How to Ask Clarification Questions in Social Care Tenders (Without Raising Red Flags)
💬 Why Clarification Questions Matter
Clarification questions are a key part of the tender process — designed to ensure bidders fully understand the requirements and evaluation criteria. However, the way you ask questions can influence how commissioners perceive your organisation’s competence and readiness.
✅ Best Practice for Asking Clarifications
- Be Clear and Specific — Phrase your question simply and directly. Avoid ambiguity or overly complex wording.
- Avoid Revealing Gaps in Understanding — Don’t ask questions that suggest you haven’t read the documents thoroughly. Clarifications should be about clarity, not covering missed content.
- Focus on Impact — Frame questions around how clarity will help you align your service to their needs. This demonstrates professionalism, not weakness.
- Use Neutral, Non-Challenging Language — Keep tone polite, objective, and focused on understanding, not criticism.
💡 Examples of Good Clarification Questions
- “Can you please confirm whether TUPE applies to this contract?”
- “Could you clarify the expected volume of hours per week for Lot 2?”
- “Is there a preferred format for submitting social value examples within our response?”
- “Please confirm the evaluation weighting for the Quality vs Price criteria.”
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Revealing gaps in basic understanding (e.g., asking about content already provided)
- Challenging the process or question design aggressively
- Asking speculative or irrelevant questions “just in case”
- Sending multiple disorganised questions instead of a considered list
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🚀 Need a Bid Writing Quote?
If you’re exploring support for an upcoming tender or framework, request a quick, no-obligation quote. I’ll review your documents and respond with:
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🚀 Ready to Win Your Next Bid?
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Updated for Procurement Act 2023 • CQC-aligned • BASE-aligned (where relevant)