Compliance
Compliance
Also known as: Responsiveness
Whether a bid meets every mandatory requirement and submission instruction. Non-compliant bids are set aside.
Compliance is assessed before merit. A bid is compliant if it meets all mandatory requirements and follows the submission instructions — correct format, required forms, signatures, acknowledged addenda, submitted through the specified channel by the deadline.
Most losses that suppliers describe as bad luck are compliance failures. They are also the most preventable category of loss, because compliance is entirely within the bidder's control and is checkable against a list before submission.
Build that checklist from the solicitation itself rather than from memory, and have someone who did not write the bid verify it.
Related terms
- Mandatory RequirementA condition a bid must satisfy to remain in the competition. Failing even one normally eliminates the bid.
- AddendumA formal change to a published solicitation, which bidders must acknowledge and incorporate.
- Closing DateThe deadline for bid submission, enforced strictly and specified with a time and time zone.
See this term in a real tender
Search current federal opportunities and read a live notice with this definition in mind.
This definition describes general Canadian federal practice and is not legal advice. Always confirm requirements against the official solicitation.