Tender clarification (also known as bid clarification) is contact between the procurement officer and the bidder(s) purely for the purpose of the procurement officer clarifying aspects of the tender which are perhaps ambiguous, inconsistent or unusual.

Once all tenders bids have been received, the procurement officer may wish to clarify some aspects of the bids during their tender evaluation (for example, if parts of the bids are unclear or contain minor errors). procurement officers may also seek clarification on matters of quality performance or particular terms and conditions of contracts.

If a clarification is required, the procurement officer will contact you directly in writing with their clarification question(s), confirming the deadline date and time by which you need to respond.

During the clarification process, procurement officers will respect bid confidentiality and will avoid unfairness to potential suppliers.

Negotiations in relation to price or other areas where improvements may be possible should not take place, and an audit trail is maintained by the procurement officer to ensure that the process remains fair and transparent.