20 Nov Abbreviations …
Our quick reference guide to the many abbreviations found in bid and tender documents.
Everywhere you look there are abbreviations and terms for everything, in fact today’s children can almost have a whole conversation using abbreviations. Bid and Tender documents are no different, they use abbreviations throughout and it can often make it challenging to follow.
We have put together a glossary of those most commonly seen in our work:
EOI – An Expression of Interest. Often the first step in the bid process, buyers asking suppliers to let them know if they’re interested in receiving further information.
PQQ – Pre-qualification Questionnaire. Issued by the buyer asking for all information on finance and experience, in the main. Mostly looking backwards at evidence and compliance.
RFI – Request for Information. Another term for a PQQ – Pre-qualification Questionnaire asking for compliance based, existing information
RFP – Request for Proposal. A formal request for a proposal which can be a complete tender process or a quick proposal but involves looking forwards at delivery approach for the new contract
RFQ – Request for Quotation. Often is price driven and involves a Quotation rather than written Proposal.
SQ – Selection Questionnaire. A recent change in legislation led to the formation of SQs based on selecting a shortlist to proceed, rather than allowing contractors to pre-qualify for an opportunity. Used when the threshold does not allow for a 2 stage process. Used to gather information on supplier.
ITT – Invitation to Tender. The ITT is a formal communication from a public sector organisation to a supplier inviting it to submit a full tender response.
ESPD – European Single Procurement Document. It is a standardised selection questionnaire designed to help bidders speed up the selection stage of the procurement tender process. As part of the Europe 2020 strategy the ESPD standardisation process for tenders across Europe the ESPD was meant to open the market up by making the tender process accessible to all and help businesses to grow.
MEAT – Most Economically Advantageous Tender.
VCSE – Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise.
SME – Small, Medium, or Micro Enterprise. Businesses with less than 250 employed people, with a turnover of less than £50m.
PSC- Person of Significant Control. For companies with more than one director, information as listed on Companies House.
CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility. Looks at the way the business operates and its impact economically, socially and environmentally.
CPV Codes – Common Procurement Vocabulary. EU codes to define products and services.
SLA – Service level agreement. An agreement between the buyer and the supplier on how the contract will be achieved.
KPI – Key performance Indicator. As laid out by the buyer, usually statistical measures to ensure the work is completed by the supplier in the correct time frame and to the correct standard.
TUPE – Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment). When new contracts require the movement of existing employees to the new supplier and ensures the rights of those employees are considered and respected
DBS – Disclosure and Barring Service. A service used to check criminal history of employees, especially needed when working with children, young or vulnerable adults.
ISO- International Standards Organisations. ISO accreditations are in place for Environmental, Quality and Health & Safety to ensure buyers can rely on the standards of work the supplier works to.
We hope this helps as a starting point but if you need any more help, or have an abbreviation which we haven’t explained and you’d like to know exactly what it means, please contact us on 01908 382414 and let us remove the jargon from your Bid and Tender processes.
