Document downloads - Procurement strategies
Available downloads
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E-tendering
Published December 2010
Effective from December 2010
Reissued September 2025
Concerned with the tender process and procedure rather than procurement, this practice information provides guidance on perceived barriers to the wide-scale adoption of e-tendering in the construction industry.
E-tendering provides a framework where both clients and tenderers can reduce their costs, remove unnecessary administration and streamline the overall tendering process. It relates to the management of the contractor selection and price setting processes as part of the procurement of construction work.
This practice information addresses the complete process, from the preliminary enquiry through to tender acceptance and withdrawal, and considers the practical and legal implications of e-tendering in relation to:
- tender methodologies, different electronic formats and their impact upon information exchange
- the benefits and constraints that different technologies provide
- security issues, tendering procedures and workflow
- assessment of tenders and notification of results.
It includes a glossary of terms, sample materials, checklists and information on further resources.
This document was reissued in September 2025 as practice information. It had previously been published in December 2010 as a guidance note. The regulatory requirements remain the same and no material changes have been made to the document, except for removal of references to the RICS eTendering system, which is no longer available. Care has been taken not to update the technical content of the material because of the considerable extent of change that has taken place in the 15 years since the original publication in 2010. This also includes leaving unchanged references to bodies or organisations that no longer exist and/or have changed their name. -
Principles of measurement (international) for works of construction (ARCHIVED)
Published June 1979
Effective from June 1979
Archived 7 March 2023
A set of principles of measurement is essential to reduce widely varying practices and consequent disputes. Although there are an increasing number of contract documents requiring bills of quantities, often there is no framework within which they can be prepared, nor a commonly agreed basis of measurement. These principles, prepared by the RICS, provide a uniform basis of measurement. They are suitable for use where existing rules are inappropriate or where no rules exist. -
Surveyors' construction handbook: developing an appropriate building procurement strategy (ARCHIVED)
This document has been archived and is available on isurv for information purposes only.
Any questions relating to its status and application should be addressed to the RICS QS and construction professional group. -
Surveyors' construction handbook: building services procurement (ARCHIVED)
This document has been archived and is available on isurv for information purposes only.
Any questions relating to its status and application should be addressed to the RICS QS and construction professional group. -
E-tendering: Sample preliminary enquiry - initial letter
E-tendering provides a framework where both clients and tenderers can reduce their costs, remove unnecessary administration and streamline the overall tendering process. This is an initial letter sample for a preliminary enquiry.
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E-tendering: Prequalification document
E-tendering provides a framework where both clients and tenderers can reduce their costs, remove uneccessary administration and streamline the overall tendering process. This prequalification document is a description of works and guidelines for contractor submissions.
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E-tendering: Sample document index and referencing notes
E-tendering provides a framework where both clients and tenderers can reduce their costs, remove unnecessary administration and streamline the overall tendering costs.This sample document index is appropriate for the delivery of tender documents by CD, DVD, or web based systems.
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Developing a construction procurement strategy and selecting an appropriate route
Published August 2024
Effective from 28 August 2024
This practice information discusses construction procurement routes and the development of a procurement strategy. The guidance aims to help professionals choose an appropriate route, setting out their advantages and disadvantages. -
Tendering strategies
Published July 2014
Effective from 1 January 2015
This 1st edition guidance note summarises what tendering is and how tendering processes are used to establish a contract price. It also reviews different types of tendering and negotiation strategies and their advantages and disadvantages. It seeks to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the tendering and negotiation processes involved in procurement.
This is part of RICS' Black Book, which is a collection of technical practice documents that covers all processes throughout the construction project life cycle. The documents are essential development tools for junior professionals working through their APC and useful guides to best practice for more experienced professionals.
A project is currently underway to review and update the Black Book content with the aim of producing a comprehensive new edition. Expected to publish in 2025, the new Black Book will comprise an overarching global professional standard, accompanied by practical guidance material. -
Procurement of facility management
Published October 2020
Effective from January 2021
Reissued December 2023
This professional standard provides guidance on the various factors that need to be considered throughout a procurement process, including activities and key decisions during planning, procurement and post-procurement
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The document is aimed at public and private sector property professionals involved in a facility management (FM) procurement process either within their territory or region, or globally. This includes property managers, directors of estates, heads of FM, consultants, RICS-regulated firms acting for a landlord and FM suppliers procuring services from subcontractors. Those managing in-house teams delivering FM services may also find some of the content helpful.
This document was reissued in December 2023 as a professional standard. It had previously been published in October 2020 as a code of practice. No material changes have been made to the document.