- An up-to-date company account on Etimad is a prerequisite for any bid.
- Read the whole booklet before deciding to bid, not after.
- Use the enquiry window — the entity's answers become part of the booklet.
- Submit well before the deadline — the platform closes on time.
Etimad, run by the Ministry of Finance, is the e-procurement gateway for government tenders in Saudi Arabia. Government entities publish their tenders there, and suppliers and contractors review them, submit bids and follow the results. This guide lays out the stages in the order a company actually goes through them, from before its first tender to signing the contract.
1. Prepare the company account before the opportunity appears
Registering on the platform and keeping company data current is done once and then reviewed regularly — don't leave it until a suitable tender shows up. Make sure the activities registered on the platform match your commercial registration and the work you target, that the statutory certificates linked to the account are valid, and that user permissions are clear: who views, who buys booklets, and who uploads and approves bids.
2. Find suitable tenders and screen them quickly
The platform lets you search by activity, entity, region and publication date. Don't buy every booklet you see; screen each opportunity with a few questions: Is the scope within our real experience? Do we hold any required classification? Do the duration and estimated value suit our size? Do we have similar past projects we can prove? If the answers are yes, move on.
3. Buy the booklet and read all of it
Once the booklet is purchased electronically, the documents become available: general and special conditions, scope and specifications, the bill of quantities, drawings if any, and the offer and guarantee forms. Read it in full with the technical and financial team together, and note three things: mandatory requirements whose absence excludes the bid, the technical evaluation criteria and their weights, and unclear or conflicting items.
4. Use the enquiry window
The booklet sets a deadline for enquiries. Send clear, specific questions through the platform, especially about unclear quantities or conflicting specifications. The entity's published answers go to all bidders and become part of the tender documents, so follow them closely and adjust your bid accordingly.
5. Prepare the technical proposal
Structure the technical proposal around the evaluation criteria in the booklet, in the same order where possible, so the committee finds what it is looking for. It usually includes the method statement, programme, organisation chart and CVs, past projects, and technical data for the proposed materials and equipment.
6. Prepare the financial proposal and bid bond
Price the bill of quantities exactly as issued, without changing items or units, and check totals and arithmetic. Arrange the bid bond at the required percentage and validity — typically 1% to 2% of the bid value unless the booklet says otherwise or the company falls under an exempt category.
Technical and financial offers are submitted separately, and financial offers are opened for technically qualified bids according to the evaluation method in the booklet.
7. Submit before the deadline
Upload at least a day before the deadline. The platform does not accept bids after closing, and uploading large files in the final hours invites problems you don't need. Check that every file is readable, signed and stamped where required, and attached in the correct field.
8. Follow opening, evaluation and award
After bids are opened, follow the tender status on the platform and answer any clarification request within the set time. On award, the performance bond — usually 5% of the contract value — is arranged, followed by contract signing. If you don't win, review the results and compare your bid with the winning one; that analysis is what improves your chances next time.
FAQ
Can a bid be changed after it is uploaded to Etimad?
Usually a bid can be withdrawn or amended before the submission deadline, as the platform and tender terms allow. After closing, no changes are accepted.
Do we have to buy the booklet to take part?
Yes, for tenders issued with a fee — buying the booklet is required to submit a bid, and its price is stated in the tender announcement.
What if the specifications and the bill of quantities conflict?
Send a formal enquiry through the platform during the enquiry window and rely on the entity's published answer. Don't alter the BOQ items yourself.
Engineers and specialists in government tenders, technical office, MEP and central HVAC, with more than 15 years in the Saudi market.
