Answer supplier questions
Ensure that suppliers can ask questions and provide them with useful answers before moving to evaluation
Why it's important
After you have publicly advertised your opportunity, suppliers may want to ask questions about it. It’s important to answer these questions in as much detail as possible so that:
- suppliers can decide whether a piece of work is right for them and whether to offer their services
- you encourage an open and transparent dialogue
After you have publicly advertised your opportunity, suppliers may want to ask questions about it. It’s important to answer these questions in as much detail as possible so that:
- suppliers can decide whether a piece of work is right for them and whether to offer their services
- you encourage an open and transparent dialogue
What it means
Suppliers should be able to ask questions easily, for example via email or direct to your website.
When answering supplier questions you should:
- ask the supplier to explain what they mean if you don’t understand the question
- reply within the time you specified in your advert, and at least one working day before the deadline for bids
- publish all the questions that have been asked and the answers online so that all suppliers have access
- remove any supplier information from the questions and answers you publish, so people can't see who asked the question
- make sure that you have access to any expert advice you need
- extend deadlines if you cannot answer questions in time or need to make any changes or clarifications to the advertised opportunity
You can run an online meeting to respond to a lot of supplier questions at the same time. However, you must publish all questions and answers from each session so suppliers who didn’t attend aren’t at a disadvantage.
Where possible supplier emails should be sent to a general group email rather than to individual staff. This ensures that the whole procurement team can see the questions and respond in time.
Suppliers should be able to ask questions easily, for example via email or direct to your website.
When answering supplier questions you should:
- ask the supplier to explain what they mean if you don’t understand the question
- reply within the time you specified in your advert, and at least one working day before the deadline for bids
- publish all the questions that have been asked and the answers online so that all suppliers have access
- remove any supplier information from the questions and answers you publish, so people can't see who asked the question
- make sure that you have access to any expert advice you need
- extend deadlines if you cannot answer questions in time or need to make any changes or clarifications to the advertised opportunity
You can run an online meeting to respond to a lot of supplier questions at the same time. However, you must publish all questions and answers from each session so suppliers who didn’t attend aren’t at a disadvantage.
Where possible supplier emails should be sent to a general group email rather than to individual staff. This ensures that the whole procurement team can see the questions and respond in time.
Do's and don'ts
Do
-
ask the supplier to explain what they mean if you don’t understand the question
-
publish all the questions that have been asked and the answers online
-
use a group email account so that the whole procurement team has access to supplier questions
Don't
-
do not reveal commercially sensitive information when you answer a supplier question, for example the supplier’s price for the work
Do
- ask the supplier to explain what they mean if you don’t understand the question
- publish all the questions that have been asked and the answers online
- use a group email account so that the whole procurement team has access to supplier questions
Don't
- do not reveal commercially sensitive information when you answer a supplier question, for example the supplier’s price for the work