How to read a tender document and extract the proposal requirements
The tender document is the contract before the contract: everything you will be scored on and held to is written in it. This guide explains the sections of a typical Saudi government tender, what to extract from each before writing a line of your proposal, and where the clauses that disqualify bids or hide costs usually sit.
Start your proposalWhat does this service cover?
The document is prepared by the government entity on the standard templates of the Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority and sold through Etimad. It usually has a general section on the tender and submission rules, a technical section with scope and specifications, a contractual section with penalties, bonds and payments, and forms and annexes including the BOQ. Read it starting from the evaluation criteria, not page one.
Sections and what to extract from each
Read with an extraction table; each section feeds a specific part of the proposal:
- Tender data: name, number, entity, closing and opening dates, document fee and site.
- Submission and eligibility conditions: mandatory documents, classification, minimum experience and Saudisation. Any unmet condition means disqualification.
- Evaluation criteria and weights: the scoring table and the technical pass mark. Your technical proposal should follow this structure.
- Scope and specifications: deliverables, specs, acceptance criteria and duration, which drive methodology and schedule.
- Contract terms: penalties and caps, performance bond, payments, warranty period and the entity's right to vary. These set your risk margin.
- BOQ: items, units and quantities to be priced as issued. Check units carefully.
- Forms and annexes: offer letter, bond template, mandatory declarations and technical forms to complete and sign.
Where the risks hide
The costly clauses are rarely in the scope; they are in the details: a short duration with daily delay penalties, delivery to multiple sites with no transport item, staff required on site, the entity's right to increase quantities, and long warranty periods. Identify each, cost it, and include it in the price or the assumptions list.
When something is unclear, use the clarification window on the platform; answers are published to all bidders and become part of the document.
From document to proposal with AI
Upload the tender PDF to Ataa AI to extract tender data, scope, mandatory requirements, weighted criteria, human resources, quantities, bonds and timeline into a reviewable requirements map, then build the technical and financial proposals from it. Validation against the source text and circulars remains your team's job.
What you get
- ✓ Requirements map extracted in minutes
- ✓ Evaluation criteria and weights in one table
- ✓ Mandatory documents and eligibility listed
- ✓ Penalties, bonds and deadlines flagged
- ✓ BOQ ready for pricing as issued
- ✓ Technical and financial proposal built on the extraction
How it works
- 1. Download the full document
Main file plus annexes, circulars and clarification answers.
- 2. Extract requirements
Upload to Ataa AI and review the extraction against the source clause by clause.
- 3. Build the proposal
Turn approved requirements into an editable technical and financial proposal.
Pre-submission checklist
- □ Read the criteria and technical pass mark before writing
- □ Every eligibility condition met with a valid document
- □ Penalties, bonds and warranty period listed
- □ BOQ units and quantities reviewed line by line
- □ Hidden-cost clauses priced or stated as assumptions
- □ Clarifications raised in the window and answers read
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the tender document and the BOQ?
The BOQ is part of the document: the form on which items are priced. The document also contains submission and eligibility rules, specifications, contract terms and forms.
Can I object to a clause?
You can request clarification or amendment through the platform during the clarification window; the entity answers all bidders by circular. After closing, the document is deemed accepted as is.
Does the analysis support scanned documents?
Selectable-text PDFs work best. Scanned files work, with accuracy depending on image quality.
How long is a typical tender document?
Fifty to four hundred pages depending on the project. Automated analysis reads it fully in minutes and replaces the first read, not the review.