Checklist
How to write pre-bid queries: templates by clause type
The short answer
A good pre-bid query names the clause and page, quotes the tender text, explains the problem in one or two sentences, proposes the change or reading you want confirmed, and gives a short reason. Send it in the buyer's format before the clarification deadline, one issue per row, so the reply can be applied straight to your bid.
Key takeaways
- Write every query as a row: clause, quoted text, the question, your proposed change and the reason.
- A query that proposes an answer is easier for the buyer to accept than one that only complains.
- Commercial queries on payment, liquidated damages and security usually move your price more than technical ones.
- Material queries are published without your name, but the wording itself can still reveal what you are offering.
- Log every reply against the original row so the bid team knows exactly what changed and what did not.
How to write a pre-bid query that gets a useful answer
The officer answering your query is usually working through dozens from several bidders, against a date. A query that is easy to answer gets a clear answer. One that rambles, mixes three issues or only says "please relax" gets "No change" or "As per tender".
Build each query from five parts:
- Reference: document, section, page and clause number, exactly as the tender numbers them.
- Quote: the words you are asking about, copied from the tender, so nobody has to look them up.
- Problem: one or two sentences on why the clause is unclear, conflicting or restrictive.
- Proposal: the change you want, or the reading you want confirmed. "Please confirm that..." works well.
- Reason: the short justification, such as a standard, a policy, a market fact or a conflict with another clause.
Keep the tone neutral and specific. Avoid adjectives like "harsh" or "unreasonable"; show the effect instead. Ask one thing per row, even if that means twenty rows. And write so that a competitor reading the published reply learns nothing about your product or your price.
Pre-bid query format: the columns to use
Many tenders prescribe a query format, often as an annexure or an Excel sheet. Use it exactly when one is given. When none is given, this layout covers what most buyers need, and it mirrors the columns buyers tend to use when they publish replies.
| Sr. No. | Document and page | Clause | Tender text | Query | Proposed change | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SCC, page 42 | 9.1 Liquidated damages | "0.5% per week, maximum 10% of contract value" | Please confirm whether LD is calculated on the value of the delayed portion only | LD on the delayed portion only, where delivery is lot-wise | Lots are dispatched and used separately |
| 2 |
Number rows so your compliance matrix, deviation list and internal approvals can refer to them. Keep a working copy with two extra columns the buyer never sees: the internal owner, and why the answer matters to your price or eligibility.
Send it the way the tender says: through the clarification feature on the e-procurement portal, by email to the named contact, or on GeM through the representation window. On GeM, the bid terms we reviewed allow representations within 4 days of bid publication.
When to send pre-bid queries, and who sees them
Dates come first. The tender states a clarification end date and, if there is a pre-bid meeting, a separate deadline for written queries before it. Our pre-bid meeting guide covers the meeting timetable; this checklist is about the wording.
- If the tender gives no clarification end date, the goods manual (para 5.2.4) and the works manual (para 4.8) set it at 7 days before the bid deadline.
- That cut-off is not extended for intervening holidays, so a query sent on a Saturday before a long weekend may simply be late.
- The buyer is to respond at least 5 days before tender opening.
- Only material queries and their responses are uploaded, without revealing the identity of the bidder who asked.
- If a response changes the requirement significantly, the deadline may be extended by not less than 3 days.
Sample pre-bid queries: eligibility and PQ relaxation
Eligibility queries decide whether you can bid at all, so send them first. Frame relaxation requests around the buyer's interest in competition, not around your own gap. For the criteria themselves, see our guide to checking tender eligibility.
| Clause type | Sample query |
|---|---|
| Similar work definition | Clause [x] requires "[n] similar works of value not less than [y]". Please confirm whether supply-only orders for the same equipment, without installation, will be treated as similar works, since installation is a minor part of this scope. |
| Turnover years | Clause [x] asks for average turnover of the last three financial years. Where the latest year's accounts are not yet audited on the bid date, please confirm that the three preceding audited years may be used, with an undertaking in your format. |
| OEM or group experience | Please confirm whether past supplies made by our OEM may be counted toward clause [x] when the bid is supported by a tender-specific manufacturer's authorization. |
| MSE and startup relaxation | The tender does not state whether the prior experience and turnover relaxation for MSEs and startups applies. Please confirm whether it applies, and list the documents required to claim it. |
The MSE and startup question is worth asking even when the policy seems clear. A BHEL GeM bid (opens in a new tab) states that because the item falls under a public safety and critical equipment list, experience and turnover criteria are the same for all bidders, startups and MSEs included.
Sample pre-bid queries: payment terms, LD and securities
Commercial clauses are where a well-worded query saves real money. Read the special conditions and additional terms carefully: in the BHEL bid above, the additional terms say they supersede conditions elsewhere in the bid, and they replace the GeM payment period with longer ones.
| Clause type | Sample query |
|---|---|
| Payment milestones | Clause [x] provides 100% payment after commissioning. As delivery precedes site readiness by several months, please consider [70]% on receipt of goods against dispatch documents and the balance on commissioning. |
| Payment period start | Clause [x] allows [n] days for payment. Please confirm whether the period runs from receipt of material, acceptance after inspection, or submission of the invoice. |
| LD clause conflict | GCC clause [x] caps liquidated damages at [10]%, while corrigendum [n] caps them at [5]% with [10]% only for inordinate delay. Please confirm which provision governs. |
| LD and buyer-caused delay | Please confirm that time taken by the purchaser for drawing approval or manufacturing clearance beyond [n] days will extend the delivery period without liquidated damages. |
| Performance security form | Please confirm whether the performance security may be furnished as an e-bank guarantee from any scheduled commercial bank, and confirm its required validity beyond the warranty period. |
The LD conflict row is not hypothetical. BHEL's standard additional terms set LD at half a percent per week up to 10%, and a corrigendum to a later BHEL GeM bid (opens in a new tab) set 0.5% per week up to 5%, rising to 10% for inordinate delay. When two versions sit in one pack, ask which one governs. Our guide to EMD in tender covers bid security questions.
Sample pre-bid queries: specifications, standards and brand names
Technical queries work best when they name the parameter and the standard and leave the buyer an easy yes. Never argue that the buyer's requirement is wrong; show the conflict or the equivalent.
| Clause type | Sample query |
|---|---|
| Brand or catalog-specific values | Clause [x] specifies dimensions that match a single manufacturer's catalog. Please confirm that any make meeting [standard] and the performance parameters in the datasheet is acceptable, and state the parameters used to judge equivalence. |
| Conflict between documents | Datasheet row [n] specifies [value A], while specification clause [x] requires [value B]. Please confirm which governs. We propose [value B], as per the specification. |
| Foreign certification | Clause [x] requires [foreign] certification. As the product is certified by BIS to [Indian Standard], please confirm that BIS certification is acceptable. |
| Tests and inspection | Please confirm whether type test reports from an NABL-accredited laboratory dated within [n] years are acceptable instead of fresh type tests, and whether routine tests are witnessed by the purchaser or a third-party agency, and at whose cost. |
On GeM, some of these clauses are void by rule. A GeM bid document (opens in a new tab) lists buyer clauses treated as null and void, including naming a specific brand or make, seeking samples with the bid, and mandating foreign certifications where Indian standards exist. A representation is the right channel there. For datasheet conflicts in depth, see technical datasheets in tenders.
Sample pre-bid queries: Make in India, delivery and scope
The Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order decides who may bid and who gets purchase preference, so ambiguity here can cost you the tender. Delivery and scope queries protect the schedule after award.
| Clause type | Sample query |
|---|---|
| MII local content | Please confirm the minimum local content for Class-I and Class-II local suppliers for this item, and whether self-certification suffices or a certificate from the statutory or cost auditor is required. |
| MII eligibility | Please confirm whether Class-II local suppliers are eligible to bid under clause [x], and the margin of purchase preference that applies. |
| Delivery start date | Clause [x] gives delivery within [n] months. Please confirm whether this period runs from the purchase order, from drawing approval, or from manufacturing clearance, and whether part deliveries are accepted. |
| Quantity variation | Clause [x] allows quantity variation of plus or minus [10]%. Please confirm that unit rates hold within this band and that delivery time is extended pro rata for any added quantity. |
| Scope boundaries | Please confirm whether unloading at site, storage until installation, and civil foundations are in the bidder's scope or the purchaser's. |
| Site conditions | Please share the soil report or existing layout drawings referred to in clause [x], or confirm that bidders may visit the site before [date]. |
Why the auditor question matters: the goods manual (opens in a new tab) (Chapter 1, verification of local content) requires self-certification at bid stage, and for procurement above ₹10 crore a certificate from the statutory or cost auditor, or a practicing cost or chartered accountant for non-companies. Discovering this on the last day is painful.
Illustrative example: one LD query, written three ways
This example is illustrative. A Vadodara maker of LT control panels is bidding for a ₹2.3 crore water treatment plant package from a municipal corporation. The special conditions set LD at 1% per week with a 10% cap, while the general conditions say 0.5% per week. Here are three drafts of the same query.
| Draft | Query text | Likely reply |
|---|---|---|
| Weak | LD clause is very harsh for small vendors. Kindly relax. | "No change." Nothing to act on. |
| Better | Please reduce LD in SCC 11 to 0.5% per week. | Possibly "As per tender", because no reason is given. |
| Strong | SCC clause 11 (page 38) sets LD at "1% per week, maximum 10%", while GCC clause 24 (page 17) sets "0.5% per week". Please confirm which governs. We propose 0.5% per week on the value of delayed panels only, as panels are delivered and commissioned in three separate lots. | A clear ruling either way, often by corrigendum. |
The strong draft gives the officer a conflict to resolve and a reasonable answer to adopt. In this example the corrigendum kept 1% per week but applied it to the delayed lot only, which cut the team's worst-case exposure by roughly two thirds. That one reply changed the price more than every technical query combined.
How AI tools help draft pre-bid queries, and what your team decides
Most weak queries come from finding problems too late. TenderGenie's Document Intelligence pulls out specifications, clauses and obligations from the PDF, DWG, XLS and DOC files in a tender pack, each linked to its source page, so conflicts between a datasheet and a specification surface while there is time to ask about them.
Drafting queries is a team job. TenderGenie's Collaboration keeps queries with the tender they concern, assigns each one an owner and due date, and records approvals with an audit trail, so the bid manager can see which rows engineering and commercial have signed off before they go to the buyer.
People still decide what to ask, how much to reveal, whether a reply is good enough and whether to bid. A tool can find the clause; only your team knows whether it is worth a fight.
Questions and answers
What is a pre bid query?
A pre-bid query is a written question a prospective bidder sends to the buyer before the clarification deadline, asking it to explain, correct or change a tender clause. Material queries and replies are published to all bidders without the name of the bidder who asked, and changes are issued by corrigendum.
How to write a pre bid query?
Give the document, page and clause number, quote the tender text, state the problem briefly, propose the change or interpretation you want confirmed, and add a short reason. Ask one question per row and use the format the tender prescribes. Neutral, specific wording gets clearer answers than complaints.
What is the format for pre bid queries?
Use the buyer's format if the tender gives one. Otherwise a table with serial number, document and page, clause, quoted tender text, query, proposed change and reason works for most tenders. Number the rows so replies and corrigenda can be traced back to each query.
What is the last date for pre bid queries?
The tender states a clarification end date. If it does not, the central government goods and works manuals set it at 7 days before the bid submission deadline, and that date is not extended for holidays. A pre-bid meeting usually has its own earlier deadline for written queries.
Does the buyer reveal who sent a pre bid query?
Under the central government manuals, only material queries and their responses are uploaded, without revealing the identity of the bidder. Your wording is still published, so phrase each query so it does not disclose your product, your design choices or your pricing approach to competitors.
Can I ask for relaxation of eligibility criteria in a pre bid query?
Yes. Point to the exact criterion, explain how a change would widen competition without lowering quality, and propose specific wording. Buyers can only change criteria by corrigendum, so check whether one is actually issued before you rely on the relaxation in your bid.
What if my pre bid query is not answered?
Treat the clause as unchanged. Send a short written reminder that quotes your original query before the clarification deadline. If there is still no reply, decide whether you can comply with the clause as written, price the risk, or record it in your bid decision.
Sources
- Department of Expenditure, Manual for Procurement of Goods, Second Edition 2024 (opens in a new tab)
- Department of Expenditure, Manual for Procurement of Works, Second Edition 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- BHEL, Additional Terms and Conditions for a GeM bid (2022) (opens in a new tab)
- BHEL, Corrigendum 1 to GEM/2025/B/6124168 (opens in a new tab)
- GeM bid document GEM/2023/B/5368894 (BRBNMPL) (opens in a new tab)
Rules and portal steps change. Check the current tender document and the buyer's portal before you rely on any figure here.
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