Okuzeka
Public Administration vocabulary · Public Procurement

Bid

Meaning in public administration, with examples

/bɪd/nounCore term

In public administration, bid means: An offer by a company to supply goods, services or works for a stated price, made in response to a public tender; also used as a verb.

In Turkish: teklif, ihale teklifi

How it is used

Companies submit, place, win or lose a bid, and authorities evaluate bids. The verb pattern is bid for a contract, and the companies taking part are bidders. American English often uses bid where British English says tender. In news, bid can also mean an attempt: a bid to cut costs.

Example sentences

  1. We received seven bids, and the lowest was well below our estimate.

  2. Local firms are encouraged to bid for small maintenance contracts.

Common collocations

  • submit a bid
  • winning bid
  • lowest bid
  • bid for a contract
  • bid evaluation
  • tenderA formal invitation for companies to offer to supply goods, services or works at a stated price, or the written offer a company submits in reply.
  • contractorA company or person that has signed a contract to provide goods, services or construction work, especially for a public body.
  • public procurementThe process by which governments and public bodies buy goods, services and construction work from private companies, usually through open competition.
  • value for moneyGetting the best possible result from public money, considering not only the price but also quality, efficiency and how well the spending achieves its aims.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Public Procurement

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: