What do the actual conditions permit?
Read the issued conditions and amendments before developing an alternative. Record whether a conforming tender is required, the permitted alternative scope and the required schedules. Do not assume that a supplier's alternative quotation is an authorised alternative tender for the whole contract.
Queensland Transport and Main Roads' C7821 construct-only conditions dated July 2025 provide a specific example: an alternative accompanies a conforming tender and identifies changes and consequential schedule information. The issued document for the actual opportunity controls; this example is not a universal tender rule.
Tender Glossary is independent and is not affiliated with Queensland Transport and Main Roads. This original preparation worksheet is not legal advice.
Sources: Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads: C7821 construct-only conditions, July 2025
Which changes should be compared with the base?
Give the base and each alternative stable identifiers. Use a separate column for the alternative's complete offered position and another for the change from the base. A savings figure without the resulting scope is not a complete comparison.
| Comparison field | Base evidence | Alternative evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Permission and form | Issued conditions and required conforming submission | Permitted alternative route and required schedules |
| Scope | Base technical and commercial boundaries | Complete alternative scope and changed items |
| Price basis | Base offered price and schedule references | Alternative total and explicit changed components |
| Programme | Base milestones and assumptions | Consequential programme changes |
| Technical dependencies | Base design and interface references | Changed interfaces and required assessments |
| Returnables | Base schedule versions | Revised schedules and added evidence |
| Approval | Approved base submission | Separately approved alternative version |
How can one scope change affect several returnables?
Illustrative example. A fictional EPC bidder proposes a different installation sequence as a permitted whole-tender alternative. The methodology changes, but the draft programme and resource returnable still describe the conforming sequence. The alternative is internally inconsistent even if its price summary has been changed.
Record the changed sequence and each dependent schedule, then obtain the authorised technical and commercial review. Keep the base programme with the base tender. Do not silently replace it with the alternative version or mix the base resource plan into the alternative package.
The example gives no technical approval, cost saving or buyer preference. Feasibility, price and contractual acceptability require the actual evidence and approvals. Engineering sign-off is performed only by the registered engineer on the job.
What should be checked before submission?
Verify the issued permission, required base and alternative documents, file identities and approval references. Read the alternative package independently: can the buyer understand its complete scope and consequences without guessing which base statements still apply?
Check that every claimed change has the required supporting schedule and that unchanged items are clearly identified where the tender rules require it. Resolve ambiguous inclusions, price bases and dependencies through the authorised process. A completed change register does not guarantee buyer acceptance.
Retain the approved base, alternative and comparison as distinct records. Follow the actual submission instructions and preserve receipt evidence for each required file. Do not assume that lodging an alternative cures an incomplete conforming tender.
Common questions
What else should the bid team know?
Is an alternative always permitted?
No. The issued conditions and amendments determine whether and how it may be offered.
Can a supplier alternate quote replace the conforming tender?
Do not assume that. Whole-tender submission requirements are a separate question.
Why retain separate base and alternative versions?
So each offered position, its approvals and consequential changes can be reviewed without mixing the two.
Primary sources
- C7821 construct-only conditions, July 2025Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads