5 common mistakes when bidding (and how to avoid them)

Most bids that are left out of a tender do not lose through bad luck, or because the competition was unbeatable. They lose through…

2026-05-31 · Public tenders

Most bids that are left out of a tender do not lose through bad luck, or because the competition was unbeatable. They lose through avoidable mistakes that repeat again and again. If you have been bidding for a while without winning, or you are about to apply for the first time, you will probably recognise one of these five mistakes before you finish reading. Spotting them in time changes the results.

Mistake 1: Not reading the full specifications

It is the most common mistake and, without doubt, the most expensive. Tender specifications are the rules of the game: exactly what is being asked for, what documents must be submitted, what the deadlines are and —what matters most— how each bid will be evaluated. Bidding without reading them thoroughly is like playing without knowing the rules: you can submit the wrong thing, leave out a compulsory requirement or put the effort where it earns no points.

How to avoid it: Read the specifications in full, from start to finish, before deciding whether to take part. Then build a checklist with every requirement and every document you must submit. Tick each one off when you have it ready. That way nothing is left to chance.

Mistake 2: Submitting incomplete documents or in the wrong format

A technically excellent bid can be ruled inadmissible over a single missing document, or because it was uploaded in a format the specifications did not accept. This is perhaps the most frustrating way to be left out: not on the substance of the bid, but through an administrative failure that an extra check would have avoided.

The most frequent cases: the sworn declaration of suitability is missing, the certificate has expired, the technical proposal was uploaded as Word when they asked for a signed PDF, or good standing on ChileProveedores was not checked before the award.

How to avoid it: Check the list of papers the specifications require twice. Upload each file with exactly the name and format stated. And if the specifications require good standing on ChileProveedores at the moment of award, check that status several days in advance, not on the day.

Mistake 3: Leaving the bid to the last minute

The Mercado Público system closes at an exact time and waits for nobody. Leaving the preparation to the last day —or worse, the last couple of hours— exposes you to connection problems, files that will not upload, forms that freeze and not enough time to solve anything unexpected. And a bid that did not arrive in time does not exist.

Beyond the technical risk, preparing the bid in a rush also lowers its quality: the technical proposal goes unchecked, the financial bid uncalculated, the documents unverified.

How to avoid it: Work with room to spare. The day before closing should be only for the final check and for uploading what is ready, not for starting. Reserve the last day for adjusting; reserve the previous days for building.

Mistake 4: Not using the question and answer forum

Every tender has a question and answer period in which you can ask the body about any doubt on the specifications. The answers are official and valid for every bidder. Yet many suppliers do not ask because they do not want to "draw attention" or because they assume they understand everything.

When that assumption is wrong —when the requirement you interpreted one way was not what the body expected— the bid is ruled inadmissible or scored poorly over something a simple question would have resolved.

How to avoid it: Always use the question period to clarify any doubt affecting your bid. It is not a sign of weakness: it is a sign that you read carefully and want to answer exactly what is being asked. The questions also serve everyone: read the answers given to others, because they often resolve something you needed to know too.

Mistake 5: Competing only on price

Many suppliers cut the price as far as possible believing it is the only factor that matters. Sometimes they are right, but in many processes price is only part of the total score. If the technical side, experience or deadlines weigh more, cutting the price to the bone can win you a war that was not deciding the award.

Worse still: if you win by bidding below your real cost, you deliver the contract at a loss. That is not winning; it is compromising your company for a contract that damages it financially.

How to avoid it: Read how much each criterion weighs in the specifications and adjust your strategy accordingly. If the technical side weighs more, invest there. If price is decisive, sharpen it but always with your real costs as the floor. And never bid a price you cannot sustain.

One additional mistake worth mentioning: giving up too soon

The first contract with the State is usually the hardest to win. Many suppliers try two or three times, do not win and give up just as they were learning how the system works. Every bid, won or lost, provides information: what went well, what failed, what to improve. Whoever persists with that learning mindset ends up winning.

In short

The five costliest mistakes are avoidable: not reading the full specifications, submitting incomplete or badly formatted documents, preparing the bid at the last minute, not using the questions forum and competing only on price. None depends on luck or on the competition. All are corrected with method, planning and the discipline of checking before uploading. Apply these corrections and your chances of winning improve immediately.

— Mindset & Code. Source: ChileCompra and Mercado Público (mercadopublico.cl, chilecompra.cl). Information current as at 2025-2026. Informational content: it does not replace professional advice.