Tenders: How to bring your products into public construction projects
They create additional work and yet are indispensable. Because tenders – that's what we're talking about here – are a crucial guarantee that in construction projects by the federal government, states, or municipalities, the best, and not the loudest or most charismatic offer wins. We know: When it comes to tenders, brands often face challenges. Therefore, in this article, we clarify how construction product manufacturers can specifically support the preparatory work for public construction tenders and thus position themselves in neutral tenders.
Table of contents – the three key points of the article:
- What exactly happens in a public tender? What is its purpose?
- Which tools do planners use when developing tenders?
- What else can be done to secure a strong position for your portfolio in tenders?
The Tender: For most architecture and engineering offices, it’s everyday work, for public clients it’s mandatory, for executing trades it’s a key to fair play, and for brands… it regularly raises questions. How do I, as a construction product manufacturer, increase the chances that, ideally, my product will ultimately appear in the specifications? The crux is that while planners may have a clear idea of the appropriate product, all parties involved must adhere to clear guidelines due to public funding. Expenditures cannot simply be made based on a gut feeling or sympathy for a construction company or brand. Therefore, architects and civil engineers – along with public clients – are forced into strict neutrality in the interest of transparency.
Now, we wouldn't be hej.build if we couldn't still provide some good advice. As part of our new webinar format "Industry Update," which we launched in early May, we asked the experienced architect Christine Klug from the assmann gruppe in Düsseldorf to give our participants a few valuable tips. After all, marketing and sales teams can effectively support planners.
Below, we summarize some basic facts about construction tenders and the key insights from our event.
What exactly happens in a public tender? What is it good for?
Based on the Procurement and Contract Regulations for Construction Services (VOB), construction companies and craftsmen are publicly invited (through newspapers, online portals, or official bulletins) to submit bids for required construction services (deliveries) within the scope of a construction project. A tender must be issued when the federal government, states, or municipalities build. Public law foundations or educational institutions are also required to tender. Tenders ensure that construction contracts are awarded according to project-specific requirements. Tenders are prepared based on execution planning – usually by architects and also by civil engineers. The application of VOB procedures is binding for them.
From the pool of submitted bids…
- 🔎 the public procurement office reviews the documents of the participating companies,
- ⚖️ evaluates the offered services,
- 👍 and ultimately decides based on economic aspects.
And what about private clients?
Private or commercial clients can also issue tenders. The VOB then serves as a binding contract basis if expressly agreed upon. Otherwise, the provisions of the Civil Code (BGB) apply.
Which tools do planners use when developing tenders?
In principle, construction tenders are created with software support. So-called AVA programs offer the practical advantage that the specifications created with their help can also be used to reconcile later invoices with the bids.
For construction product manufacturers, it is therefore advisable to…
- 💾 provide product data in a file format suitable for the tendering software (GAEB .d81),
- 🔓 not hide these due to the large number of required services behind a login barrier,
- 📁 have their product data represented in databases such as auschreiben.de, heinze-ausschreibungstexte.de, and sirados.de.
Additionally, planners naturally also use their own databases, which require a lot of regular maintenance and updating. Since architects repeatedly refer to manufacturer texts, it makes sense to provide not only marketing-oriented product texts on websites and in brochures but also already neutralized texts – this greatly reduces the processing effort for planners. And you, as a product provider, get an opportunity to place your own wording in the tender text.
Furthermore, it is advisable to know exactly what is being searched for on your website and to possibly put the click depth to the required information to the test. Two to three more or fewer clicks to the goal can sometimes already decide the favor or disfavor of planners.
By the way: In public projects, architects and clients can still plan with specific desired products during the planning period. However, all information must be neutralized by the time of the tender at the latest.
What does "neutral" actually mean in this context?
This is best differentiated using a comparison of typical examples provided to us by the speaker of the first "Industry Update," Christiane Klug:
What else can be done to give your portfolio a reasonably secure position in tenders?
Personal contact with the planning offices is indispensable. The art, however, is to be available as a salesperson/advisor at the right time, either on-site or virtually, and to offer project-specific assistance to the planners. And: If you have good personal contact with the tenderers, they can also advise their clients more precisely and possibly name one or two specific products from your range.
Think of executing companies in your sales efforts. If you keep an eye on as many of the currently published tenders as possible, you can advise local businesses specifically and recommend your products in active sales. For this, it is, of course, beneficial to know the language of neutralized tender texts and to understand when your products are meant and are best suited for the construction task.
In conclusion, three concise questions and answers:
Some manufacturers offer tendering services that sometimes help create parts of the specifications. When are these services relevant, and how intensively are they used?
Support is indeed in demand for more complex components, such as a facade construction, facing bricks, doors, or locking systems with very specific requirements.
On what basis is it decided whether a "designated brand or equivalent" is mentioned in a tender or not?
Occasionally, a planning brand may be mentioned in addition to the neutral tender text. The procurement offices decide on this individually, not the tender preparers in the planning office.
When can a "product-specific" tender be issued in public projects?
If a client/municipality wishes for a specific brand for practical reasons – for example, when continuity is desired in a building extension/inventory, positions can also be product-specific.
As attractive as integration into public construction projects is, it remains challenging – we understand – to meet the interfaces between architecture offices, clients, and executing companies precisely.
Can we support you in this? Then feel free to contact us at any time.
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