Start by describing the number
Record the buyer’s exact wording beside the published value. Is it a budget for one campaign, an estimate across several years, a limit for a lot, or a figure covering more than one supplier? What does the document say about VAT, extensions and spend commitments? Preserve the source section and any unresolved point. Do not turn a headline into an assumption that the whole amount will be available to your agency.
Use one consistent basis for the first calculation. If a published number includes VAT but your cost schedule uses a different basis, label the mismatch and resolve it. Do not deduct or add a standard percentage without confirming the treatment relevant to the brief. This worksheet is a planning aid; it does not determine a tax treatment.
Separate buying activity from agency work
Create distinct lines for strategy, research, creative development, production, media purchases, measurement and account management. Identify which party contracts with each supplier and which costs the buyer pays directly. A media allowance passing through an agency’s account needs its own cash-flow and responsibility review, even when it does not represent payment for the agency’s labour.
Ask whether the agency is expected to fund purchases before receiving payment, absorb cancellations, reconcile supplier invoices or manage unused spend. Do not assume a margin or management fee is permitted or included. Read the pricing instructions and record what remains unclear for the buyer’s stated clarification process.
Work through a consistent example
Assume, purely for illustration, that a £100,000 allowance excludes VAT and includes £60,000 of media and £15,000 of external production. On those assumptions, £25,000 remains for agency delivery and its costs. The same basis is used throughout the example; the figures are not market rates, a real tender or a recommended price.
| Line | Amount | Assumption |
|---|---|---|
| Published campaign allowance | £100,000 | The total available in this hypothetical brief |
| Media purchases | −£60,000 | Assumed included in the same allowance |
| External production | −£15,000 | Assumed included; no markup assumed |
| Agency delivery envelope | £25,000 | What remains for agency work and its costs |
| Internal delivery: 300 hours × £45 | −£13,500 | Illustrative internal cost, not a selling rate |
| Research / software / other direct costs | −£3,000 | Assumed additional direct costs |
| Risk allowance | −£2,500 | An estimating allowance, not a known expense |
| Unallocated contribution | £6,000 | Before general overheads, tax and any further costs |
The £25,000 line is a subtotal, not an extra cost. After the illustrative internal and direct costs and risk allowance, £6,000 is unallocated. That is not established net profit. General overheads, tax, unrecovered bid effort and further obligations could change the result. The value of the exercise is making those questions visible before approving a response.
Check the work that continues after the campaign
Build a time estimate from the required deliverables and review process, not only the creative output. Include reporting, revisions, approvals, asset versions, accessibility work where specified, supplier management, data handover and any ongoing support. Identify buyer dependencies that could change the timetable or effort.
For each cost, distinguish a confirmed quote, a team estimate and an unresolved assumption. If a partner is essential, confirm its availability, responsibilities and pricing before treating the capability as covered. An attractive subtotal does not resolve a delivery gap or demonstrate that the proposed team is eligible.
Test what could change the decision
Choose the uncertainties that could materially change the estimate. If the example required 400 internal hours instead of 300 at the same assumed £45 cost, another £4,500 would be used, leaving £1,500 before the other exclusions already listed. That is a scenario calculation, not a forecast. It shows why a revision allowance or reporting obligation may deserve a clarification.
Keep questions specific: which production deliverables are inside the allowance; what reporting frequency is required; who pays media owners; how are changes approved? Use the official response channel and its deadline. A verbal guess inside the agency should remain an assumption until the evidence supports it.
Download the worksheet and record the decision
The CSV includes the worked example and blank fields for source evidence, ownership and the next check. Replace every illustrative number and use your own delivery estimates. It contains no macros, requires no account and does not send your working figures to NoticeSift.
Download the marketing tender budget worksheet (.csv)Finish with proceed, clarify or pass, a short reason and a decision owner. Use the free bid / no-bid checklist to review eligibility, capability and capacity alongside the numbers. The marketing tender guide covers scope checks; the official portal guide helps you return to the buyer’s information.
Prepared with AI assistance. The worksheet and interpretations are NoticeSift’s suggested working method. They do not replace the current procurement pack or professional advice on contractual or tax questions.