A good tender should help both sides. It should help the buyer explain what they need clearly. It should help suppliers price the job properly. It should also make it easier to compare like-for-like when the bids come back.
"Too many tenders start with a wish list and ask for things that do not sit together in the real world. That creates problems before the first supplier has even responded."
Jason Purvey, Marine Minds
They start with a wish list. They include conflicting requirements. They leave important detail open to interpretation. They ask for performance, layout, equipment and compliance that do not sit together in the real world.
// 01A camel is a horse designed by a committee
In the marine industry, we used to refer to some specifications as the Committee-built unicorn tender.
That is the tender where everyone has sat around a table and added their own requirement:
- The boat needs to do 60 knots.
- It needs a full wheelhouse.
- It needs a toilet and a shower.
- It needs to be towable behind a road vehicle.
- It needs to carry a large crew.
- It needs long range.
- It needs to be light.
- It needs to be cheap.
- It needs to be delivered quickly.
Each request may make sense on its own. Together, they may not be practical.
This is not the case with every tender. Many procurement teams do a very good job. But the issue is more common where a marine division is new, staff turnover is high, or the people writing the tender do not have enough recent practical boatbuilding or operational experience.
The result is a specification that looks thorough but is difficult to build, difficult to score and difficult to defend when suppliers start asking questions.
// 02A good tender starts with use
Before specifying hull length, engines, electronics or seating, the tender needs to explain what the boat or equipment must do.
For a boat, that means:
- Where will it operate?
- Who will crew it?
- What sea conditions will it work in?
- How far will it travel?
- What payload will it carry?
- How often will it be used?
- How will it be launched, recovered, stored and maintained?
- What compliance route applies?
- What does a successful handover look like?
This sounds basic, but it is often missed.
A tender that starts with use gives suppliers a fair chance to propose the right solution. A tender that starts with a shopping list often produces bids that look competitive on paper but are not properly comparable.
// 03The detail matters
The devil is in the detail with tenders.
If the tender does not specify the important detail, the supplier has room to interpret it. Sometimes that is harmless. Sometimes it changes the quality, suitability or long-term value of what you receive.
For example, a tender that says "marine electronics package" is not detailed enough. What equipment is required? What make or performance level is acceptable? What interfaces are needed? Who supplies the charts? Is NMEA 2000 integration required? Is there a minimum screen size? Is there a backup system? Who commissions it? What documentation is handed over?
The same applies to seating, fuel systems, deck fittings, collars, electrical systems, trailers, lifting arrangements, warranties and service support.
If these points are not defined, bidders may price different levels of supply. The cheapest bid may simply be the one that has included less. That is not good procurement.
// 04Like-for-like comparison
One of the main purposes of a tender is to allow a fair comparison. That means each supplier must understand the same requirement and price against the same baseline.
If one bidder includes high-grade seating, full documentation, sea trials, survey attendance and detailed handover, while another bidder prices a basic fit-out with limited detail, the headline prices tell you very little. You are not comparing like-for-like.
A clear tender should separate:
- Mandatory requirements
- Preferred requirements
- Optional extras
- Scored enhancements
- Compliance requirements
- Acceptance criteria
- Supplier assumptions
- Exclusions
This structure protects the buyer and the supplier. It also makes the scoring process more useful.
// 05Where tenders often go wrong
Most weak marine tenders fail in a few predictable areas:
- The performance requirement is vague.
- The payload is not properly defined.
- The equipment list is incomplete.
- The compliance route is unclear.
- The acceptance criteria are missing.
- The delivery and handover requirements are too light.
- The scoring matrix does not match the real operational priorities.
- The specification asks for features that conflict with each other.
"These issues are fixable before the tender goes out. They are much harder to fix after contract award."
Jason Purvey, Marine Minds
Five critical areas for small craft tenders
// 06Hull, power, layout, equipment and compliance
Hull and construction
The tender should define more than length and material. It should consider hull form, construction method, material specification, collar type, deck arrangement, structural requirements, lifting points, towing points and any certification or survey requirement.
"7.5 metre aluminium RIB" is not enough. It is a starting point, not a specification.
Power and fuel system
The tender should define the required performance, not only the engine size. If you need a boat to achieve a certain speed at full load, in a defined condition, say so. If range matters, state the required range and expected operating profile.
The fuel system also needs proper detail. Tank capacity, tank material, fill location, isolation, inspection access, filtration and compliance should not be left vague.
Layout and payload
A good layout starts with the work the boat needs to do. Crew numbers, seating type, stretcher carriage, diving equipment, rescue gear, towing equipment, boarding operations, deck space and storage all affect the design.
If the boat needs to carry a specific payload, specify it clearly. If the layout must support a particular operating procedure, write that down.
Equipment and systems
Navigation, communication, lighting, bilge systems, electrical systems, deck fittings, safety equipment and specialist equipment should be scheduled properly.
Avoid turning this section into an uncontrolled wish list. Define the minimum required standard first. Then list optional or enhanced items separately so they can be priced and scored properly.
Compliance and acceptance
The tender must define what standard the vessel or equipment needs to meet at handover. That may include RCD, MCA requirements, class involvement, surveyor attendance, Workboat Code considerations, electrical standards, sea trial requirements, documentation and training.
Acceptance criteria should be written into the tender. Verbal assumptions after delivery do not carry the same weight.
// 07The supplier's side of the problem
A poor tender does not only affect the buyer. It also creates risk for the supplier.
A good supplier wants to understand the requirement clearly. They need enough detail to price the job properly and avoid disputes later.
If the tender is vague, the supplier has three choices:
- Price cautiously and risk looking expensive.
- Price tightly and carry the risk.
- Make assumptions and hope they match what the buyer intended.
None of these is ideal. A better tender produces better bids. It also reduces the chance of difficult conversations later.
// 08Practical tender support
This is where practical procurement and tender support helps. The work may include:
- Reviewing the tender before it goes to market
- Checking whether the requirement is realistic
- Turning a wish list into a workable specification
- Identifying missing technical detail
- Helping structure mandatory and optional requirements
- Reviewing the scoring matrix
- Preparing supplier questions
- Reviewing bids for gaps, assumptions and exclusions
- Helping compare bids on a like-for-like basis
- Supporting clarification meetings
- Helping prepare handover and acceptance requirements
The aim is simple. Write a tender that is clear, fair, practical and detailed enough to buy the right product.
// 09Good procurement is not only about price
Price matters. But with boats, specialist equipment and technical products, the cheapest compliant bid is not always the best value.
A well-written tender should help you understand:
- What is included
- What is excluded
- What assumptions have been made
- What standard is being supplied
- What support is included after delivery
- What risks sit with the buyer
- What risks sit with the supplier
- What the whole-life cost looks like
That is how you avoid buying the wrong product cheaply.
Before issuing a tender, ask one question: Could three qualified suppliers read this document and price the same requirement in the same way? If the answer is no, the tender needs more work.
A strong specification does not need to be overcomplicated. It needs to be clear, realistic and detailed in the areas that affect cost, quality, compliance and operational use.
That is what protects the buyer. It also gives good suppliers a fair chance to offer the right solution.
Jason Purvey
Over 30 years in marine, engineering and B2B sales. Based in Yeovil, Somerset.
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