Tender Clarification Requests in Kenya: How to Respond When Evaluators Ask Questions
Got a clarification request from a government tender evaluation committee in Kenya? Don’t panic — and don’t ignore it. Here’s exactly how to respond.
You submitted your tender. Three weeks pass. Then your phone rings or an email arrives: ‘The evaluation committee requests clarification on the following matters regarding your tender submission…’ For many Kenyan SME suppliers, this letter triggers either panic (‘Did I fail?’) or overconfidence (‘They’re interested, I can negotiate now’). Both reactions are wrong. Both can cost you the contract.
The clarification request is a routine part of the Kenyan government procurement evaluation process under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPADA) 2015. Understanding what it means — and how to respond — is the difference between winning and losing a contract you were already qualified for.
A tender clarification request is NOT an invitation to change your technical offer, change your financial bid (prices), add documents you forgot to include, or negotiate any terms. It IS an opportunity to explain something unclear in your submission, provide better context for information already in your bid, and attach supporting evidence for claims already made.
The most common reasons evaluators send clarification requests: missing or unclear mandatory documents (tax compliance, AGPO certificate expired or illegible); technical specifications that need explanation; financial proposal inconsistencies (arithmetic errors, totals not matching line items); experience and references needing verification; personnel CVs with qualifications not clearly evidenced; and contradictions between documents.
How to respond correctly: Read the request carefully twice and identify exactly what each question is asking. Draft your response point-by-point — number each clarification to match theirs. Be factual and concise. Don’t introduce new information. Don’t justify or argue. Attach supporting evidence. Submit within the deadline (usually 3–5 working days).
Common mistakes that kill bids during clarification: missing the response deadline (your bid may be disqualified); submitting new pricing (PPADA prohibits this — it voids your bid); over-explaining; ignoring parts of the question; and attaching unsolicited additional documents.
The format matters: use official company letterhead, reference the tender number and contract title, address it to the tender committee, sign with a director or authorised signatory. This is a legal document. TenderAI helps you track clarification deadlines so you never miss a 3-day window that could cost you a multi-million shilling contract.