Why bids get rejected in Sierra Leone: 12 common mistakes and how to avoid them

Many Sierra Leonean businesses lose tenders before anyone has even looked at their price. A missing certificate, an unsigned form or an envelope that arrives ten minutes late is enough to knock out a bid that might otherwise have won. The good news is that most of these mistakes are completely avoidable once you know what evaluators check first.

This guide explains how bids are screened under Sierra Leone's Public Procurement Act 2016, the most common reasons bids are rejected, and a simple checklist to run before you submit.

How bids are screened before the price is compared

Under the Public Procurement Act 2016, the procuring entity does not jump straight to the cheapest offer. It first carries out a preliminary examination of every bid. Section 53 says bids are checked for completeness, signatures, documents proving legal validity, the required bid security, and whether they are substantially responsive to the technical specifications and contract conditions.

Bids that are incomplete, unsigned, missing the bid security or essential documents, or substantially non-responsive are rejected and are not evaluated any further. In other words, a very good price cannot save a bid that fails this first stage.

Standard bidding documents used by government entities add a further warning: a bid that is not responsive cannot be made responsive afterwards by correcting or withdrawing the problem. You do not usually get a second chance to send the missing paper.

12 common reasons bids are rejected

1. The bid arrives late. The Act is strict: any bid received after the deadline is returned unopened (section 50). Traffic in Freetown, a power cut while printing or a slow upload is not an excuse. Plan to submit at least a day early.

2. No bid security, or the wrong kind. If the tender asks for bid security and you do not include an acceptable one, the bid is rejected. Check the exact amount, the currency, the accepted form (for example a bank guarantee or certified cheque) and the required format. Some government tenders state that a foreign bank guarantee is only accepted if endorsed by a correspondent bank in Sierra Leone. Our guide Bid security explained covers the options.

3. Bid security that expires too early. Bid security usually has to remain valid for a set period beyond the bid validity period. One Bank of Sierra Leone tender, for example, required security valid for at least 28 days beyond the bid's 120-day validity. A guarantee that expires on the wrong date can sink an otherwise good bid.

4. Expired or missing compliance certificates. Most tenders ask for a business registration certificate, a valid NRA tax clearance, a valid NASSIT clearance and a valid NPPA supplier registration certificate. NPPA registration now runs on a calendar-year basis (1 January to 31 December) and must be renewed every year through the eGP portal. See Documents you need to bid for a tender in Sierra Leone and How to register as a supplier with NPPA in Sierra Leone.

5. Unsigned or wrongly signed forms. The bid form, price schedule and declarations must be signed by a person authorised to sign for the company. Corrections must usually be initialled. Unsigned bids are listed by the Act as grounds for rejection.

6. Missing technical requirements. If the specification asks for a particular capacity, brand standard, delivery period or warranty and you offer something less, your bid may be judged a material deviation. Answer every requirement directly, item by item, and do not leave lines blank.

7. Conditions or reservations added to your offer. Writing things like "price subject to exchange rate changes" or "delivery depends on advance payment" when the tender does not allow it can make your bid non-responsive. If you disagree with a condition, raise it in writing before the deadline using the clarification process in the bidding document.

8. Failing the qualification criteria. Tenders often set minimums such as annual turnover, years of experience, similar completed contracts, key staff or equipment. The Act says these criteria are applied as pass or fail, not ranked with points. If you are below a threshold, consider a partner or a smaller lot rather than hoping it will be overlooked.

9. Submitting more than one bid. A company that submits or takes part in more than one bid for the same contract (for example on its own and also as part of a joint venture) can be disqualified.

10. Refusing an arithmetic correction. Evaluators correct arithmetic errors and tell you. If figures and words differ, the amount in words generally prevails. If you refuse the correction, the bid is rejected and your bid security can be forfeited (section 53). Double-check every total before sealing the envelope.

11. Trying to change your price after opening. The procuring entity may ask you to clarify your bid, but it is not allowed to let you change the price or substance. Under section 53, a bidder who amends its bid in response to a clarification has the bid rejected and the security forfeited. Answer clarification requests exactly and only on what is asked.

12. Poor packaging and marking. Many tenders require the original and copies in separate sealed inner envelopes inside a sealed, clearly marked outer envelope showing the tender name and number. If envelopes are not sealed and marked as instructed, the entity may not be responsible if the bid is misplaced or opened early.

Donor, UN and NGO tenders follow similar logic

Tenders from UN agencies, international NGOs and donor-funded projects use their own rules, but the same pattern applies: late, unsigned or incomplete submissions are usually screened out before scoring. Read each organisation's instructions carefully, especially the required submission method (email, portal or hard copy) and file format. Our guide Winning NGO and UN tenders explains the main differences.

What to do if you think your bid was wrongly rejected

After evaluation, the Act requires the entity to notify all bidders of the proposed award and to wait at least 14 calendar days before signing the contract (section 56). If you believe the rules were breached, you can first complain in writing to the head of the procuring entity within 14 calendar days of when you became aware of the problem. The entity should decide within five working days. If you are not satisfied, you can take the matter to the Independent Procurement Review Panel within ten working days (section 64). Keep copies of everything you submitted and every letter you receive.

Pre-submission checklist

• Deadline, time and place (or portal) confirmed and planned for a day early
• Bid security in the right form, amount, currency and validity period
• Business registration, NRA tax clearance, NASSIT clearance and NPPA certificate all valid on the closing date
• Every form signed by an authorised person, with corrections initialled
• Every technical requirement answered, with no added conditions
• Qualification evidence attached (turnover, experience, staff, equipment)
• Prices checked: unit rates times quantities, totals, figures matching words
• Original and copies sealed and marked exactly as instructed

Find your next tender

Ready to put this into practice? Browse the open government, UN, NGO and donor-funded tenders on WushBids, and follow the WushBids WhatsApp Channel to get new opportunities and guides as soon as they are posted.

This guide reflects information available as of October 2026. Rules and fees can change – always check with the official source.