# Common mistakes when small companies submit tenders

Most tenders from small companies are not lost on price but on formalities: a missed mandatory criterion in an annex, an expired certificate, a reference outside the time window or a tender that arrives a minute late. All of them can be avoided with a check before you start writing.

Updated 2026-10-25 · Source: https://useprocura.com/en/guides/common-tender-mistakes · Omega Software Group AB

## Why does every tender matter?

According to statistics from the National Agency for Public Procurement (Upphandlingsmyndigheten), advertised procurements in 2024 received on average 4.6 tenders each, with a median of 3. 19 per cent of procurements received only a single tender. Micro and small companies submitted 54 per cent of the tenders.

With so few tenderers, a correct tender can often be one of two or three that go through. Every tender rejected on formalities is therefore a real lost opportunity.

## Which mistakes are most common?

### 1. Mandatory criteria hidden in the annexes

The main document is rarely the whole story. Criteria on insurance, environment, vehicles or staff can sit in the draft contract or in a specification. Search every document for "ska" (the Swedish "shall") before you decide.

### 2. Certificates that have expired

An ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 certificate must be valid when the tender documents say it must be, often on the tender deadline. Keep track of renewal dates, especially if the audit falls close to a tender period.

### 3. References outside the time window

LOU chapter 15, section 11 allows references up to three years back for goods and services and five years for works contracts. The tender documents can set a shorter period. A reference that ended too early does not count, however good it is.

### 4. Missing the turnover criterion

Check which year and which measure the criterion refers to. As a rule the criterion may be at most twice the contract value (LOU chapter 14, section 4). If it is higher without explanation, ask. If you fall below it, do not bid, or look into whether you can rely on another company's capacity.

### 5. Unsigned forms and an incomplete ESPD

A missing signature, an empty field in the ESPD or a form that was not attached can be enough to get the tender rejected. Do a final check against the tender documents' list of what the tender must contain.

### 6. The tender arrives late

A tender that arrives after the deadline is not considered. Procurement systems can be slow just before a deadline, and large files take time to upload. Submit the day before at the latest.

### 7. Reservations and conditional tenders

A tender with reservations, such as "the price applies on condition that" or your own contract terms, risks being rejected as conditional. If you object to a term, raise it as a question during the tender period instead.

### 8. No questions during the tender period

Questions during the tender period are free and the answers are published to everyone. An unclear criterion, an odd price model or an unreasonable turnover criterion can be corrected before anyone has put in the time. After the deadline it is too late.

### 9. A price that does not follow the price model

Give the price exactly in the form requested: the right unit, the right items, excluding or including VAT as stated. A price in the wrong format cannot be compared and can lead to the tender being rejected. More in the guide on [pricing a tender](https://useprocura.com/en/guides/pricing-a-tender).

### 10. Bidding on everything instead of qualifying first

The most expensive mistake is the least visible one: hours spent on tenders that could never win. Do the qualification check first, then choose the procurements where you meet every mandatory criterion and have a real chance in the evaluation. One well-prepared tender in a procurement that suits you usually pays off more than three hurried tenders where you are borderline. Also decide in advance who does the check and how long it may take, so it gets done even in a busy week.

## How do I avoid these mistakes in practice?

*Checks before, during and after writing the tender*

| When | Check |
| --- | --- |
| Before you start | All mandatory criteria and qualification criteria listed, including annexes |
| Before you start | Certificates valid on the tender deadline, references within the window |
| During the tender period | Questions asked, all questions and answers read |
| Before submission | Price in the right format, no reservations, all forms signed |
| Before submission | Submitted no later than the day before the deadline |

The checklist in the guide on [mandatory criteria](https://useprocura.com/en/guides/mandatory-criteria) goes through qualification point by point. Still, the most expensive mistake is writing a tender you cannot win: make a [go/no-go decision](https://useprocura.com/en/guides/go-no-go) before you start.

## What do I do if the tender is rejected anyway?

Read the award decision and ask for the reasons if they are not stated. Under LOU chapter 12, section 13, a tenderer can ask to be told why the tender was rejected. If the reason is a formal mistake, add the check to your own routine for next time. If you are convinced the authority got it wrong, you have the standstill period to act, see the guide on [award decisions](https://useprocura.com/en/guides/award-decision).

## Can Procura do the qualification check for me?

Procura is a Swedish service that shows suppliers which public tenders they qualify for and, where the price has been published, what similar contracts were awarded for. Procura reads the procurement's hard criteria and compares them with your profile: certificates with expiry dates, turnover and reference assignments. A certificate that expires before the tender deadline is shown as a gap, not as a yes. Read more about Procura for [small companies (in Swedish)](https://useprocura.com/losningar/sma-foretag).

## Sources

- [Upphandlingsmyndigheten, statistics on advertised procurements](https://www.upphandlingsmyndigheten.se/): tenders per procurement 2024
- [Swedish Public Procurement Act (2016:1145), riksdagen.se](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-20161145-om-offentlig-upphandling_sfs-2016-1145/): chapter 14, section 4, chapter 15, section 11

## Frequently asked questions

### May the authority let me supplement a tender that is missing a document?

In some cases the authority may ask a supplier to clarify or supplement a tender, but it is not obliged to, and the supplement may not give the supplier an unfair advantage. Never count on getting the chance.

### Is it worth bidding if there are only a few tenderers?

Often, yes. With a median of three tenders per procurement in 2024, a correct and well-considered tender has a real chance. What matters is that you meet every mandatory criterion before you spend time on the rest.

### How many procurements are advertised each year?

According to Upphandlingsmyndigheten, 17,575 procurements were advertised in 2024 and 18,015 in 2025. That is more than anyone has time to read, which is why it pays to sort on qualification first.