Why bids get rejected
The reasons Karnataka works bids are marked non-responsive, ranked by how often they happen: expired registration, wrong class, EMD not reconciled, certificates that do not match the definition, price in the technical cover, unsigned documents, missing corrigenda, name mismatches, and more. With the fix for each.
In this module
Ask any Executive Engineer what fraction of bids fail at technical opening and the answer is a shrug and "a third". Nearly all of those are avoidable, and nearly all fail for one of the reasons below. Read this before every bid until you no longer need to.
| # | Reason | What happened | The fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration expired or wrong class | The PWD book lapsed before closing, or the tender wanted Class II and the bidder holds III. | Check class and expiry before opening the document. Renew a month early. |
| 2 | EMD not received | NEFT on the last day; reconciled after closing. | Pay by gateway two days early; confirm 'paid' against the tender. |
| 3 | Similar work does not match | A building certificate for a road tender; a certificate for the contract value not the completed value; a work older than the window; 40% where the document asks 50%. | Read the definition of similar work, the percentage and the years; attach the certificate that meets it exactly. |
| 4 | Price in the technical cover | A rated BOQ or a letter mentioning the percentage uploaded in Cover 1. | Nothing priced in Cover 1, ever. |
| 5 | Unsigned or partly signed | A document or form not signed with the DSC; token expired mid-way. | Check DSC validity; sign every item the portal lists. |
| 6 | Corrigendum ignored | Bid prepared on the original BOQ after a revised one was issued, or the corrigendum not signed and uploaded. | List corrigenda on the last day; include and sign each. |
| 7 | Name mismatch | PAN in one name, GST in another, bid in a third; DSC in a person's name without authority for the firm. | One legal name everywhere; authority letter for the signatory. |
| 8 | Turnover falls short | Average of the wrong years; certificate without UDIN; unaudited figures where audit was required; turnover that is not civil works. | Match the years the tender names; CA certificate with UDIN and statements, for construction turnover. |
| 9 | Tender capacity not shown or fails | The sheet omitted, or works in hand understated then caught, or the wrong factor used. | Fill the tender's own format honestly, with the factor the document states; longer completion periods help. |
| 10 | Illegible or oversized uploads | A 40-page scan at 200 MB rejected by the portal, or a certificate the evaluator cannot read. | Legible PDFs within limits; colour for stamps. |
| 11 | Missing declaration or certificate | The not-blacklisted affidavit or the acceptance of conditions left out; in a reserved tender, the category certificate. | Use the document list in the tender as a tick sheet. |
| 12 | Late | Submit pressed at 17:02 on a 17:00 closing. | Two days early. Always. |
What the evaluator actually does
The evaluating officer sits with the tender's document list on one side and your Cover 1 on the other and ticks. Present, valid, matches the criterion. There is no credit for a beautiful bid, and a bid missing one tick is non-responsive however good the rest. The rules also stop the evaluator from helping you: a clarification may be sought about a document you submitted, but a document you did not submit cannot be added. When the rules are applied strictly, it is protecting you from a competitor's incomplete bid being let through.
When you think a rejection is wrong
Ask, in writing, for the reason: the evaluation record states it. If the reason is a criterion that was not in the document, or a document you did submit, the KTPP Act gives you 15 days to appeal to the prescribed authority (Module 1, Chapter 4). If the reason is a mistake of yours, add it to your own checklist and move on. Departments remember contractors who argue every rejection and those who fix them.
Key takeaways
- Most rejections are documents, not price: class, EMD timing, similar work, unsigned items, corrigenda, names.
- The evaluator ticks a list; a missing tick is fatal and cannot be cured after closing.
- Ask for the reason in writing; appeal within 15 days if the criterion was not in the document.
- Fewer, better-prepared bids in thinner tenders win more.
Check yourself
0 / 3- 1.Which is the most avoidable technical rejection?
- 2.An evaluator finds your tender capacity sheet missing. May they ask you to submit it now?
- 3.How long do you have to appeal a tender decision under the KTPP Act?
Frequently asked
What does 'non-responsive' mean in a tender?
Can a bid be rejected for a small clerical error?
Do I get a reason if my bid is rejected?
Every live Karnataka tender, with the history the portal never shows.
Who won the last ones like it, at what discount, and the documents it asks for. Browse without an account; sign up when you want alerts.
Written from the KTPP Act and Rules, the Karnataka Public Works Departmental Code 2014, KPWD bidding documents and office checklists, and checked against awarded tenders on this site. Figures change; the tender document and the registering office are the final word. Spotted an error? Tell us.