Procurement preparation
Event bidder clarification log
Suppliers have started asking questions about your brief, and some of the answers would change what everyone quotes.
Opens WhatsApp with a draft you can edit before sending. Nothing is sent automatically.
The short answer
A bidder clarification log is a single numbered record of every question a supplier asks during the bidding period, the answer you give and the date you shared it with all bidders.
Its purpose is fairness. No supplier should hold information the others do not, and any answer that changes the scope must become a written addendum.
The rule that makes the log work
Questions may arrive privately, but answers go to everyone. Remove the name of the asking supplier, then send the question and answer to all invited bidders at the same time.
Exceptions are rare: a question that would reveal one supplier's own commercial approach can be handled by that supplier alone, provided the answer does not change the scope for others.
Decision sequence
- State in the invitation how and when questions can be submitted, and the last date for questions.
- Give each question a number on receipt, and note the date and the section of the brief it refers to.
- Decide the answer with the person who owns that part: venue, finance, programme or committee.
- Classify the answer as information only, clarification of existing wording, or a change to scope or timing.
- Share the numbered answers with all bidders by a stated date. For any change, issue a short addendum and extend the deadline if bidders need time to react.
- Keep the log with the evaluation file. It shows later why bids were comparable.
Log columns that earn their place
| Column | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Question number | Lets bidders and evaluators refer to the same item. |
| Date received | Shows questions were handled before the cutoff. |
| Brief section | Points to the wording that was unclear. |
| Question (anonymised) | Keeps the asking supplier private. |
| Answer | The exact text sent to all bidders. |
| Type | Information, clarification or scope change. |
| Answered by | The accountable person, not only the secretariat. |
| Date shared with all | Proves everyone received it at the same time. |
| Addendum issued (Y/N) | Links the answer to any formal change. |
Common pitfalls
- Replying privately to a helpful supplier by email and never adding it to the log.
- Answering within minutes by telephone with a promise that is not repeated in writing.
- A scope change buried in an answer, with no addendum and no extended deadline.
- Naming the supplier who asked, which discourages questions and may reveal who is bidding.
- Closing questions too early, so suppliers quote on assumptions instead.
Where the log connects to the rest of procurement
Questions often show what the brief left out. Feed recurring questions back into the specification, and check the final pack with the RFP completeness checker before reissuing it.
If an answer moves a date, update the tender timetable so the evaluation window is still realistic.
Worked example · Fictional example
Fourteen questions on a catering and venue package
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional fintech association invites five suppliers to quote for a two-day conference. Over eight working days it receives fourteen questions. Nine are information only, such as the layout of the registration area. Three clarify wording, for example whether tea breaks count as two services or one.
Two change scope. One bidder asks whether a welcome dinner is part of the quote, and the answer is yes for 120 guests, which was missing from the brief. Another asks about the headcount basis, and the committee decides to quote on registered numbers with a final number date. The secretariat issues Addendum 1 covering both, shares all fourteen answers with all five suppliers on the same day and extends the deadline by three working days.
Use this yourself
Bidder clarification log template
Copy these headings into a spreadsheet and keep one log per tender.
| No. | Date received | Brief section | Question (anonymised) | Answer | Type | Answered by | Date shared with all | Addendum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Info / clarification / scope change | Y / N | ||||||
| 2 | Info / clarification / scope change | Y / N | ||||||
| 3 | Info / clarification / scope change | Y / N |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Few suppliers are invited and questions are simple.
- One person owns the brief and can answer quickly and accurately.
- Your brief is detailed and few questions are expected.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Questions need answers from several owners, such as the venue contact, finance and the committee.
- Scope changes during bidding and addenda must be issued without confusing the timetable.
- A funder or board expects a full audit trail of how bidders were treated.
Want someone to run the question process?
An Event Blueprint can include the supplier pack, the question and answer rules and a ready log, so every bidder receives the same facts. Decisions on scope changes and award stay with your committee.
Questions organisers ask
Do I have to share every answer with every bidder?
As a rule, yes. Share the question without the asker's name. The only usual exception is a question about a supplier's own offer that does not affect the scope others are quoting.
Can bidders ask questions by phone?
It is better to ask for written questions. If someone telephones, ask them to send it in writing, or write it down yourself and treat it like any other entry.
How long should the question period be?
Long enough for suppliers to read the pack, ask and receive answers before the deadline. Set the last question date well before the submission date, then check the length with the procurement deadline planner.
What if a question exposes an error in our brief?
Correct it through an addendum to all bidders, extend the deadline if needed and record why. Quietly fixing it for one supplier makes bids incomparable.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.