1. Where should you send questions?
Find the communication instructions in the current notice and tender pack. Record the permitted channel, question deadline, timezone and any instructions about confidentiality. Use that process rather than assuming a published contact email is an alternative submission route. Different buyers and procedures have different instructions.
Read the existing clarification log before asking. Your question may already have an answer, or a revised document may have replaced the version you are using. Keep a copy of the source and document version in your own working record so the team knows which uncertainty the question addresses.
2. How do you write an answerable question?
A useful structure is: document and section; the two possible readings or missing fact; the specific point to confirm. Ask one substantive question at a time. Explain the ambiguity briefly without adding a sales pitch or asking the buyer to design your proposal.
For a hypothetical website brief: ‘Specification section 4 requests migration of existing content; pricing schedule row 7 refers to 40 pages. Please confirm whether 40 is the total migration quantity or a template allowance, and identify the content inventory bidders should use.’ This ties a concrete question to an estimating consequence.
3. Examples for budget and responsibility
For a hypothetical campaign: ‘The notice describes a total £100,000 budget, while the pricing schedule includes a separate media line. Please confirm whether media purchases are included within that total and which party will contract with the media owners.’ Do not assume the published amount is entirely available for agency labour.
For a hypothetical branding project: ‘Section 3 includes stakeholder research, but the deliverables list starts with creative concepts. Please confirm whether bidders must conduct primary research or work from research supplied by the buyer.’ Keep confidential methods and client information out of a general question unless the stated procedure provides an appropriate route.
4. What if the published dates disagree?
Identify both dates precisely, including the field, document version, time and timezone if given. Ask the buyer to confirm the controlling submission deadline through the official channel. A summary page and a detailed portal field can look similar while describing different stages; establish whether one is registration, participation or final submission.
Keep the opportunity on hold in your internal plan until the conflict is resolved. Do not silently choose the later date. If the question window has already closed, follow the published instructions and assess whether you can make a defensible response with the available information; an unanswered query is not an extension.
5. What happens after the answer?
Record the response date, the answer’s location and every part of your bid affected by it. A scope answer may change pricing, staffing, a case-study choice and the programme. Assign those changes explicitly, then review the final response for consistency with the latest information.
Read later updates too. Do not treat a saved answer as a permanent substitute for the current documents. The Bank of England’s supplier advice, for example, encourages early questions before its clarification deadline and careful checking of pricing and supporting documents. Its process is a useful buyer example, not a rule for every UK procurement.
Put the method to work
- Identify scope uncertainties in a website brief
- Separate fees, media and production costs
- Build a submission plan from the confirmed dates
Continue with the related bid preparation guide or the full guide collection.
Sources and scope
- Bank of England: Advice for preparing your tender
Buyer-specific guidance checked 23 October 2026. All sample questions above are NoticeSift’s hypothetical examples; follow your own buyer’s current instructions.
Prepared with AI assistance. These are NoticeSift’s suggested working methods, not legal advice or a guarantee of eligibility or contract award. Hypothetical examples are not live opportunities. Follow the current buyer instructions. Read our method or suggest a correction.