One of the questions we hear most often before taking part in a tender: how long does it actually take, from first contact to final decision? A look at the actual timelines of several real procedures gives an honest answer.
Phase 1: First contact and initial suitability check (a few days)
From the first contact — whether direct or through a procurement consultant — to the internal decision on whether taking part makes sense at all, in our experience usually only a few days pass. The focus here is mainly on mandatory criteria and a basic functional fit.
Phase 2: Written bid phase (one to four weeks)
The time needed to prepare the actual bid varies greatly depending on how detailed the requirements catalogue is. Simple questionnaires can be answered within days, while complex specifications with several hundred individual requirements can take several weeks.
Phase 3: Questions and clarification rounds (one to two weeks)
After the first bid has been submitted, there are usually one or two rounds of questions in which individual points are clarified — such as specific licence numbers per user category or details of interface requirements.
Phase 4: The functional workshop (one to two weeks' lead time)
Between the invitation to the workshop and the actual date there are usually one to two weeks of lead time, during which both sides prepare the content. Depending on its scope, the workshop itself lasts anywhere from one to several hours.
Phase 5: Contract award decision (varies, often several weeks)
This phase is the hardest to predict in general terms — it depends heavily on the contracting authority's internal coordination processes, especially at public bodies with multi-level approval procedures.
Realistic overall duration
All in all, experience shows that a medium-sized procurement procedure takes around six to fourteen weeks from first contact to final decision — for very large public procedures, this can easily stretch to several months.
Frequently asked questions
Can the process be sped up?
Only to a limited extent — most delays arise on the contracting authority's side through internal coordination processes, not through the bidders.
Is taking part worth it despite the long lead time?
For projects that are a good functional fit, yes — the time invested pays off through the often multi-year contract terms of public contracts.
Are you planning a tender and want a realistic estimate of how long the selection process will take? We are happy to share our experience with you.
Are you writing a specification document yourself right now? Download our free specification checklist (PDF) — 7 topic areas that should not be missing from any tender.
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