Tender documentation is the work where the quality of the translation and the deadline are equally critical: the tender commission rejects a package over one formal defect, one missing annex or one inconsistent term, while the submission deadline does not move. A Georgian company taking part in an international tender needs the whole package, from the qualification documents to the technical and financial proposal, in the language of the tender, and a foreign company in Georgian public procurement needs the same package in Georgian. Our bureau in Tbilisi translates tender packages with several translators working in parallel, one glossary and one editor, and keeps to the agreed deadline.
What a tender package contains
The standard package of an international tender (the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, UN agencies, private procurers) comprises the following documents:
- the bid and the bidder's application forms
- the qualification documents: the extract from the registry, the charter, licences, the tax certificate
- the financial statements and the audit report for the last 2-3 years
- documents proving experience: certificates of completed contracts, references, acceptance certificates
- the technical proposal: methodology, work plan, staff CVs, list of equipment
- the financial proposal and the bill of quantities (BoQ)
- ISO and other quality certificates, declarations of conformity
- the bank guarantee, affidavits, the consortium agreement and a power of attorney for the signatory
Each group requires a different specialisation: legal, financial and technical, and that is precisely why one translator cannot prepare a tender package.
Why tender translation is different
One glossary for the whole package
The company name, the director's name, the names of projects, job titles and technical terms must be written identically in every document. If an engineer holds one position in the CV and another in the certificate of experience, the commission records a discrepancy. So at the very start of the project we create a glossary based on the terminology of the tender documentation: the term used by the procurer (for example "Employer", "Contractor", "Bid Security", "Lot") must appear unchanged in the bidder's response too.
The procurer's forms and formatting
International tenders use standard forms (for example the forms of FIDIC or of the World Bank's standard bidding documents) and the response must be entered in exactly these forms. We translate directly in the procurer's files, preserving the tables, numbering and footnotes, so that the commission can compare the original and the translation column by column. Excel bills of quantities are returned with their formulas, drawings and diagrams with their captions translated, without redrawing.
A deadline that does not move
The tender submission deadline is fixed, and the package often takes shape in the last few days. On such projects we distribute the documents among translators by specialisation, work in parallel, and the editor checks the whole package for consistency at the end. The deadline is agreed in writing before the project starts and does not change during the process, while documents added at the last minute are processed quickly with the same glossary.
Which document needs which certification
Tender documentation divides into three groups by certification. The technical and financial proposal, CVs and methodology, as a rule, need a translation certified by the bureau on the cover sheet with the translator's signature and seal: this is fast. The qualification documents, the extract, the charter, the licence, the tax certificate, the audit report, often require a notarized translation. Some procurers, especially state bodies abroad, also ask for an apostille on these documents, which takes additional time and must be planned at the very start of preparing the package. We analyse the part of the tender conditions ("Instructions to Bidders") that describes the translation requirements and offer you an exact scheme.
A foreign company in Georgian public procurement
A foreign company taking part in Georgia's electronic procurement system submits its own documents with a Georgian translation: the tender documentation, as a rule, requires a notarized Georgian translation of a document drawn up in a foreign language. We translate foreign registry extracts, licences, ISO certificates, certificates of experience, financial statements and technical proposals from English, Turkish, German, Chinese and other languages, and the procurer's Georgian tender documentation, technical specification and draft contract into the bidder's language. Foreign documents must receive the apostille in the issuing country itself.
Typical cases from our practice
- A construction tender financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. A 300-page package in English within five days: the qualification documents notarized, the technical proposal with the bureau's certification, the bill of quantities in Excel with formulas.
- Consulting services in an EU project. Experts' CVs, certificates of experience and the methodology with one glossary, with full consistency of job titles and project names.
- A Turkish company in a Georgian infrastructure tender. The trade register entry, licences and ISO certificates in Georgian with notarization, and the procurer's technical specification in Turkish.
Turnaround
A small package (20-50 pages) is ready within 2-3 working days, a medium one (50-150 pages) within 4-6 days, and the deadline for large packages is agreed individually, taking parallel work into account. To companies that take part in tenders regularly we offer a permanent glossary, a priority queue and a dedicated manager who knows the company's tender history, which makes every subsequent package faster.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents need a notarized translation for a tender?
Usually the qualification documents: the extract, the charter, the licence, the tax certificate and the audit report. For the technical and financial proposal the bureau's certification is often enough. We establish the exact requirement from the tender conditions.
How long does a tender package translation take?
A small package within 2-3 working days, a medium one within 4-6 days. With a short deadline several translators work in parallel and the deadline is agreed individually.
Can the bill of quantities be translated in Excel with the formulas preserved?
Yes. We translate directly in the file; the formulas, sheets and formatting stay unchanged.
What happens if a document is added at the last minute?
The added document is processed quickly with the same glossary, often within a few hours. Regular clients have a priority queue.
Is an apostille needed on tender documents?
It depends on the procurer. Most international organisations do not ask for an apostille, while some foreign state procurers do. We establish this from the tender conditions in advance, because the apostille takes additional time.