Four returns, normalised to one comparison
The Tender Return Analysis makes four mechanical returns comparable. Each is checked for compliance, then normalised to a like-for-like price by pricing back exclusions and qualifications. Fourteen risks are reported; the displayed allocation remains unreconciled. One provisional recommendation, subject to review.
- Package
- WP-09 Mechanical
- Budget
- £218,400
- Returns
- 4 of 5, 1 no-bid
- Risks flagged
- 14
- Prepared by
- R. Ashby, BuiltAI
- Reference
- NG-TRA-09
Illustrative example: fictional project and parties.
Four returns, normalised to one comparison
The Tender Return Analysis makes four mechanical returns comparable. Each is first checked through a compliance gateway, then normalised to a like-for-like price by pricing back the items a bidder excluded or qualified. The lowest submitted price is not the lowest true price: the normalisation is what reveals the difference against the £218,400 budget.
| Adjustment | Hartwell | Meridian | Chiswick | Northgate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submitted tender sum | £211,800 | £218,200 | £198,600 | £232,400 |
| Condensate drainage, excluded by Chiswick | incl | incl | +£8,200 | incl |
| Controls integration, excluded by Chiswick | incl | incl | +£12,400 | incl |
| Commissioning attendance, excluded by Chiswick | incl | incl | +£6,900 | incl |
| F-gas certification, Northgate lapsed | current | current | current | +£1,200 |
| Provisional sums normalised to firm | +£2,600 | £0 | £0 | +£15,300 |
| Normalised price | £214,400 | £218,200 | £226,100 | £248,900 |
Against the £218,400 budget, the normalised prices run from £4,000 under, Hartwell, to £30,500 over, Northgate. Chiswick's headline was the lowest submitted but the third-lowest once its exclusions are priced back.
Fourteen reported risks, seven shown
The register reports fourteen commercial and technical risks across the four returns. Seven entries are reproduced below; the complete bidder allocation is not supplied in this example.
| Ref | Risk in the return | Bidder | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRA-02 | Condensate, controls and commissioning excluded | Chiswick | High |
| TRA-03 | 200-mile base, attendance and response untested | Chiswick | Med |
| TRA-05 | F-gas certification lapsed at tender | Northgate | High |
| TRA-06 | Large provisional-sum content, price soft | Northgate | Med |
| TRA-08 | PI cover below the £10m requirement | Northgate | Med |
| TRA-10 | Programme assumes single-floor access | Meridian | Low |
| TRA-13 | Minor provisional sums in controls scope | Hartwell | Low |
Reported register totals, TRA-01 to TRA-14: four high, six medium and four low. The seven displayed entries do not reconcile the full allocation.
A recommendation, subject to closing the risks
Hartwell Mechanical remains the recorded provisional recommendation, with the lowest normalised price at £214,400. Its displayed summary records one low-severity item, but the full risk allocation remains unreconciled. The recommendation is conditional on the Tender Return Review, not an award.
| Bidder | Normalised | Recorded risks | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwell Mechanical | £214,400 | One, low | Provisional recommendation |
| Meridian M&E | £218,200 | One, low | Reserve |
| Chiswick Air Systems | £226,100 | Two high, one medium | Concerns, exclusions priced back |
| Northgate HVAC | £248,900 | Two high, one medium | Not competitive once normalised |
Allocation check pending: bidder summaries total eight risks (four high, two medium, two low), not the reported fourteen (four high, six medium, four low). The complete register is needed to reconcile the difference.
Analysis recommends; it does not award. Hartwell leads on normalised price; the complete risk comparison awaits reconciliation. The recommendation remains conditional on the twelve mitigations in the Review closing the fourteen reported risks. Nothing is placed on analysis alone.
| Severity | Reported count | Carried to the Review |
|---|---|---|
| High | 4 | Closed by clarification or the recommendation moves |
| Medium | 6 | Closed by clarification before award |
| Low | 4 | Noted, accepted with the award |
| All returns | 14 | Every risk closed before award |
The Review receives the reported fourteen-risk position and unresolved allocation. It must reconcile the full register and close each risk through an owned mitigation before any award. Analysis narrows the field; it does not place the order.
Chiswick's headline of £198,600 was the lowest on the day, but once its excluded condensate, controls and commissioning are priced back, its true price is £226,100, the third of four. The normalisation is the whole value of the Analysis: it compares like for like before a single pound of the budget is committed.