Programme overview
Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Case study
Introduction
Government tenders in Saudi Arabia are cancelled, re-issued or challenged more often because of weak preparation than because of the market. Vague specifications, unweighted criteria, missing cost estimates and poorly minuted committee decisions all surface at award, when they are hardest to correct. This Core Concept course takes procurement staff and committee members through each step of the GTPL Implementing Regulations from planning to award on Etimad, including the 2026 GTPL changes, alongside international standards. Participants work on tender documents from several sectors and leave with a Tender Preparation and Award File for a procurement of their own.
Course Objectives
- Plan a procurement by confirming the need, the estimated cost and the procurement method permitted under the GTPL and its Implementing Regulations
- Prepare a conditions and specifications booklet with output-based specifications, a bill of quantities, local content requirements and a draft contract
- Design evaluation criteria, weights and a scoring matrix that are published on Etimad in advance and applied consistently
- Conduct offer opening, examination and arithmetical correction, apply the national product price preference, and record committee decisions in defensible minutes
- Identify abnormally low offers, conflicts of interest and grounds for grievance, and apply the corresponding controls
- Produce an award recommendation and a complete Tender Preparation and Award File ready for approval and audit
Target Audience
- Procurement officers responsible for preparing and issuing government tenders on Etimad
- Members and secretaries of offer opening and offer examination committees
- Technical staff who write specifications and scopes of work for tender documents
- Contract and legal officers who draft conditions and review award decisions
- Finance officers who prepare cost estimates and confirm budget availability
- Internal control staff who review procurement files for completeness
Course Outline
Day 1: The GTPL, Its Implementing Regulations and Procurement Principles
- Core Principles of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Public Procurement Compared With the GTPL
- GTPL Implementing Regulations (Resolution 1242 of 1441H) Structure and the 2026 GTPL Changes
- Procurement Methods Selection Matrix: Public Tender, Limited Tender, Direct Purchase up to SAR 1 Million and Framework Agreements
- Annual Procurement Plan on Etimad and Needs Statement Preparation
- Procurement File Current-State Review Using MAPS Pillar III Indicators
Day 2: Tender Documents and Standards
- Unified Conditions and Specifications Booklet Structure and Mandatory Sections
- Output-Based and Performance Specifications Versus Brand-Based Specifications
- Bill of Quantities and Pricing Schedule Preparation
- Cost Estimate Build-Up and Budget Confirmation Record
- LCGPA Local Content Requirements, Mandatory List and ISO 20400 Sustainable Procurement Criteria
Day 3: Running the Competition and Examining Offers
- Etimad Tender Notice, Clarification Log and Addenda Management
- Bid Security of 1% to 2% on Etimad and Final Guarantee Under URDG 758
- Offer Opening Session Procedure and the Merged Opening and Examination Committee
- Technical Evaluation Scoring Matrix and Pass Thresholds
- Financial Evaluation, Arithmetical Correction and the 10% National Product Price Preference
Day 4: Award Risks, Integrity and Grievances
- Abnormally Low Offer Test and Price Reasonableness Analysis
- Conflict of Interest Declarations and ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Controls
- Negotiation With the Lowest Compliant Bidder: Conditions and Record-Keeping
- Standstill Period, Award Notification and Grievance Committee Procedure
- Tender Cancellation Grounds and Re-Tendering Decision Checklist
Day 5: Case Work and the Tender Preparation and Award File
- Facilities Maintenance Tender Case Study: Specification and Criteria Review
- Medical Supplies Tender Case Study: Offer Examination and Award Grievance
- Evaluation Matrix Build for an Own Procurement
- Tender Preparation and Award File Drafting
- Committee Panel Review and Award Recommendation Defence
Skills You Will Gain
- Procurement Planning
- Specification Writing
- Tender Documentation
- Bid Evaluation
- Committee Minuting
- Procurement Integrity Controls
- Grievance Handling
- Procurement Record-Keeping
Why Attend This Course
- Return to work with a Tender Preparation and Award File for a real procurement, reviewed by a mock committee
- Reduce clarifications, re-tenders and grievances by fixing the document weaknesses that cause them
- Explain and defend an award recommendation to approvers, auditors and unsuccessful bidders
- Compare tendering practice with procurement staff from other Saudi public bodies and sectors
Conclusion
A tender that is well prepared is usually straightforward to award, while a weak one carries its defects through to the contract. This course follows the sequence set by the GTPL Implementing Regulations, from procurement planning and document preparation on Etimad, through opening and examining offers with local content preferences, to the integrity risks, grievances and cancellation decisions that arise at award. The final day applies each step to case material and to a procurement of the participant's own, producing a Tender Preparation and Award File that can be used immediately.
