Get the bid documents and submit your bid
Updated 2 Oct 2026
Open the bid documents from the tender page, then use the Respond to this tender button to go to the buyer and submit your bid.
Each tender page gives you what you need to move from reading a notice to bidding: the bid documents, a Respond to this tender button and, on Pro, a link to the notice on the portal. This guide shows what each one does and which plans can open it.
Open the bid documents
- Open the tender from your Dashboard or Browse.
- Scroll to the Bid documents section.
- Select a document title to open it in a new tab.
Anyone signed in, on any plan, can open the documents. If you are not signed in, the titles show as locked. Select one or Sign up free to create an account.
Not every tender lists documents here. Some show a Documents row in the Procurement section, such as "3 attachments", with the note "Download from the buyer's portal". In that case the documents are held on the buyer's own system and you collect them there.
Submit your bid
- Check the closing date first. See Deadlines and time zones.
- Select Respond to this tender in the panel beside the tender details. It opens the buyer's submission page in a new tab.
- Follow the buyer's instructions on that page to upload your bid.
Where a notice has no submission link, the button is not shown. Read the description for how to respond, or use the buyer's contact details. See Find the buyer's contact details.
Which plan sees which button
| Button | Signed out | Free | Pro and Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respond to this tender | Sign up to respond | Opens the link when the notice has its own submission link, otherwise Upgrade to Pro to respond | Opens the link |
| View on the portal | Sign up to view source | Upgrade to Pro to view on the portal | Opens the notice on the portal |
The View on button is named after the portal where the notice is published when it is a national or official portal, and reads "the buyer's portal" otherwise. The portal link is a Pro feature on every tender, not only on Hard to find ones. See What "Hard to find" means.
If you select a locked button while signed in, a panel opens that explains what Pro adds. Choose Start Pro to upgrade. See Upgrade your plan.
Good to know
- Buttons open the buyer's own pages in a new tab. Your TenderSignal tab stays open, so you can come back to the notice.
- Once the deadline has passed the tender page shows a closed banner. Do not submit a bid for a closed notice.
- A cancelled tender shows "This tender has been cancelled". Do not submit a bid.
- Awarded notices show the supplier who won, and no Respond to this tender button.
- Add the tender to your watchlist to receive closing-soon reminders. See Watch a tender.
For what each plan includes, see Pricing.
More in Understanding a tender
- What the RFI, PQQ and ITT badges meanA stage badge tells you how far along a procurement is, so you know whether to start preparing, register interest or submit a bid.
- What "Hard to find" means on a tenderThe Hard to find badge marks a tender that is not on any national portal, so you would not spot it by checking those portals yourself.
- Early signals and planned contractsEarly signal and Planned Contract labels mark opportunities that are coming, so you can prepare before a tender opens for bids.
- Deadlines and time zonesDeadlines are shown in UK time, with a days-left chip, a countdown on the closing day and a note when the buyer gave no time.
- Find the buyer's contact detailsThe Contact section of a tender page shows who to ask about the notice; everyone sees it on tenders also on a national portal, and Pro adds Hard to find tenders.
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