A bid template is an outline document format used by organizations bidding either to receive funding for a project or to win a commercial project. In some cases, there is a standard bid template issued by the organization that is considering the rival bids. In other cases, bidders may have their own templates used for bidding in multiple scenarios.
The simplest form of bid template is that which is either included with commercial office document software, or produced independently. Usually these are simply document outlines that include most of the issues that are covered by a formal bid. In some cases, the template may be set up to work with a company database so that the computer can automatically retrieve and insert the relevant information. While using this form of template can be a simple and easy option, particularly for organizations short on resources, it won't always get across all the information that either the bidding organization wants to provide or that the organization considering the bids wants to receive.
Another option is for an organization that carries out multiple bids with multiple organizations to have its own bid template. This will be a standard document outline accessible to, and used by, all staff. The major advantage of this is that it makes it easier for managers and finance departments to review bids before approving them for submission. It also makes sure that less experienced staff make sure to include all the details that the company believes are important to mention in bids.
In some cases, the organization that will consider the bids will issue its own standard bid template. This will ensure that it receives the bids in a consistent format, and that bidders are asked for the specific information that the organization needs to assess each bid. This system can be problematic if the template only works correctly when used in particular document editing software, particularly in the case of a public organization that is required to make its bidding process accessible to all bidders. Such templates also need to allow some flexibility for dealing with bidders that need to provide information not covered by the format.
Despite these issues, an organization making a bid should always nearly always use the supplied bid template. Failing to do so may mean a bid is automatically dismissed, particularly in cases where there are a large number of bidders. Closely studying and completing the bid template may also give some insight into what the organization assessing the bids is looking for, thus giving the bidder a better chance of tailoring his bid.