Responding to public tenders in construction: the full guide

It all starts with the contract notice, published on the BOAMP and the procurement platforms. That notice points to the consultation file, the DCE: the set of documents describing what the buyer wants and how they will choose. Reading it in full, before anything else, stops you from bidding off-target.

The DCE usually contains the consultation rules (RC), which set the rules of the game and the selection criteria; the administrative and technical clause specifications (CCAP and CCTP), which describe the contractual and technical obligations; and the engagement deed, the document by which you commit to a price.

The consultation rules are the piece to dissect first. They state the submission deadline, the award criteria and their weighting (price, technical value, lead time…), and the exact list of documents to provide. Responding to a public tender means, above all, scrupulously following these instructions: a single missing document can be enough to reject an otherwise excellent bid.

A bid plays out in two parts: the application, which proves you are entitled and able to bid, then the offer, which says what you propose. The application relies on two standard forms. The DC1, the application letter, identifies the company (or consortium) and carries the sworn declarations — not being barred from bidding, being up to date with tax and social obligations.

The DC2, the candidate's declaration, sets out your capacities: turnover over the last three years, headcount, technical resources and references for comparable projects. This is where admission to compete is decided, on criteria of economic, technical and professional capacity.

Many buyers now accept the ESPD (European Single Procurement Document) in place of the DC1/DC2, and the 'tell us once' scheme avoids resubmitting documents the administration already holds. Prepare your tax and social certificates, your company registration extract and your insurance certificates — particularly the ten-year decennial cover — in advance: an incomplete application is rarely recovered.

The offer is the heart of your bid. The technical bid describes how you intend to carry out the contract: methodology, the people and equipment assigned, schedule, safety and environmental management, waste handling. It is often what makes the difference when technical value weighs as much as, or more than, price. A bid that answers the CCTP point by point, without generic copy-paste, scores well.

On pricing, the DPGF — the breakdown of the global lump-sum price — details your price item by item. Depending on the contract, you will also fill in a schedule of unit prices (BPU) and an estimated quantitative breakdown (DQE). Rigour in pricing protects your margin: miss a line and you are the one who pays the gap.

The engagement deed (form ATTRI1, which replaced the DC3) is the contractual document by which you commit to the amount and the terms. If you plan to subcontract, the subcontracting declaration (DC4) names the subcontractor, their share and their direct payment. Date it, sign it electronically, and check nothing is missing before sending.

Submission is electronic, on the buyer profile named in the notice — the buyer's procurement platform. Above the formal-procedure thresholds, going digital is the rule: a paper submission would be rejected. Create your account early, test uploading a large file, and never aim for the last minute: a dropped connection at the deadline cannot be undone.

Monitor notices at the source. The BOAMP (official bulletin of public procurement notices) is the reference for French contracts; it is the only notice source to rely on for a trustworthy watch. Above the European thresholds, notices also appear in the OJEU. During the consultation, ask your questions through the platform: the buyer's answers are shared with every candidate and form part of the contract.

After the bids are opened, the buyer analyses the offers against the announced criteria. If you are turned down, always ask for the reasons and the detailed scoring: it is free, it is a right, and it is the best school for improving on the next tender. A well-analysed lost bid is often worth a won one.