The commercial bid must be comparable: same format, same scope and same conditions as the tender documents require. Anything that does not fit the format forces the buyer to interpret, and that almost never works in the bidder's favor.
1. The pricing sheet
- Fill in the sheet exactly as the client provides it: same items, units and quantities. If something is missing, add it as a separate item and flag it; do not hide it in another price.
- Unit and total prices, with no arithmetic errors (in case of a discrepancy, the unit price usually prevails).
- Currency of each price and whether or not it includes VAT.
- Mobilization and demobilization items, standby (equipment or personnel idle for reasons attributable to the client) and waiting hours, if applicable.
2. Price analysis (cost structure)
Many tender documents ask for a breakdown of each price. Even if they do not, building one is the best way to quote well and to justify the adjustment formula afterward:
| Component | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Labor | Collective agreement base wages, additional pay, social charges, ART (workers' compensation), meal allowance, travel hours. |
| Equipment | Depreciation, maintenance, insurance, fuel and lubricants. |
| Materials | Those supplied by the contractor, with freight. |
| Subcontracts | What is outsourced. |
| Overhead | Company and project structure (office, supervision, HSE, quality). |
| Financing cost | For the payment term and the inflation between when money is spent and when it is collected. |
| Profit | Expected margin. |
| Taxes | Gross income tax, bank debit and credit tax, contract stamp tax. |
3. Commercial terms
- Bid validity (30, 60 or 90 days) and what happens if the award is made later.
- Payment terms: period from the invoice or from approval of the certificate; advance payment (with its guarantee); retainage.
- Price adjustment: accept the formula in the tender documents or propose one, with its indices and weights. See Price adjustment clauses.
- Guarantees and insurance included in the price.
- Delivery period or committed execution period.
- Commercial exceptions, in a separate, clear list.
4. Forgotten taxes and costs
- Stamp tax: in several producing provinces the contract is subject to stamp tax; clarify who pays it and in what proportion.
- Gross income tax and the multilateral agreement if working in several provinces.
- Financing cost: with payments at 60 or 90 days, the money you put in until you collect is a real cost.
- Inductions, medical exams and training required by the operator before starting.
- Mobilization to the site, lodging and meals if the site is far away.
A tipIf the tender documents contain something that cannot be quoted with certainty (uncertain quantities, access, weather), it is better to quote with an explicit assumption ("it is assumed that…") than to inflate the price to cover yourself. The buyer can compare assumptions; they cannot compare hidden cushions.
General guide based on common industry practice; it does not replace legal, tax or accounting advice for each case.