Tender clarification (RFI) register template
A tender clarification register is a single log of every question you raise with the tender issuer during a live bid, capturing the clause it relates to, the question asked, the response or addendum received, and how that answer changes your bid. It keeps two threads in one place: your own outbound clarifications (RFIs), and the issuer's published question-and-answer addenda that bind every tenderer. Set up the columns below, log each query as you raise it, and reconcile the issuer's published responses against it before you submit, so no binding answer is missed.
During a live tender, the questions you ask the issuer, and the answers they publish to every bidder, change your scope, your price and your risk, yet they are easy to lose across email and portal threads. A clarification register puts them in one place: what you asked, what came back, and what it means for your bid. In Australian tenders (and most public procurement) the issuer answers questions and distributes them, usually de-identified, to all tenderers as addenda, and an answer issued that way binds everyone, so missing one is missing scope. Build the columns once, log every query as you raise it, and reconcile the issuer's published responses against your register before close. The tool works in any region; the probity notes below follow Australian practice.
Columns every register entry needs
Watch the issuer's published answers (probity cuts both ways)
Write a clarification that gets a useful answer
Before the bid closes
After award (AU): the register hands over to the RFI process
- 01Set up the register before you read. Create the columns above in one shared log so every reviewer records questions in the same place and format, from the first read of the tender.
- 02Log each question as you draft it. Reference the exact clause, state the specific ambiguity, and ask one answerable question per entry rather than bundling several together.
- 03Submit through the nominated channel before the cut-off. Use the issuer's approved point of contact or portal forum, and record the question against the tender's stated closing date for clarifications.
- 04Capture every published answer. Record the response and its addendum number against your entry, including answers to questions other tenderers asked, because those bind you too.
- 05Trace each answer into your bid. Where an answer changes scope, price or a compliance position, update the priced schedule, returnable or compliance matrix it affects, not just the register.
- 06Close out before the deadline. Confirm every entry is answered or covered by a stated assumption, and every binding addendum is reflected in your submission before you upload it.
Common questions
What is a tender clarification register?
A tender clarification register is a single log of every question a bidder raises with the tender issuer during a live bid, together with the response received and its effect on the bid. It captures the clause each question relates to, the answer or addendum that came back, and the action it forces on your pricing or returnables. It keeps clarifications from getting lost across email and portal threads before the deadline.
What is the difference between a clarification and an RFI?
During a tender, a clarification (or tender query) is a question you ask the issuer to resolve an ambiguity before you submit. The term RFI (request for information) is often used for the same thing, and also for the formal information requests raised after award during delivery. The mechanism is the same: a referenced question and a recorded, binding answer. A clarification register logs both so nothing is missed.
Are tender clarification answers shared with other bidders?
Usually, yes. In Australian and most public tenders, probity requires the issuer to answer questions and distribute them, often de-identified, to all tenderers as addenda, so every bidder works from the same information. An answer issued that way is binding on all tenderers, including on a question you did not ask, which is why you read the full published clarification log, not only your own answers.
When is the deadline to submit tender clarification questions?
The deadline to submit clarification questions is stated in the tender's instructions to bidders, and is generally around 7 to 10 business days before the submission date, though it varies by tender. Submit well before it, because late questions may go unanswered and the issuer needs time to publish an addendum. If the question deadline is extended, probity requires it to be extended for every tenderer.
Can managing tender clarifications be automated?
The tracking can be assisted. A tool can read the tender and each published addendum, extract every clarification and the clause it changes, and cite it to its source document and page, so the answer is traced into your compliance matrix and returnables rather than lost in a thread. Deciding what to ask, and how an answer changes your price or qualification, stays a judgment for your bid team.
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