Clarifying the Clarification Question

The bid is in full swing. You’ve read through the procurement documents, you’re starting to put your solution together – but suddenly, you spot something in the docs that just doesn’t make sense.

What are you going to do?

Don’t panic. In this situation, you have a superpower at your disposal: the ability to ask a clarification question (CQ).

How the process works

Asking a CQ is generally a very simple process:

• The procurement documents will tell you where to submit your questions – this is usually an electronic portal or an email address
• Submit your questions there, then wait for the buyer to reply
• Buyers will generally publish their responses in batches, and will notify all bidders when the CQ log has been updated
• The deadline for submitting clarification questions is usually a week or so before tender submission.

How to make the most of CQs

The most effective CQs are specific, concise, and submitted in good time. Here are a few tips and tricks for making the most of your CQs:

Read the tender documents very carefully. Work out where there are gaps or inconsistencies – remember that these procurements are often written by multiple people. Raise these issues as early as possible within your team (for example, during your kick-off meeting), and get your subject matter experts involved as well to clarify any technical/specialist points. Not only does reading the documents carefully help you to pinpoint any areas for clarification – it also saves you from the embarrassment of asking a question about something that was clearly explained in the documents already!

Review the wording of your CQ internally to ensure it’s specific and concise. Stick to one issue per question, and if you’re asking about a particular section of the Invitation To Tender (ITT), streamline things for the buyer by directly referring to that section. This is something Kittle Group is very happy to help you with!

Look for opportunities to be tactical. If there’s an ambiguous point in the ITT, you can ask your CQ in a way that leads the buyer to endorse an interpretation that helps you. For example: “Can you confirm our interpretation of X, that it means Y, given the context of Z”. This will (hopefully!) lead the buyer to agree with the interpretation that favours you (Z). Don’t overuse this tactic, but do try to spot these opportunities to tip things in your favour.

Remember that the buyer knows who’s asking each question. A poorly worded CQ wouldn’t reflect brilliantly on you. Equally, remember that every bidder can see your questions (and the answers). You don’t want to reveal anything that would give other bidders a clue about their competition – for example, certainly don’t use your company name in a CQ. You can try asking a confidential CQ (for example, if you need to reveal commercially sensitive information to ask the question), but it’s ultimately up to the buyer whether or not they agree that it’s confidential. If they agree it’s a confidential CQ, they’ll answer directly to you. If they disagree, they’ll inform you that it won’t be considered confidential – at which point you can decide whether to drop the question or agree that your question and its reply can be made public to all bidders.

Know your CQ deadline, and submit well in advance if possible. The CQ deadline is usually about a week before the tender submission date, but, in general, it’s good to have all the information at your disposal before you get too far into the process of coming up with your solution.

And finally, if the buyer has answered your CQ but things still aren’t clear enough: clarify the clarification! You’re within your rights to gently push back until you get the information you need.

The power of the CQ

Clarification questions are a really useful tool when they’re used well. They give you more confidence in the bid requirements, allowing you to submit a higher quality response. A proactive CQ can also demonstrate that you’re a detail-oriented bidder, who’s genuinely interested in getting things right for the buyer.

Raising a clarification question is always better than making an incorrect assumption – and a laser-focused, effectively worded CQ is one of your bidding superpowers.

At Kittle Group, not only can we identify areas for clarification, but we help you to word and submit CQs that get to the heart of the issue and bring you peace of mind.

We’ve spent the past decade supporting bidders of all sizes through their bidding journeys. Get in touch to see how we can help you – [email protected] or 0118 449 2506.