Tender documents can run to a hundred pages. You do not need to read them front to back on day one. Read in this order to decide quickly whether to bid.
1. Critical dates
Bid submission deadline, pre-bid meeting, and bid opening. If the deadline is too close to prepare properly, skip it.
2. Eligibility and pre-qualification
Turnover, experience, registrations and technical capacity. This decides whether you can bid at all.
3. Scope of work and BoQ
What exactly is being bought, in what quantity, at what location and by when.
4. Special conditions
Penalties, payment terms, performance security, warranty. These affect your price and risk.
5. Document checklist
Make your own list of every document the tender asks for, with where it goes on the portal.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always follow the conditions in the specific tender document.