Overview
ISO 10845-3:2021 - Construction procurement: Part 3 - Standard conditions of tender defines standard conditions that bind the employer and tenderer during a procurement process. The standard details what a tenderer must do to submit a compliant tender, discloses evaluation criteria, and sets the procedures for offer, acceptance and feedback. It applies to procurements for goods, services and construction works and to disposals other than by auction.
Keywords: ISO 10845-3, construction procurement, standard conditions of tender, tender evaluation, procurement procedures.
Key topics
The standard addresses practical and procedural requirements that support transparent, consistent tendering. Major topics include:
- General requirements: interpretation, communication, employer’s right to accept/reject offers, and permitted procurement procedures (including competitive negotiation and two-stage systems).
- Tenderer’s obligations: eligibility, cost of tendering, confidentiality, insurance, pricing, alternative offers, and submission formalities (signatures, sealing, tender securities).
- Employer’s undertakings: issuing addenda, returning late offers, opening procedures, non-disclosure, grounds for rejection, and tests for responsiveness.
- Evaluation of offers: four evaluation methods (financial only; financial + quality; financial + preferences; financial + quality + preferences), scoring approaches and handling arithmetical errors and clarifications.
- Administrative processes: two-envelope systems, tender validity and withdrawal, issuing notices to successful/unsuccessful tenderers, contract preparation and return of tender securities.
- Annexes and guidance: commentary, tender data templates, evaluation reporting, example tender securities and impact of scoring formulas.
Applications and who should use it
ISO 10845-3 is designed for organizations and professionals involved in public or private construction procurement who need consistent, defensible tendering processes:
- Employers, owner organizations and public procuring entities
- Procurement officers and contract managers
- Contractors, suppliers and tendering consultants
- Legal advisers and compliance teams
- Quantity surveyors and project managers
Practical benefits:
- Promotes transparent, fair procurement and reduces disputes
- Standardizes tender documentation and evaluation to support compliance and auditability
- Guides selection of evaluation methods and scoring to align with procurement goals (cost, quality, social preferences)
Related standards
- Other parts of the ISO 10845 series (construction procurement) for complementary guidance on procurement planning and contract documentation.
- General procurement and contract standards adopted by national authorities or international bodies may be used alongside ISO 10845-3 for comprehensive procurement frameworks.
For implementing ISO 10845-3, combine its standard conditions of tender with your organization’s procurement policy and local legal requirements to ensure enforceable, transparent tendering.
