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Civil work tenders can be a very lucrative opportunity to grow your business. Every year government ministries, PSUs and departments publish numerous construction and civil works tenders across states for the procurement of different products and services. As a supplier/contractor/bidder, winning government civil construction tenders can lead to business benefits and financial rewards.
If you are a new business in government tendering or keen to learn more about the civil work eTender bidding process, read on. We will take a look at the meaning of civil works tenders, bidder’s eligibility and documents required for civil works tenders, how to find civil works tenders, types of tenders in civil works, and more.
What is a civil work tender?
A tender in civil works and construction is basically a tender invitation from a government department/organisation requesting bids for civil works projects.
Example of civil work tenders can include:
- Road construction, repair and maintenance work
- Building construction, repair, and structural development work
- Infrastructure development work such as construction of bridges, dams, tunnels, pipelines, water works
- Redevelopment projects such as housing redevelopment
Based on the scope of the project, the value of these eTenders can range from a few thousands to crores of rupees. For instance, a housing group development project can be valued in crores whereas a tender for minor civil works on repair and maintenance can be valued in thousands.
This is a competitive sector. As a bidder, ensure you have a strategy to bid and win civil construction contracts and make the most of the opportunity.
How to find civil tenders?
Finding the right eTender for civil works is the first step for bidding. It is required of all government departments and ministries to float their eProcurement tender requirements on the Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP) to keep the process quick, fair, transparent and open to more bidders.
As such, you will first need to visit the official eProcurement system of India portal (eprocure.gov.in) and look for ‘Tenders by Organisation’. Follow the steps below to search for the latest civil work and construction eTenders:
- Click on ‘Tenders by Organisation’
- Fill in details in the Search section – Tender Category (i.e., Works), Tender Expire (e.g., Closing within 30 days), Product Category (e.g., Civil Works)
- View the list of civil works tenders by organisation and tender count
- Click on the relevant tenders (click on tender count to view list of civil work tenders)
- View tender details including details on tender fee rules and EMD, work items, tender documents and more
As can be seen, this can be a time-consuming task as bidders will have to filter and find relevant tenders, read documents, check requirements and more to assess if the tender opportunity is the right fit or not. What if there is a simpler way?
Eligibility for civil works tenders
There are some general eligibility criteria for civil tenders and some specific pre-qualifications for contractors for all government contracts. These pre-qualifications can be related to their relevant work experience, annual turnover, equipment capabilities, team and plant size, and more.
For example, if the government civil works tender is for repair and maintenance of buildings, roads, drainage and other infrastructure, eligibility criteria might include:
- Similar work experience of having completed at least 3 similar projects in the last 7 years valued at not less than 40% of the current tender value
- Average annual financial turnover of not less than 50% of the estimated tender value in the last 3 years
- Profit making entity for at least 2 years in the last 5 years, certified by a registered Chartered Accountant along with balance sheets
Valid PAN and GST registration numbers and MSME certificate for EMD exemption (if applicable).
Documents required for construction and civil works tenders in India
When it comes to documents for civil tenders, there are generic and specific documents. The common list of tender documents refer to those that are usually required for all contracts – receipt of tender fees and EMD, certifications, work experience certificate, CA authorised certificate of financial turnover, etc.
Specific civil work tender documents would be those that Tender Inviting Authorities request specifically for a particular project such as designs, drawings and blueprints.
The following documents for civil construction works tenders are usually requested during submission:
- Details of similar work, completion certificate and copy of Works Order
- List of current and previous work done (related projects) in the last 3 years with details on clients, order value, duration etc.
- Copy of CA audited balance sheets, GST certificate, PAN card, EPF/ESIC registration, etc.
- Letter of authorisation for representatives signing the tender and other documents
- Letter of Undertaking/Letter of Acceptance of the terms of the contract under the company letter head (when applicable)
Along with the above mentioned documents, the following technical and commercial documents might also be required (especially for construction infrastructure civil work tenders and similar):
- Price Bid submission form (or similar) and Bill of Quanty (BoQ) / Schedule of Quantities for price quotation of the tender
- Workforce employment (with details on wages as per statutory requirements) and details on workplace safety, hygiene, and precautions, and quality assurance policies
- Sub-contractor and emergency contractor details
- Team size, qualifications, experience and other professional details
- Any relevant drawings (with details on dimensions and type), shops drawings (may have to submit sample material at a later stage), site waste management plan
- Details on all equipment proposed to be used in the project
Type of civil works tenders online
In India there are three types of tenders that are usually floated – open, closed and negotiated tenders. Most tenders on the eProcurement system are open tenders for higher participation in civil contracts, though at times limited (or closed) tenders are also released.
Examples of some of the open civil works eTenders are:
|
State/City tender |
Tender Inviting Authority |
Tender Title |
| Civil work tender in Bihar
|
Inland Waterways Authority of India, MoS || RO Patna,IWAI,MoS | Supply of MS Pole for installation of Navigational Lights during 2022 23 |
| Civil work tender in Tamil Nadu
|
Chennai Port Trust | Engineering Department, ChPT | Tender for Repair works of North Quay wharf and renovation of Marine Rest Shelter Building |
| Civil work tender in West Bengal
|
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | Construction of 02 Nos. Public toilet near DVC Gate at IIT Kharagpur |
| Civil work tenders in Karnataka
|
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing | Providing Acoustic treatment for labs at the Centre for hearing sciences 3rd floor COE |
Source: eprocure.gov.in (Please visit the official CPPP website for more details)
Also Read: Tender documents and bid documents are important
Next step for civil works eTenders
Online civil work tenders can be a great boost to your business, especially if you are an emerging business or MSMEs. Having government contracts not only gives your brand credibility, but also makes you eligible for related projects and creates a steady income flow for your business.
However, winning construction and civil works contracts is not easy. The tender inviting authorities will meticulously check all details with regards to credentials, experience and expertise, quality, safety regulations, and more.
If you are new to eTendering ensure you understand the key tender terms to bid knowledgeably. As a quick tip, keep the following in mind for the civil works tendering process:
- Read the civil work tender information documents carefully to understand requirements and bid for relevant projects only
- Understand the special requirements, terms and conditions, payment terms, and how the tender will be awarded
- Submit all documents in the requested format ahead of time to avoid last-minute rush
- Keep all the commonly used documents in one place for easy access
- Build a core team to prepare bid proposals (might also consider hiring bidding services)
Remember, writing a winning proposal is key to every civil tender bid. So, write confidently, consistently, and submit your application in time.
