Do I Need a Tender Template?

9 Feb

One of the most common questions businesses ask when preparing a tender is whether they need a tender template — or whether they should be using the one provided.

The short answer?
It depends on the tender.

Using the wrong template — or changing the right one — can make your response harder to assess, introduce compliance risk, and work against you, even if your content is strong.

This guide will help you decide whether you should be using a tender template at all — before you worry about formatting.

Start Here: Has a Tender Response Schedule Been Supplied?

Before creating or downloading a tender template, always check the tender documentation.

If the tender issuer has supplied a response schedule or response template, this should almost always be your starting point.

In most cases, the safest approach is to:

Use the supplied response schedule
Make minimal branding changes only
Avoid altering structure, headings, or numbering

What “minimal changes” usually means

Adding your logo
Applying your brand colours to headings
Using consistent formatting for tables or infographics

Response schedules are designed to align directly with evaluation criteria. Assessors often review submissions side by side. The easier your response is to navigate, the easier it is to assess — and score.

Before Anything Else: Check the RFT / ITT / RFP Submission Instructions

Before deciding how to format your response — or whether to use a tender template — you must review the submission instructions.

Whether the document is labelled:

RFT (Request for Tender)
ITT (Invitation to Tender)
RFP (Request for Proposal)

the instructions section will usually define exactly how your response must be submitted.

These instructions are not optional.

What Tender Submission Instructions Commonly Specify

Submission instructions may outline:

Whether you must use the supplied response schedule
Whether alternative templates are permitted
Required font type and font size
Page or word limits
File format requirements (Word, PDF, Excel)
Whether hyperlinks are allowed
How attachments or appendices must be submitted

In some cases, instructions explicitly state that:

Only the supplied template may be used
Formatting must not be altered
Non-compliant submissions may be excluded from evaluation

Why This Matters

No matter how strong your content is, non-compliance creates unnecessary risk.

Submission instructions determine:

Whether you can use your own template
How much formatting flexibility you have
Whether hyperlinks or appendices are allowed
How assessors will receive and review your response

Always check the instructions first. Templates come second.

When You Should Use the Supplied Tender Template

In most tenders, using the supplied template is the correct decision.

This applies when:

A response schedule is provided
The tender instructions mandate its use
The structure aligns clearly with evaluation criteria

Heavily reworking supplied templates often results in:

Answers being harder to locate
Responses appearing out of sequence
Assessors needing to search for information
Increased compliance risk

Even strong responses can be marked down if they’re difficult to assess.

When Creating Your Own Tender Template Makes Sense

There are situations where creating your own tender template is appropriate.

This typically applies when:

No response schedule is supplied
A proposal-style submission is requested
The supplied template is unusable due to formatting issues
You’re responding to a private or informal request for proposal

In these cases, a tender template can help structure your response and ensure consistency.

However, deciding to use a template doesn’t remove the need for care.
Structure still matters. Compliance still matters. Assessment still matters.

Formatting Your Tender Template Still Matters

Deciding whether to use a tender template is only half the equation.

How that template is formatted plays a critical role in how your response is read, navigated, and assessed.

Poor formatting can:

Make strong answers harder to find
Increase assessor fatigue
Undermine otherwise solid content
Create unnecessary friction during evaluation

Good formatting, on the other hand, supports:

Clear navigation
Faster assessment
Better alignment with evaluation criteria

Even when the right template decision has been made, formatting can still help or hinder your outcome.

Using Your Own Template When One Is Supplied

This is a high-risk decision and should be approached carefully.

If you choose to use your own template instead of a supplied response schedule, it must:

Mirror the structure exactly
Match headings and numbering
Closely resemble the look and feel of the original

The goal is not visual differentiation.
The goal is ease of assessment.

If assessors have to work harder to find your answers, your response is at a disadvantage.

A Practical Rule of Thumb

Before using or creating a tender template, ask:

Is a response schedule supplied?
Do the submission instructions allow flexibility?
Does this make the response easier to assess?

If the answer is no, reconsider the approach.

Tender Template FAQs

If a response schedule is supplied and required by the tender instructions, yes. This is usually the safest and most compliant option.
Only in limited circumstances, such as when no response schedule is provided or a proposal-style submission is requested.
It can be. Altering structure, headings, or numbering may create compliance issues. Always check the tender instructions.
A tender template is structured around evaluation criteria. A proposal template is more flexible and typically used when no formal response schedule exists.