Useful no-bid rules.
Deadline rule
Skip tenders with five or fewer working days unless reusable evidence and reviewers are ready.
Framework rule
Skip routes where your firm is not already eligible or the lot/service description is a poor fit.
Evidence rule
Skip when mandatory proof cannot be produced before submission.
Capacity rule
Skip when the bid would displace a better-fit live opportunity.
Hard stops and review triggers are different.
Hard stop
The required framework is not held, a mandatory accreditation is missing, the delivery region is outside scope or the deadline cannot be met compliantly.
Review trigger
The value is below the usual floor, incumbent advantage looks high, evidence is adjacent rather than direct or the bid would compete with a stronger live opportunity.
Write rules around facts the team can check. "Framework not held" is useful. "Poor fit" is too vague to apply consistently.
Rules to consider by sector.
- TUPE likely and no HR support.
- Security clearance required and not held.
- Mandatory site visits outside operating region.
- Social value weighting too high for current proof.
- Low contract value below commercial floor.
How saved no-bid rules work in TenderLead.
Pro users can save up to 20 plain-English rules in Settings. TenderLead checks those rules during scoring and names a matched rule in the BID/SKIP reason. The reviewer can then challenge the decision, edit the rule or keep the tender out of the pipeline.
- Keep each rule to one condition and one clear outcome.
- Review saved rules when your frameworks, evidence or delivery capacity change.
- Use the sample briefing to see how route, evidence and deadline signals appear beside the decision.