TenderFile Tender response structure Tender Response Structure · USD 49
Response structure: NHS Trust facilities framework, lot 2
Every requirement indexed, every answer assigned, every attachment tracked. The skeleton you write into, not the writing itself.
The tender runs to 94 pages and contains 47 numbered requirements across seven sections. This document is the index of all of them, who owns each, where the reusable answer already exists, and the four things that will stop the submission if nobody chases them this week.
Document control
- Document number
- BID-2026-041
- Version
- 1.1
- Effective
- 1 October 2026
- Owner
- Bid Manager
- Approved by
- Managing Director
- Next review
- Submission date, 23 October 2026
- Classification
- Commercially confidential
Deadlines
The dates that matter
-
Assign every requirement and confirm owners have accepted
Clause 3. An unaccepted assignment is not an assignment.
-
Submit clarification questions
Four are listed in clause 6. After this date the ambiguity is yours to carry.
-
First full draft, every question answered
Including the weak ones. A gap at this point becomes a gap at submission.
-
Evidence pack complete
Clause 5. Two certificates are the risk.
-
Review and word count pass
Nine answers are currently over limit in the library versions.
-
Upload, do not wait for the 23rd
The portal has a history of load problems in the final hours, and a late submission is not accepted on any grounds.
Index
Requirement index
| Section | Reqs | Weight | Word limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Selection questionnaire | 9 | Pass or fail | n/a | 7 of 9 from library |
| B. Service delivery | 11 | 30 percent | 1,000 each | 2 of 11 drafted |
| C. Mobilisation | 6 | 15 percent | 750 each | Not started |
| D. Quality and compliance | 8 | 15 percent | 750 each | 5 of 8 from library |
| E. Social value | 5 | 10 percent | 500 each | Not started |
| F. Pricing | 4 | 30 percent | Schedule | With Finance |
| G. Attachments | 4 | Pass or fail | n/a | 2 outstanding |
Section B carries the same weight as the entire price schedule and currently has two of eleven answers drafted. If time has to come from somewhere, it comes from section D, where five answers are already strong in the library.
Ownership
Responsibility matrix
| Drafts | Supplies evidence | Reviews | Approves | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Selection | Bid Manager | Finance | Bid Manager | MD |
| B. Service delivery | Ops Director | Contract managers | Bid Manager | MD |
| C. Mobilisation | Ops Director | Ops Director | Bid Manager | MD |
| D. Quality | Quality Manager | Quality Manager | Bid Manager | Quality Manager |
| E. Social value | Unassigned | HR | Bid Manager | MD |
| F. Pricing | Finance Director | Finance | MD | MD |
| G. Attachments | Bid Manager | Various | Bid Manager | Bid Manager |
Library
What the answer library already covers
| Requirement | Library answer | Last used | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2, company details | LIB-001 | Aug 2026 | Use as is |
| A4, insurance | LIB-004 | Aug 2026 | Check, policy renewed Sept |
| A6, health and safety record | LIB-009 | Aug 2026 | Update the RIDDOR figure to 2026 |
| B3, staffing model | LIB-018 | Jun 2026 | Rewrite, 1,340 words against a 1,000 limit |
| B7, business continuity | LIB-022 | Aug 2026 | Use, add the NHS specific paragraph |
| D1, quality management | LIB-030 | Aug 2026 | Use as is |
| D2, ISO certification | LIB-031 | Aug 2026 | Use, attach the current certificate |
| D4, complaints handling | LIB-034 | May 2026 | Use, refresh the example |
| D6, subcontractor control | LIB-037 | Aug 2026 | Use as is |
| D8, environmental | LIB-041 | Feb 2026 | Rewrite, predates the policy change |
Seventeen of 47 requirements have a library answer. Nine of those need work before use, mostly word count and date refresh. That is still around two weeks of writing saved.
Evidence
Mandatory attachments
| Attachment | Required form | Held? | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 certificate | Current, PDF | Yes, valid to May 2027 | Quality Manager |
| ISO 14001 certificate | Current, PDF | Expires 11 October 2026 | Quality Manager |
| Employers liability insurance | Current schedule | Yes | Finance |
| Public liability, GBP 10m | Current schedule | Yes, GBP 10m confirmed | Finance |
| Two years of audited accounts | Signed | Yes | Finance |
| Safeguarding policy | Signed, dated within 12 months | Last reviewed 2023 | HR |
| Modern slavery statement | Published, current year | Yes | MD |
| Two client references, NHS or public sector | On the buyer's template | One confirmed, one chasing | Bid Manager |
Clarify
Questions to ask the buyer before 9 October
- B5 asks for staffing ratios per site but the site schedule in appendix 3 lists floor areas without occupancy. On what basis should ratios be calculated?
- C2 requires a mobilisation plan for a 90 day period. Does the 90 days run from contract award or from the service commencement date in the draft contract?
- E3 refers to the buyer's social value framework, which is not included in the pack. Can it be issued?
- F1 pricing schedule tab 2 contains a locked formula that returns an error when the unit count exceeds 40. Is the intended maximum 40 units?
All four are answerable by the buyer and all four change what gets written. The fourth one in particular should be raised early, because if it is a spreadsheet fault the buyer will need time to reissue it to every bidder.
Submission
Submission checklist
- Every one of the 47 requirements answered. A blank scores zero, it does not score nothing
- Every answer inside its word limit, checked in the portal count and not in the document
- All 8 attachments uploaded in the required format
- Pricing schedule submitted in the buyer's own file, unmodified, with no added tabs
- Every document named to the buyer's naming convention
- Nothing in any answer that contradicts the pricing schedule
- MD approval recorded in writing before upload, not after
- Uploaded and confirmation screen captured, by 21 October
- Portal confirmation email received and filed
Document control
Revision history
| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | 1 October 2026 | TenderFile | ISO 14001 expiry identified during the evidence check and escalated to the highest risk item. Clarification question 4 added after the pricing schedule formula error was reproduced. |
| 1.0 | 29 September 2026 | TenderFile | First issue. 47 requirements indexed, responsibility matrix assigned, 17 library matches found. |
| 0.1 | 27 September 2026 | TenderFile | Initial index from the tender pack issued 25 September. |