Guide
Tender documents checklist: what to submit, and why bids get rejected
Most Indian government and PSU tenders ask for the same core papers: registrations, financial proof, experience proof, the EMD or a bid security declaration, signed annexures, and the technical and financial bids. Most rejections come from a missing, unsigned or wrongly formatted document rather than the price, so check the tender's own list against the one below before you submit.
Updated
The usual tender documents
| Document | What it proves | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration, PAN and GSTIN | Who you are | Names that do not match across documents |
| Turnover proof (CA certificate, audited accounts or ITRs) | That you meet the financial criteria | Years that do not match what the tender asks for |
| Work orders and completion certificates | Past experience of similar work | Work that is not "similar" as the tender defines it |
| EMD, or a bid security declaration or exemption certificate | That you are serious about the bid | Claiming an exemption (such as MSE) without the certificate |
| Annexures: bidder details, non-blacklisting, litigation, acceptance of terms | Declarations the buyer requires | Changing the prescribed wording, or leaving them unsigned |
| Technical compliance statement | That your offer meets the specification | Deviations not stated clearly |
| Financial bid or BOQ | Your price | Editing the BOQ file format the portal expects |
The most common reasons bids are rejected
- A required document is missing or expired
- Annexures are unsigned, unstamped or not in the prescribed format
- The EMD is missing, or an exemption is claimed without proof
- Turnover or experience does not meet the criteria as written
- Corrigenda were not read, so an old format or date was used
- The bid was uploaded at the last minute and the portal closed
A simple routine before every bid
- Copy the tender's own document list into a checklist, and tick each item against your files
- Read every corrigendum and update dates and formats
- Sign and stamp every page that asks for it
- Merge everything into one ordered PDF with an index, if the tender allows
- Upload a day early, with your Class 3 digital signature certificate ready
How JenVoice helps
With a free account, JenVoice has the six usual annexures ready to fill, with your company details filled in from your profile. With a free account, the bid validator checks your bid files before you submit, flagging problems such as a BOQ line with no rate. On Pro, the assembler merges everything into one bid PDF with a cover, index and page numbers.
Questions
Common questions
What is a bid security declaration?
A signed declaration accepted by some tenders in place of an EMD deposit. If you withdraw or break the bid's terms, you can be barred from that buyer's tenders for a period.
Who is exempt from paying EMD?
Exemptions are set by each tender. Micro and small enterprises registered under Udyam are often exempt for government tenders, with the certificate attached. Always check the tender document.
Can I change the wording of an annexure?
Keep the prescribed wording. Fill in your details, but changing the text can get the bid rejected.