The tender module does one job: it collects bids from the suppliers you invite in a rule-based and traceable way, helps you compare them, and lets you select the winner item by item.
In a tender opened from a request, once the winner is selected the bids and the winner are transferred to the request; the approval, order and invoice steps continue on the request. In a tender opened independently of a request, the ordering process runs outside talep.io.
Stages
Every tender goes through these steps on the stage bar at the top of the screen:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Draft | You set up the tender: items, documents, invite list, rules. It is visible only inside your company; nothing is sent to suppliers. |
| Pre-qualification | Only in a tender with pre-qualification. Suppliers answer your questions, and you approve or reject them. |
| Bidding Round | Suppliers submit bids. Opening envelopes, starting a new round and selecting the winner happen in this stage. |
| Concluded | A decision has been made on every item. The tender closes and the award record is prepared. |
| Cancelled | The tender was stopped before it concluded. Suppliers who received the invitation email get a cancellation email. |
Rounds are not a separate stage. In a sealed bid, if you start a new round after opening the envelopes, the tender stays in the Bidding Round stage; only the round number goes up.
Where things are on the tender screen
- Title row: the tender name, its type and the main action at that moment, for example Open Round 1 Envelopes or Open New Round. The three-dot menu on the right holds Cancel Tender.
- Tabs: Tender (details, items, rules, documents), Messages, Received Bids (after publishing), Pre-qualification Results (in a tender with pre-qualification), Frequently Asked Questions and Activity Log.
- Right column: in draft, the publish checklist, the Invite Supplier panel and the Pre-publish Check; after publishing, invitation statuses, time remaining and the Ceiling Price card.
Free tender allowance
On the free plan, the title of the tender list shows an indicator such as "Free tenders 2/10". An allowance is used when you publish the tender or start pre-qualification.
- A draft does not use an allowance. A tender you try out and abandon is not counted.
- A tender that is published and later cancelled is counted, because invitations were sent to suppliers.
What comes next
- Choose the type: Tender types and which one to choose.
- Set up the tender: Open your first tender.
- Add suppliers: Inviting suppliers.
Tell us what you see on screen and we will look at it together.