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Answer · Rejection and complaints

How do I challenge a tender award?

Act at once, because the deadlines are short. Ask for a debrief, read the complaint rules and file before the deadline. In World Bank works tenders, you have three business days to request a debrief. The standstill period is ten business days.

This is general information, not legal advice. Take advice if a lot of money is at stake.

Create your workspace Reviewed 04/11/26

What are the steps in a World Bank tender?

These steps come from the two-envelope works document (September 2025 edition) and its notification form.

  1. 1Read the Notification of Intention to Award. It gives the end of the standstill period and explains how to ask for a debrief or complain (ITB 44).
  2. 2Ask for a debrief in writing within three business days (ITB 47).
  3. 3Expect the debrief within five business days. If the employer needs longer, the standstill period is extended.
  4. 4File your complaint before the standstill period ends. You do not need a debrief first.
  5. 5Include all the information that Annex III of the Procurement Regulations requires.

The contract is not awarded before the standstill period ends (ITB 43). A complaint filed in time must be dealt with before award (ITB 46).

Who can complain, and about what?

The notification form sets four requirements for a complaint at this stage.

  • You must be an interested party. That means a bidder who submitted a bid and received the notification.
  • The complaint can only challenge the decision to award the contract.
  • You must submit it by the deadline stated in the notification.
  • You must include all the required information.

How does it work elsewhere?

Each system has its own body, deadline and rules. These two are examples. National law decides the rest, so find your country's review body straight away.

SystemThe key deadlineWho may act
UK public contractsA standstill of eight working days starts on the day the contract award notice is published (Procurement Act 2023, section 51).Read the Act and the notice
US federal contracts, at the Government Accountability OfficeWithin 10 calendar days of when you knew or should have known the reason. A special rule can apply after a required debriefing.An interested party, generally an actual bidder that did not win

What makes a complaint stronger?

A complaint is not a chance to improve your bid. It asks whether the buyer followed the rules. This list is general advice.

  • Name the clause you say the buyer broke.
  • Show the facts, with documents and dates.
  • Say what you want the buyer to do.
  • Stay factual and polite.
  • Keep proof of when you sent each message.

Why ask for a debrief anyway?

A debrief is useful even if you never complain. It can show where your bid lost marks, and that helps you on the next tender. Bidligence does not file complaints. Its Mock Evaluator scores a draft against the tender's criteria before you submit. That helps you find weak answers early.

Questions

What if I miss the debrief deadline?
In the World Bank document, you may still ask. The employer should give the debrief as soon as practicable. Do not let that delay a complaint, because the standstill deadline still applies.
Does a complaint stop the contract?
In the World Bank document, a complaint filed within the standstill period must be addressed before award. Other systems have their own rules, so check yours.
Who pays for a debrief meeting?
In the World Bank document, you pay your own costs of attending.

Sources

Rules and portals change. Check the tender’s own documents and the official source before you rely on any of this.

Keep reading

Answer · Rejection and complaintsNon-responsive bidsA non-responsive bid fails a tender requirement in a way that matters, so the buyer rejects it. See what causes it, what can be fixed, and how to avoid it.Answer · Preparing a bidHow bids are evaluatedBids must pass compliance and qualification first. Then price alone, or price plus quality scores, decides. Your tender states which method applies.Guide · Development-bank tendersWorld Bank bidding documentsA section-by-section guide to the World Bank Request for Bids for works: ITB and Bid Data Sheet, qualification, ESHS, local labour and FIDIC conditions.Answer · Preparing a bidHow to win government tendersChoose tenders you qualify for, comply with every rule, price to the evaluation method and submit on time. No method can promise an award.

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