Construction Law: Guide to Preparing Tender Documents for Projects

This report delves into the critical documents required for construction tenders, addressing the needs of inexperienced builders turned developers. The report begins by defining a tender as an offer made in response to an invitation, emphasizing the necessity of appropriate contract documents. It then meticulously outlines the essential tender documents, starting with the letter of invitation, which details the goods or services. The form of tender, a document for the tenderer's signature, is discussed next, followed by preliminaries, tender pricing documents, employer's information requirements, design drawings, specifications, and the tender return slip. Each document's purpose and what it should include are explained, providing a comprehensive guide for preparing tenders. The report references key legal and construction management concepts, like the JCT standard form of contract, and it also touches upon the rights and obligations of involved parties, ensuring a well-rounded understanding of the construction law context.

Running head: CONSTRUCTION LAW
Construction Law
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Answer 4
A tender indicates an offer made as a response to an invitation to tender. Appropriate
contract documents are required to be prepared to effect the tender of the work (Brook 2016).
The following paragraphs will discuss the different tender documents that are required to be
prepared while effecting a tender.
The letter of invitation is the first document that needs to be prepared in order to invite the
tender. The letter of invitation needs to contain the description of the goods or the services
that are forming the part of the tender. This description is required to be a detailed
description. It aids the person seeking the tender to prepare their tenders in accordance with
the requirements that are provided in the invitation for the same (Smith 2017).

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Figure 1: Letter of Invitation
The form of tender is a document that a client prepares, which is required to be signed and
completed by the tenderer. This document may include the different dates in relation to the
tender, the price, time description and any other details that are required to be included
depending upon the nature of the tender. It serves as a formal acknowledgement indicating
the understanding and the acceptance by the tenderer of the conditions and the terms of the
tender documents or any other conditions that are included in that document.
A preliminary must also be included in the tender documents. Preliminaries implies a
tender document that includes a summary of the tender, all the relevant information and the
methods and conditions that needs to be followed in the contract formed by virtue of the
tender. It helps the parties to the tender to get acquainted with the conditions of the contract
that has been formed in the furtherance of the tender.
A tender pricing document is also required to be included in the tender documents. It
includes a statement containing the breakdown of the prices of different portions of the
contract. It follows the cost plan format. It helps the parties to exactly trace the expenditure
that have been incurred in particular portions of the work.
The tender documents must also contain the employer’s information requirement. It is a
document that will provide all the internal information about the contract in question. It make
all the internal information of the employer and the suppliers seeking the tender available to
the employer.
Another important document that is required to be included in the tender documents are
Design drawings. It helps in the development and the communication of the ideas in relation
to the developing design. It includes the different ideas, designs and techniques that are
required to be followed in the performance of the contract.

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Another document in the tender is the Specifications, which contains the description of the
workmanship and the materials that are needed for the development. It acts as a
supplementary information to the other documents.
Tender return slip is also required to be submitted with the tender submission and is
required to be returned to the tenderer as an acknowledgement that it has not been opened
before the prescribed time. It includes the title, address of return, instructions and the
checklist with respect to the tender.

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Reference
Brook, M., 2016. Estimating and tendering for construction work. Routledge.
Smith, A.J., 2017. Estimating, Tendering and Bidding for Construction Work. Macmillan
International Higher Education.