GCC Tender Alerts

How to submit a bid on Etimad

After you can use Etimad’s competition management and purchasing services, submitting an offer means paying to download the conditions brochure, attaching the technical and financial offer files, filling the bill of quantities, and sending the offer. This guide follows Etimad’s private-sector user manual and sign-in FAQ.

By GCC Tender Alerts editorial team · · checked against the official sources below.

The short version

  1. Be registered and subscribed so you can use competition management and purchasing services to see tenders and buy brochures. [1][2]
  2. Pay the brochure fee, download the conditions brochure, then attach a technical offer file and a financial offer file and fill in the bill of quantities. [1]
  3. Send the offer. Review the offer data, click “Approval and Send Offer”, then confirm by agreeing to the acknowledgment and clicking “Submit”, as the manual’s usage instructions show. [1]
  4. Inquiries and solidarity. The inquiries service enables suppliers to send inquiries to the government entity, and the solidarity service lets a supplier invite several suppliers for solidarity in the tender. [1]

Before you open a tender

Etimad’s private-sector manual describes competition management and purchasing services that let suppliers see tenders, receive invitations, and buy and apply for brochures electronically. [1] Saudi users sign in through Etimad Business / Nafath as covered in the sign-in FAQ; foreign suppliers without a Saudi CR use the no-CR foreign supplier account option. [2] An annual subscription enables participation in government tendering and procurement services. [1]

If you still need the account itself, read our Etimad supplier registration guide first, then return here for the bid steps.

Find the tender and buy the brochure

The manual’s brochure workflow includes paying the fee, downloading the brochure from the attachments, viewing it, then attaching offer files and filling the bill of quantities before send. [1]

Build and send the offer

The manual’s business rules for purchasing the brochure and making offers say the technical offer file and the financial offer file must be attached and the bill of quantities must be filled out. [1]

In the service workflow you enter my competition, attach the technical offer file and the financial offer file, fill in the bill of quantities, and send the offer. [1]

The usage instructions then show the offer data being reviewed, a click on “Approval and Send Offer”, and confirmation by agreeing to the acknowledgment and clicking “Submit”. [1]

For invitations to limited tenders or direct purchases, the manual says suppliers accept the invitation and pay the service fee to see the details before offering. [1]

Questions to the buying entity

The inquiries service enables suppliers to send inquiries to the government entity. [1] Its business rules say the service fee must be paid to be able to add inquiries, and adding the inquiry must be confirmed to be sent to the government entity. [1]

In the usage instructions you enter the competition details, click “Communication Requests”, then “+ Create Request”, then “Inquire”, add an inquiry, write the text of inquiry, submit it and confirm the sending with “Send”. [1]

Bidding with other suppliers (solidarity)

The solidarity service lets a supplier invite several suppliers to bid jointly. The presenter is the solidarity leader; invited suppliers must approve the solidarity request; after approval they can view tender details. [1] The leader attaches the solidarity discourse and sends invitations from the platform. [1]

Pre- and post-qualification

Some competitions use qualification before launch or after offers. The manual states that pre-qualification is effective for one year, and that subsequent qualification of suppliers takes place after they submit offers when that path is used. [1]

Practical tips

Questions

What files must I attach to an Etimad offer?

Etimad’s private-sector manual says the technical offer file and the financial offer file must be attached, and the bill of quantities must be filled out, before you send the offer. [1]

Is there a fee to download the brochure and bid?

Yes. The manual states that a financial fee must be paid to download the brochure and submit the offers. [1] The manual does not state the amount, so this guide does not quote a number.

How do I ask the buyer a question?

Use the inquiries service. The manual says that after entering the competition details you click “Communication Requests”, then “+ Create Request”, then “Inquire”, and add your inquiry. [1] Its business rules say the service fee must be paid to be able to add inquiries, and that adding the inquiry must be confirmed to be sent to the government entity. [1]

Can several companies submit one joint bid?

Yes, through the solidarity service. The lead supplier creates the solidarity request, attaches the solidarity discourse, and invites other suppliers. [1] Each invited supplier must approve the request. [1] After approval, solidarity members can view the tender details. [1]

Do I need a Saudi CR to submit offers?

Saudi companies use Etimad Business sign-in with a commercial registration. The sign-in FAQ also offers a new account path for entities without a CR of the type foreign supplier, and it confirms users can log in from outside Saudi Arabia. Some platform services still require a regional headquarters, so check each tender. [2]

Sources

  1. Etimad: Tenders and procurement management, private-sector user manual (PDF)
  2. Etimad sign-in page and FAQ (login.etimad.sa)

General information, not legal advice. Portal rules and fees change; the official pages prevail.