders, those of a technical nature are the most complex and demanding. With respect to the contents concerning the economic offer or the annexes that refer to conventional standards, the technical documents must contain all the information necessary to make the evaluator understand the validity of the proposal.

The starting point for the drafting of this type of documents is to know and understand well the requirements of the call. The correct and complete reading of the call makes it possible to create a list of specifications and requirements submitted to the evaluation criteria. Translation of the tender notice is essential to fully understand the relevant points and propose the best solution.

On the other hand, when writing the documents, the concepts of the proposal must be presented in a clear and concise manner, and subsequently explored in depth with detailed descriptions. It is important to highlight the positive points of the proposal and involve the reader gradually, choosing the appropriate words and terms to demonstrate to have understood the call in the correct way. The task of the translator designated to draft the contents in the language of the call is to use a simple and direct writing methodology, guaranteeing effective readability and communication.

The administrative documentation and annexed certificates may require a sworn translation, which officially certifies that the content of the translation is perfectly consistent with the content of the certificate or document issued in the language of origin.