Start with a Realistic Market Check
Your tender closed with just two bids. Before comparing them, check if low participation is normal for your route. A market with consistently few bidders signals higher risk—prices may be less competitive. You need to know if you're seeing a one-off issue or a structural problem.
Use the IndexBox Analytics feed to review tender cadence and award concentration for your specific corridor. Look for patterns: Are most awards going to the same few companies? This tells you if the market is concentrated, which should shape how you evaluate your limited bids.
Set Benchmarks Using Public Award Data
With few bids, you lack direct price competition. Create an external benchmark using similar, recently awarded tenders. Focus on comparable routes, volumes, and service levels. The average bid window is 43 days, but transport awards often happen faster—look for recent data.
Don't just compare headline rates. Break down costs: line-haul, fuel surcharges, accessorials. Check if the awarded values in your target markets align with your quotes. This historical context turns two isolated bids into a data point against market reality.
- Filter by your transport category and key origin-destination pairs.
- Note the number of bidders in awarded tenders—healthy markets have more.
- Compare the contract value spread to understand price ranges.
Execute Your Analysis in IndexBox Tenders
Turn your routine into action. In IndexBox Tenders, use the search filters to isolate relevant transport contracts. Start with the Countries directory to select your operational regions, then use the Categories directory to drill into 'Transport Services' or more specific classifications.
For your current bid comparison, search for tenders awarded in the last 90 days on similar corridors. Export the key details—award value, winner, bid count—into a simple spreadsheet. This becomes your benchmark table to reference during evaluation meetings.
- Use the direct link to the Global tender database to begin your search.
- Apply the 'Awarded' status filter and sort by publication date.
- Save your search to monitor new awards automatically.
Run this in IndexBox in the next 10 minutes
Open IndexBox, apply the same filters from this guide, and create your first shortlist before you close this tab.
Keep one owner accountable for each step so the workflow converts into real bids and supplier responses.