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Guidelines for Tenderers Submitting Tenders
Electronically
The following has been developed as a guideline to Tenderers submitting their tenders electronically via
Tenderlink. Abiding by these guidelines will assist with the evaluation of the tender responses and enable
the best possible assessment of each Submission.
Issue
Description
Example
Naming and Format of Files and Documents
PDF or MS Word
formats only
Please submit documents only in PDF or MS Word
formats. Excel, CAD, JPEG or other file formats are
to be provided ONLY WHEN REQUESTED.
Keep file names short
Keep file names relatively short – most Windows
based programs only allow a certain file length.
Long file names may cause problems when
uploading your tender submission.
File names should be kept to less
than 90 characters
Do not use illegal
characters or symbols
Do not use illegal characters, symbols or any other
non-English characters. Most Windows based
programs do not accept these.
a-z, A-Z, numbers 0-9 and full stops are acceptable.
Characters such as & - , ( ) ’ < ” +
are not accepted
File Size
There is not limitation on file size.
Before Uploading Tender Submissions
One file preferable
One file is preferable in PDF format. If there are
multiples documents, please name each of these
clearly and separately, i.e. do NOT give each
document the same name.
Use sequential order
for multiple
documents
Giving each multiple documents a number in
sequential order is also helpful as above, so that
these are not ordered chaotically.
01 Contract 1234 ……..
02 .......
03 .......
Re-name your
documents
Please do NOT save documents with the same name
that the files were provided with. Re-name the
documents with:
No of Doc – Contract Number – very brief
description of document – business/company name.
01 Contract 1234 – Submission from
ABC Company Pty Ltd
02 Contract 1234 – Submission of
Price Schedules from ABC Company
Pty Ltd
03 Contract 1234 – Certificate of
Currency...
Original documents
not required
Please do NOT upload the original tender
documentation that you downloaded from
Tenderlink, otherwise there is a possibility of double-
up documentation provided to Council. Send only
the relevant files where a response or signature is
required.
Conditions of Tender and General
Conditions of Contract don’t need to
be submitted (except for the signing
page)
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Issue
Description
Example
Allow time to upload
Ensure that sufficient time is allowed to upload the
Respondent’s Submission Form and all other
supporting documentation that constitutes the
Submission by the specified Closing Time. Upload
times may vary depending on the size of documents
submitted and internet speed.
Allow at least 2 hours BEFORE tender
closing to upload your submission.
Other Helpful Hints and Tips
Disable security and
protection features
Please disable ALL security features in your
document. Files MUST NOT be password protected
– please remove all protection or encryption from
documents before submission to Tenderlink.
Fully complete
response forms
Please ensure you FULLY complete tender response
forms and electronic documents –partially
completed documents may result in your tender to
be non-conforming.
Enter in ‘Nil’ rather than leaving a
section blank
Use the checklist
Use the checklist provided in the tender documents
to ensure that you have included everything in your
submission.
Check selection
criteria
Tenders are assessed against the selection criteria
during the evaluation stage. Evaluation team
members give a weighted score based on the
information your provide in your submission. Read
and understand what Council is asking for and don’t
‘assume’ we know your level of experience,
resources, capacity etc.
Sign your documents
Tenders are non-conforming if they are not signed.
For electronic documents, use a digital signature or
print, sign and scan the signature into your tender
submission.
https://support.office.com/en-
US/article/Add-or-remove-a-digital-
signature-in-Office-files-70D26DC9-
BE10-46F1-8EFA-719C8B3F1A2D
Ensure handwriting is
legible
If handwriting forms and scanning, please ensure
handwriting is legible and easily understood. Use a
black pen.
Do include company
brochures or
catalogues
Please submit documents only that are relevant for
the tender UNLESS REQUESTED. Brochures,
catalogues or pages of photos do not add value to
your submission. Too much extraneous information
slows down a smooth assessment process. Use real
life examples instead.
Reduce colour
Please do not use colour unnecessarily – creative use
of colour and formatting makes it more difficult to
find the actual information for tender assessments
and evaluation.
End