Free template

Tender response structure

A complete tender response normally has eight parts: an offer letter, the ESPD or self-declaration, qualification documentation, a solution description that answers each award criterion, the price form, reservations and deviations, attachments, and confirmations with signature. Always follow the order and format the tender documents ask for — they override any template.

How to use it

  1. Open the tender documents and note the required structure, page limits and file formats.
  2. Map every award criterion and requirement to a section below.
  3. Use the outline as your table of contents and tick off each part before you upload.

The template

  1. 1. Offer letter

    • Who you are and which competition the bid is for, with the buyer's reference number
    • Confirmation that you accept the terms, or a reference to your reservations
    • How long the bid is valid and who the contact person is
    • Signed by someone authorised to bind the company

  2. 2. ESPD or self-declaration

    • Filled in exactly in the format the buyer asks for
    • Above the EU/EEA thresholds, the ESPD is the standard self-declaration
    • Include partners or subcontractors you rely on to qualify

  3. 3. Qualification documentation

    • Only what the qualification requirements ask for, and only when the buyer asks for it
    • Typically company registration, tax certificates, financial statements, references and certifications

  4. 4. Solution description

    • One section per award criterion and sub-criterion, in the buyer's order and with the buyer's headings
    • Answer each requirement explicitly and point to where it is met
    • Refer to CVs, references and attachments instead of repeating them

  5. 5. Price

    • The buyer's price form, filled in completely and without changing the form
    • Check totals, units, VAT and currency

  6. 6. Reservations and deviations

    • Either state that there are no reservations, or list each one with a reference to the clause
    • Material reservations lead to rejection, so keep them to a minimum

  7. 7. Attachments

    • CVs, references, certificates and data sheets, numbered and listed
    • File names that match the list

  8. 8. Confirmations and signature

    • Every confirmation the buyer asks for, for example on pay and working conditions
    • Signed where the documents require it

Before you submit

  • Page limits, file formats and file names as required
  • Every requirement answered or marked as met
  • Uploaded in the buyer's tendering system well before the deadline
  • A receipt from the system saved

Automate this in Tenderen

Tenderen extracts the requirements and award criteria from the tender documents so you can map each one to a section, drafts answer sections with AI on Pro and Enterprise, and flags requirements that are not yet answered before you submit.

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Last reviewed 4 October 2026