Works, supplies, services, consulting: what changes

The type of contract is what the buyer is buying: a structure, goods, a service or expertise. It decides what you must prove, which documents to attach and how you will be scored. The same firm can be strong for one and eliminated at once for another. The tender file says which type your contract belongs to, and its scoring system outweighs the generalities below.

Type	What is bought	What counts most	How the choice is usually made
Works	A structure to build or repair	Experience, equipment, key staff	Compliance, then lowest price
Supplies	Goods delivered	Conformity to specifications, delivery time, after-sales	Compliance, then lowest price
Ordinary services	A repeated service with a measurable result	Continuity, staff, presence on sites	Compliance or score, then price
Consulting	Expertise: study, advice, audit, training	References, methodology, experts	Technical score, then weighted price

Works

What you must prove. That you have already built similar structures and have the means to build this one. Qualification criteria generally cover turnover, similar projects, key staff, equipment and sometimes financial capacity or a credit line.

Documents specific to works.

• The approval or professional classification (agrément), where your country or the file requires one for this category of work.
• The site visit certificate, when the visit is compulsory. Go even when it is optional: that is where you see the access, the ground, the water and what the file leaves out.
• The bill of quantities (devis quantitatif et estimatif, or DQE): the list of items and quantities you price, and the price schedule (bordereau de prix), which defines each unit price.
• The equipment list, with proof: registration papers, invoices, rental agreements.
• CVs and diplomas of key staff: works manager, site supervisor, specialists.
• The schedule and the construction method.

How it is scored. Most often in two steps: the technical file is judged compliant or not, sometimes using a grid, then the lowest price among compliant bids wins. Some files give a technical score.

The trap. Promising equipment and staff you cannot prove, or committing them to two sites on the same dates. Another trap: pricing without going there. Difficult ground, access cut off in the rainy season or a distant water source can absorb your whole margin.

Supplies

What you must prove. That what you offer matches the specifications exactly, and that you can deliver it on the date and at the place stated.

Documents specific to supplies.

• The manufacturer's technical sheet or catalogue, compared line by line with the specifications. Present it in two columns: what is asked, what you offer.
• The manufacturer's authorisation, if the file requires it. It shows you have the right to sell its product with its warranty. Ask early, because a manufacturer will not reply in a day.
• Samples, when requested, delivered before the deadline and labelled as the file says.
• Any certificates of origin or quality requested.
• The delivery plan and the after-sales commitment: warranty, spare parts, local workshop or representative.

How it is scored. Generally by compliance, then lowest price among compliant bids. Running costs or delivery time sometimes enter the calculation, and the file says so.

The trap. Offering an "equivalent" product without proving it, or copying the specification with no manufacturer's sheet. The committee looks for proof, not promises. Another trap: a delivery time that forgets the overseas order, the transport and customs.

Ordinary services

These are repeated services with a measurable result: cleaning, security guarding, upkeep, transport, catering, maintenance.

What you must prove. That you will provide the service without interruption, at all the sites listed and for the full term.

Documents specific to services.

• The list of assigned staff, their qualifications and, where relevant, their social security registration.
• How you ensure continuity: replacements, supervision, on-call cover, emergency response.
• The list of sites and your presence there. A visit helps here too.
• Insurance: public liability and any other cover the file requests.
• Licences to operate, where the activity is regulated, such as guarding or transport.

How it is scored. By compliance then price, or by a technical score, depending on the file. Price weighs heavily because these services are easy to compare.

The trap. A price calculated without the full cost of labour: social charges, replacements, uniforms, equipment. If the contract runs for several years, also check whether the price can be revised. A rising minimum wage can turn the contract into a loss.

Consulting

These are studies, advice, audits, training, engineering supervision and other assignments where you are mainly buying expertise.

How it runs. Most often in two steps. The buyer publishes an expression of interest notice (AMI) where you show your similar assignments to get onto a shortlist: see types of procedure. It then sends a request for proposals only to the shortlisted firms.

Documents specific to these contracts.

• The firm's references, as close to the subject as possible.
• The methodology and work plan, written from the terms of reference, the document that describes the assignment.
• The experts' CVs, generally signed, on the file's template, with the relevant assignments.
• A technical proposal and a financial proposal, in two separate envelopes.

How it is scored. The technical proposal is scored first, using the file's grid. The financial envelope stays closed until then. If you do not reach the minimum technical score, it is generally not opened. After that, most often, the technical and financial scores are combined using a weighting set in the file, in which the technical side usually counts for more. Other methods exist: selection on quality alone, a fixed budget, least cost among qualified bids. The file says which applies.

The trap. Repeating the terms of reference rather than explaining how you will do the work. Scorers are looking for your analysis of the problem. Another trap: listing an expert who has not agreed, or whose CV does not match the profile asked for. Finally, a price stated in the technical proposal can lead to rejection.

When a notice mixes types

Many contracts mix types: equipment to deliver and install, a building with its fittings, training included in a supply. A few pointers:

• The file classifies the contract. Generally the dominant part, often the largest in value, decides. That type's rules then apply to the whole.
• Look lot by lot. One notice can have a works lot and a supplies lot with different criteria.
• Prove every part. For a supply-and-install contract, you need both the manufacturer's authorisation and installation references. If you lack one, a partner can bring it: see Joint ventures and subcontracting.
• If the classification is unclear and changes your criteria, ask the buyer in writing.

What next

You know what is expected of you. Now check your own file: Read a notice and a tender file, then Write a technical bid that gets through.