Pre-Award Review Checklist: What to Check Before You Award
A pre-award review is the last check of a bid comparison before the order or subcontract is issued. Its job is narrow: confirm that the ranking rests on bids that are genuinely comparable, and that nothing in a bidder's terms or qualifications changes the answer. Most award mistakes are already visible on the comparison sheet — an item one bidder left out, a tax basis read the wrong way, an offer that expired last week. The review is where someone looks for them.
1 — Scope: is every bid for the same work?
- Every item on your scope has a price or a marked allowance for every bidder.
- Gaps are priced by one stated rule (another bidder's rate, or your estimate) and labelled as allowances, not as the bidder's price.
- A large item only one bidder priced is treated as scope the others left out — not as that bidder's "extra".
- Quantities are the same for everyone, or the differences are explained.
2 — Arithmetic: does each total reconcile?
- Each bidder's total on your sheet reconciles to the total printed on its own quotation, after levelling.
- Units match: no per-tonne rate multiplied by square metres, no per-coil list price read as a quantity of one.
- No rate is wildly out of line with the others for the same item — a factor of ten usually means a misread or a unit error, not a bargain.
3 — Tax and currency: one basis for everyone
- All bids compared on the same tax basis. A quotation that says nothing about tax is treated as excluding it.
- A bid read as "tax included" actually says so on the page.
- Foreign-currency bids converted at one documented rate and date. See comparing quotes in different currencies.
4 — Commercial terms: what the price does not show
- Validity: the offer is still open, or the bidder has confirmed it in writing.
- Payment: advance and payment terms are what the quotation states — not assumed. "To be agreed" is a question to settle before award.
- Delivery: the programme meets the project's dates.
- Security: retention, bonds, insurances and warranties are accepted or priced.
- Qualifications and exclusions: read in full and recorded on the sheet, per bidder.
5 — The ranking: does it survive a second look?
- The winner is the same on the levelled total, not only the as-quoted one.
- The margin is larger than a reasonable change in the weights. If moving one weight ten points changes the winner, say so — see weighted scoring.
- When the levelled totals sit within a few percent, the decision is about terms and risk, and is often a reason to negotiate rather than award.
6 — The record: could someone reproduce this in six months?
- Prepared, reviewed and approved — names and dates on the sheet.
- The weights were set before the bids were scored, with the date recorded.
- Every price can be traced to the line of the quotation it came from.
Red flags and what to do
| Red flag | What to do before award |
|---|---|
| Cheapest bid priced noticeably fewer items | Compare on the levelled total; ask the bidder to price the missing items |
| A total far from the bidder's own printed total | Check the lines for a misread rate or a unit mix-up |
| One bidder's rate ten times the others | Confirm the unit and the figure with the bidder |
| Tax assumed rather than stated | Confirm the tax basis in writing |
| Expired or very short validity | Get the price reconfirmed |
| Payment terms "to be agreed" | Agree them before the order, not after |
| Winner changes with a small weight change | Report it as a close call; negotiate or clarify |
How to automate the review
NazmIQ (nazmiq.com) ends every comparison with a "Check before award" list. Its own checks flag what the arithmetic can prove: a total that cannot be reconciled to the bidder's quotation, units of different kinds, a large item only one bidder priced, tax assumed rather than stated, an advance payment the terms never mention. An independent review of the finished comparison then lists what a careful buyer should verify — without changing a single figure. The levelling method behind it is in the bid levelling guide.
See a comparison with its "Check before award" list
Levelled totals, every allowance marked, and the points to verify before award — on a real comparison. No account needed.
See a sample reportFrequently asked questions
What is a pre-award review in procurement?
The final check of a bid comparison before the order or contract is issued: confirming the bids are comparable, the totals reconcile, and nothing in the terms or qualifications changes the ranking.
What should you check before awarding a contract to a supplier?
That every bid covers the same scope, each total reconciles to the bidder's own quotation, units and tax are on one basis, the offer is still valid, payment and delivery terms are acceptable, and the ranking survives a change in weights.
What are the most common bid evaluation mistakes?
Ranking on as-quoted totals that cover different scope, reading a quote silent on tax as tax-inclusive, mixing units, and awarding on an expired offer.
How close is too close to award on price alone?
When levelled totals sit within a few percent of each other, the difference is smaller than the risk in the terms. Decide on programme, payment and qualifications, or negotiate.
Who should sign off a bid comparison?
The person who prepared it, someone who reviewed it independently, and the person authorised to approve the award — each named and dated on the sheet.