6.4 Contract close/execution

Once the approval process is complete, the contract is awarded to the successful bidder. A suitable date and venue are nominated for contract execution, where the government's representative signs the contracts after all other parties have signed.

It is common practice for a public announcement of the contract and the successful bidder to be made when contracts have been executed.

It is good practice for the Project Director and a member of the Project Steering Committee to offer to meet losing bidders to discuss their bids after contract execution. Such discussions are an essential courtesy and make a contribution to development of the market. The Project Director should make appropriate preparations for the debrief that reflect the effort spent in preparing and evaluating bids. Further information on post-tender debriefing principles can be found in Chapter 16.