Why may you choose to challenge an unsuccessful outcome?
Some reasons for challenging the outcome may include:
Incorrect scoring of the response, the feedback may suggest that responses have not been read in their entirety.
The successful bidder submitted an unrealistically low price.
Suspicion of corruption or bribery
The documentation format favoured a particular bidder.
The decision to challenge an outcome primarily relies on whether you feel the tender process has been run and evaluated appropriately.
Should you consider challenging an outcome based on price, you will need to consider that tenders are not assessed solely on price but also consider your quality score. Therefore, despite providing the lowest price of any bidder, you may still lose out to a competitor who exceeds your quality score.
Before you raise a formal challenge, you need to think carefully about your reasoning. It is essential to demonstrate why the contract award is non-compliant with the award criteria or provide evidence of unfair treatment. Successful challenges normally centre on objective grounds. Useful strategies for improving the success rate of your challenge include:
Reviewing the original ITT documents.
Re-checking the scoring criteria.
Reviewing your quality answers to ensure they align with the specification.
Making sure the feedback is fair and matches up with what you have written and/or provided.
It is important to try to understand why the decision was made not to award you the contract, it is essential to spend time assessing all information available to you and not just basing it on a subjective opinion. Should you still believe you have grounds for a challenging an unsuccessful outcome, seek professional advice on how to do so the correct way.
Should you require any further advice or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us:
E: enquiries@klickbusinesssolutions.co.uk
T: 01384 279568