A fair tender

A guide to effective briefing and tendering in market and public opinion research

A fair tender motivates agencies to show you their best work and helps you choose the most suitable agency partner.

Before you launch the tender, set clear rules for it and draw up a list of agencies against the qualifying criteria that matter for your project.

The rules of a fair tender

• Allow enough time for the proposals and set a clear timetable for the selection process.
• When writing the brief, consider the recommendations for an effective brief.
• Offer an opportunity to clarify the brief and to present the proposed solution in person.
• Set clear evaluation criteria and say how feedback will be given.
• Specify who will be involved and what the stages of the decision are.
• State what information is confidential.
• Remember that the specific solution proposed by an agency is protected by copyright.
• A questionnaire or an interview or group-discussion guide is each agency’s protected know-how and as such cannot form part of a tender proposal. Clients may ask, for instance, for an outline of the areas to be covered with a list of the topics to be explored.

Criteria for choosing an agency

The qualifying criteria and their weight have to follow the nature and the requirements of the research project. The criteria for a simple brief for a repeat study are different from those for a specialised project that calls for a complex approach to a particular marketing problem.

• General information about the agency
• How long the agency has been on the market
• The size of the agency by revenue and headcount
• Ownership structure and links to other entities
• How research activities are separated from other business
• Whether the agency is part of an international network or a local firm
• Membership of research bodies (internationally ESOMAR, locally SIMAR)
• Compliance with quality standards and research ethics under the existing norms
• Compliance with data protection rules and legislation
• Rules for handling information received from the client
• Tools for sharing data with the client
• Existing key clients and types of project, and how long the existing projects have run
• Possible conflicts of interest and how they are resolved

Information about the agency’s people and facilities

• The team, and the experience and profile of the key managers and of those who will work on the project
• The team’s experience with the methods in question and with solutions in specific categories or problem areas
• The approach to project management, and how projects are set up and run