Returnable Schedules
Definition: Standardised forms and templates included in tender documentation that tenderers must complete and return as part of their submission, covering areas such as pricing, capability, compliance, and referees.
What are Returnable Schedules?
Returnable schedules are pre-formatted documents within a tender package that suppliers must fill in and submit as part of their tender response. They standardise the information agencies receive, making evaluation more consistent and efficient. Missing or incomplete returnable schedules can render a tender non-conforming.
Common Types of Returnable Schedules
Australian government tenders typically include several types of returnable schedules:
- Pricing schedule — detailed breakdown of costs, rates, or lump sum pricing in the agency’s required format. May cross-reference a Schedule of Rates.
- Compliance schedule — a checklist where tenderers confirm compliance with mandatory requirements and note any departures
- Capability and experience schedule — structured format for describing relevant projects, qualifications, and organisational capacity
- Referee schedule — contact details for previous clients who can verify claimed experience
- Conflict of interest declaration — disclosure of any Conflicts of Interest relevant to the procurement
- Insurance schedule — details of current insurance policies and coverage levels
- WHS schedule — Work Health and Safety policies, certifications, and incident history
- Local content schedule — for tenders with Local Content Requirements, a breakdown of local participation
Why Do Agencies Use Returnable Schedules?
Returnable schedules serve important purposes:
- Consistency — all tenderers provide the same information in the same format, enabling fair comparison
- Efficiency — evaluators can quickly locate and assess specific information
- Completeness — the structured format reduces the risk of tenderers omitting critical information
- Probity — standardised formats support transparent and defensible evaluation processes
Tips for Tenderers
- Complete every field — blank entries may be interpreted as a failure to comply.
- Follow the format exactly — do not restructure or redesign the agency’s templates.
- Cross-check your pricing schedule against your overall response to ensure figures are consistent.
- Use the compliance schedule to systematically verify you have addressed every mandatory requirement.
Related Terms
Capability Statement
A concise marketing document that summarises a business's experience, qualifications, resources, and capacity to deliver, used to introduce the business to government buyers and support tender submissions.
Evaluation Criteria
The specific factors, weightings, and standards that a government agency uses to assess and compare tender responses in order to determine which supplier offers the best value for money.
Non-Conforming Tender
A tender submission that fails to meet one or more mandatory requirements specified in the tender documentation, which may result in the bid being excluded from evaluation.
Schedule of Rates SOR
A priced list of individual items, tasks, or activities that forms the basis for calculating payments under a government contract, where the total cost depends on the actual quantities consumed or hours worked.
Statement of Requirements SOR
The section of a tender document that details exactly what goods, services, or works the government agency needs, including specifications, deliverables, timelines, and performance standards.
Work Health and Safety Requirements WHS
The mandatory safety obligations, policies, and compliance standards that suppliers must demonstrate when tendering for and performing government contracts, governed by the harmonised Work Health and Safety Act across most Australian jurisdictions.
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