Competitive Bidding (2024)

A form of solicitation used in the procurement of goods and services

Written byCFI Team

Updated November 7, 2022

Competitive bidding is a form of solicitation that is used in the procurement of goods and services. It is used by companies and government agencies that require the delivery of products or services on a large-scale basis. The agency or company must issue a form of solicitation, commonly referred to as a Request for Proposal (RFP), which details the products or services that they require vendors to show interest in supplying through a competitive bidding process.

Competitive Bidding (1)

TheProcess ofCompetitive Bidding

Interested vendors send their bids for consideration within a specified period. The bids are sealed to increase the confidentiality of each vendor’s proposal. After the expiry of the bid submission period, the recipient of the bids then selects the bidder with the lowest or best terms for the RFP. The selection can be done in an open or closed bidding process.

In addition to the procurement of goods and services, competitive bids are also used in the sale of companies where an investment banker can solicit letters of intent from potential buyers. The bidding process is aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the bids, avoiding preferential treatments, and enabling the company to get the best offer.

For a vendor to be selected to fulfill the supply of products and/or services, they must demonstrate their capability, history, and readiness to execute the project.

Buyer’s Viewpoint on Competitive Bidding

Identifying the most qualified vendor

From the buyer’s side, competitive bidding serves to identify the most qualified vendors of particular goods and services. The buyer or recipient of bids must prepare a complete RFP and publish it, so that it reaches qualified vendors. Ideally, when bidding for the order, vendors must show their ability to execute the order by detailing their history of achievements, the cost of delivering the products or services, and the timelines of making deliveries.

For specialized services such as the purchase and installation of a dialysis machine in a hospital, the buyer would want to award the tender to a vendor who is specialized in the field and who has already made similar installations in other hospitals.

Evaluating the bids

After the company receives the proposals, it must evaluate each bid depending on the information provided by each vendor. The evaluation process may also involve conducting face-to-face interviews with the bidders to determine the most qualified one. The buyer will then choose the winner and invite the winning vendor to work on the project. In a well-managed competitive bidding process, all interested vendors, including the losers, should be informed about the outcome.

Sometimes, a company may decide not to publish the RFP, but invite a handful of trusted vendors that it has already worked with before. This practice often occurs in already established businesses that published RFPs in previous periods and have developed a list of vendors that delivered according to their promise. The practice helps reduce the duration of the bidding process since the buyer already possesses background information on all the vendors and will spend less time in choosing the winning bid.

Seller’s Viewpoint on Competitive Bidding

Seller’s bidding process

The seller’s responsibility is to send proposals in response to an RFP and convince the buyer that they are the right people for the job. The typical bidding process for a seller is as follows: getting qualified to send proposals; reviewing the terms of the RFP and determining if they are qualified; creating and sending a proposal that satisfies the requirements of the RFP; and getting a response as to whether they won or lost the bidding.

One of the critical factors that determine if the seller will be awarded the job or not is cost estimation. The seller must do adequate market research to ensure that the price they quote corresponds to the market rate. In addition, they must understand the requirements of the RFP and seek clarifications on areas where they are uncertain. Failure to comply with the terms often results in disqualification during the selection process.

Seller’s considerations in a bidding process

There are several things that sellers consider when responding to the RFP. First, the seller must understand the buyer’s needs by knowing what exactly they want, and use that as a basis for pricing the proposal. Even though buyers tend to consider the low-priced bids, sometimes the buyer may consider a high-priced bid if it is unique, the seller’s qualifications are unusual, or the seller guarantees a seamless delivery of goods.

On the other hand, a seller may decline to respond to a proposal if, according to their knowledge and previous engagement with the client, they face low chances of winning in a competitive bidding process. It may be because of inadequate experience, inability to meet the terms of the proposal, or that the buyer expects a bid that the seller considers too low.

Competitive Bidding in IPOs

Besides the procurement of goods and services, competitive bidding is also used in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Usually, when a company plans to sell its first issue of stock to the public, it invites underwriters to submit sealed bids for them to be considered for the assignment. The company then evaluates the received bids to determine the underwriter with the best price and contract terms that are beneficial to both parties.

However, most underwriters prefer a negotiated bidding process as opposed to competitive bidding. Negotiated bidding allows the issuing company to directly negotiate with the underwriters and agree on a fee and contract terms that are favorable to both sides. It also gives the issuing company an opportunity to work with underwriters that they are familiar with or that have already established a good reputation in the stock market.

Benefits of Competitive Bidding

Competitive bidding offers several advantages to both the buyer and the seller, as outlined below:

To the buyer

Competitive bidding helps the buyers get the best price and contract terms for their proposals. It allows them to get the most qualified sellers of products and services while keeping costs low. They also get to work with sellers with a history of achievements and that are qualified to deliver specialized services.

To the seller

Competitive bidding allows sellers to execute proposals they are familiar with and at a rate that they determine. It allows them to save on costs that they could’ve used to find potential buyers for their products or services.

Related Readings

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Competitive Bidding (2024)

FAQs

What are different types of competitive bidding? ›

The three most effective formal methods of competitive bidding are the Request for Quotation (RFQ), the Request for Proposal (RFP), and the Request for Qualificatons (RQFL).

What are the benefits of competitive bidding? ›

Competitive bidding between firms drives lower prices, higher quality and increased innovation. Open and competitive bidding processes ensure Canadians get the highest value for their tax dollars, allowing governments to reduce costs and improve the quality of goods and services procured.

How do you win competitive bidding? ›

Bidding on Business? 5 Tips to Beat the Competition
  1. Be ready to start. Don't enter the proposal stage without making sure you're equipped to handle the work. ...
  2. Be picky about opportunities. Just because you're invited to bid doesn't mean you have to accept. ...
  3. Spend time researching. ...
  4. Provide value. ...
  5. Discount strategically.
26 Apr 2018

What are the two 2 types of competitive public bidding? ›

There are two types of bidding in procurement: open or competitive bidding, and closed (“sealed”) or noncompetitive bidding.

What are the three types of bidding? ›

Types of bids include auction bids, online bids, and sealed bids.

What are the 4 stages of the bidding process? ›

The Bidding Process
  • Step 1: Request For Proposals. Product owners or project teams first need to issue a request for proposal (RFP) or invitation to bid (ITB) to initiate the bidding process. ...
  • Step 2: Bid Preparation Of Interested Parties. ...
  • Step 3: Bid Evaluation And Selection. ...
  • Step 4: Contract Negotiation And Awarding.
18 Feb 2022

What is the main purpose of competitive tendering? ›

What is competitive tendering? In a nutshell, competitive tendering is where potential suppliers bid against each other to win contracts. You will most commonly find these tenders within the public sector. The purpose of this tendering process is to find the best goods/services and value for money.

What are the 4 competitive advantages? ›

The four primary methods of gaining a competitive advantage are cost leadership, differentiation, defensive strategies and strategic alliances.

Is competitive bidding the same as tendering? ›

In short, they are the same thing. Traditionally a 'Tender' is a formal offer (bid) to supply goods, works, or services, but it is now also commonly used to describe the contracts people are bidding for – which can be confusing.

What is competitive bidding process? ›

What is Competitive Bidding? Competitive bidding is a formal process to identify and request products and/or services the applicants need, so that potential service providers can review those requests and submit bids for them.

What is a 3 bid process? ›

It is a process in which three or more service or contract providers compete for a particular job or contract.

What are the five steps in bidding process? ›

  1. Preliminary Examination of Bids Evaluation of bidder's eligibility, examination of documents and bid prices and Clarification of bids.
  2. Preparation of Abstract of Bids Determining the lowest calculated responsive bid and ranking of the total bid prices as calculated from lowest to highest and Bid Evaluation Report.

What is the difference between competitive and non-competitive bidding? ›

Competitive bid - a participating bid in the auction which is allocated according to the price/rate indicated in the bid. d. Non-competitive bid - a bid, which is allocated at the weighted average interest rate determined during the auction.

What are the two methods of bidding? ›

Bidding performs in two ways online: unique bidding and dynamic bidding.

What are 2 types of competitive strategy? ›

4 Types of Competitive Strategies
  • Cost leadership strategy. It suits large businesses that can produce a big volume of products at a low cost, and that is why Walmart implemented this strategy. ...
  • Differentiation leadership strategy. ...
  • Cost focus strategy. ...
  • Differentiation focus strategy.
15 Jul 2022

What is L1 L2 & L3 in bidding? ›

What is L1 L2 L3 in tenders? A. In a financial tender evaluation, the lowest commercial bid is marked as L1, the second lowest as L2, and so on.

What are the 3 main components within the bid proposal? ›

Elements of a bid proposal

Job name. Purpose of the proposal and project. Services or products that would be provided. Pricing information.

What are the rules of bidding? ›

When you place a bid on an online or by telephone auction item, you enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller if you are the winning bidder. You are the winning bidder if your bid is the highest bid at Auction Close and your bid is accepted by the seller.

What is RFP bid process? ›

The RFP process begins with drafting a request for proposal. Bidders review the solicitation and submit suggestions for improvement. After implementing feedback, the final request for proposal is issued. Bidders then submit their proposals.

What are the 7 stages of negotiation in procurement? ›

There are seven stages in a procurement negotiation process: preparation, opening, testing, proposal, bargaining, agreement, and closure.

What are the disadvantages of competitive bidding? ›

7 Disadvantages of Competitive Bidding
  • Leading suppliers may not tender. ...
  • Barriers to communication between supplier and customers. ...
  • The cost-plus phenomenon. ...
  • Use of cheaper, inferior quality materials and/or labour. ...
  • Safety shortcuts. ...
  • Competitive bidding can be extremely slow.
30 Oct 2019

What are 3 benefits of competition? ›

Basic economic theory demonstrates that when firms have to compete for customers, it leads to lower prices, higher quality goods and services, greater variety, and more innovation.

What is non competitive bidding? ›

Non-competitive bidding means the bidder would be able to participate in the auctions of dated government securities without having to quote the yield or price in the bid.

What are the 3 basic competitive strategies? ›

According to Porter's Generic Strategies model, there are three basic strategic options available to organizations for gaining competitive advantage. These are: Cost Leadership, Differentiation and Focus.

What are the 5 types of competitive strategies? ›

Here are four types of competitive strategy and an example for each:
  • Cost leadership strategy. ...
  • Differentiation leadership strategy. ...
  • Cost focus strategy. ...
  • Differentiation focus strategy.

What are the 2 main benefits from competition? ›

Greater competitiveness creates more productivity and better quality of products and services. Companies can satisfy consumer preferences and, consequently, attain a better position in the market. The market grows steadily, and consumers benefit from lower prices and a more comprehensive range of goods and services.

Is competitive bidding fair? ›

Competitive bidding creates a transparent environment that is open and fair. This essentially means that any company, regardless of their company size, annual revenue or other similar factors, will be welcomed to the bidding process and will be given a fair chance as the rest of the competition.

What is the difference between competitive bidding and negotiated bidding? ›

The main difference between Competitive Bidding and Negotiated Purchase is that in former, the price is determined at the discretion of buyer as there are many sellers involved and the buyer can choose among them as per his requirements whereas in negotiated purchase, the discretion of both buyer and seller is required ...

What is bid format? ›

What does a Bid Form do? Project owners and contractors can use Bid Forms to outline all the terms and conditions of a bid on a construction project. Project owners can create blank Bid Forms for all applicants to fill out, or contractors can create their own when placing a bid.

What is a P3 bid? ›

Public-private partnerships, or P3s, are partnerships between governments and the private sector to build public infrastructure like roads, hospitals or schools, or to deliver services. Unlike traditional procurement, the public sector integrates all parts of a P3 project into one contract.

What are the stages in tendering? ›

Main steps in the tender process
  • Register your interest. ...
  • Attend tender information sessions. ...
  • Develop your tender response strategy. ...
  • Review recent awarded contracts. ...
  • Write a compelling bid. ...
  • Understand the payment terms. ...
  • Find referees. ...
  • Check and submit your bid.
9 Aug 2018

What are the best practices in bidding? ›

You always want to have a high-quality score because it just makes your bidding strategy more effective.
...
Quality score
  • Write better ads.
  • Refine the type of traffic you're getting by adding negative keywords.
  • Improve your landing page as always.
  • Test those bid thresholds.

What are the 6 procurement methods? ›

  • (a) Open Tender.
  • (b) Two-stage tendering.
  • (c) Design competition.
  • (g) Electronic reverse auction.
  • (h) Low Value Procurement.
  • (i) Force Account.
  • (k) Request for proposals.
  • (l) Framework Agreeement.
19 Mar 2019

Are competitive bids always filled? ›

Competitive bids will not be filled if the yield specified is too high. The bids are always awarded on the basis of lowest discount yield.

What is competitive bidding and negotiation? ›

Competitive negotiation means a procedure for contracting for supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services, in which proposals are solicited from qualified suppliers by a request for proposals, and changes may be negotiated in proposals and prices after being submitted.

What is competitive process? ›

Competitive Process means a formal sealed, electronic, or web-based bid procedure used for all nonclaims related purchases for goods and services over fifty thousand dollars.

What is the formula of bid? ›

Example 1: Consider a stock trading at $9.95 / $10. The bid price is $9.95 and the offer price is $10. The bid-ask spread, in this case, is 5 cents. The spread as a percentage is $0.05 / $10 or 0.50%.

What are the 6 factors of competitiveness? ›

Answer and Explanation: The six factors of competitive advantage are selection, quality, service, turnaround, price, and speed.

What are different bidding methods? ›

There are currently four Smart Bidding strategies: Enhanced CPC. Target CPA. Target ROAS.

How many types of bidding are there? ›

There are seven models along the sourcing/bidding continuum: basic provider, approved provider, preferred provider, performance-based/managed services model, vested business model, shared services model and equity partnerships.

What are the bidding methods? ›

Purchasing Buying and Bidding Methods
  • Procurement Cards. ...
  • Request for Quotation. ...
  • Request for Information (RFI) ...
  • Invitation to Bid. ...
  • Request for Proposal (RFP) ...
  • Cooperative Purchasing. ...
  • Discount Pricing Agreements.

What are two smart bidding strategies? ›

Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize conversions, and Maximize conversion value are all Smart Bidding strategies.

What is open competitive bidding? ›

(2) Any reference to open competitive bidding in this Law means the process by which a procuring entity based on previously defined criteria, effects public procurements by offering to every interested bidder, equal simultaneous information and opportunity to offer the goods, services and works needed.

What are the 3 basic bidding documents? ›

Plans, specifications, and estimate development

Bid documents include the plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E) developed to describe all of the elements of a construction project and become the contract between the local government and the selected contractor.

What is the main goal of bidding? ›

An efficient bidder will seek not simply to outbid the competition, but to find the bid or budget that provides the greatest profitability (maximum conversions and revenue for a given budget).

How do you structure a bid? ›

Follow these steps to craft an effective bid proposal:
  1. Get an in-depth understanding of the project. ...
  2. Research the client. ...
  3. Evaluate the competition. ...
  4. Consider offering an additional good or service. ...
  5. Include relevant information. ...
  6. Proofread your proposal.

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