Once you have found a promising tender during your monitoring activities, the next step is to acquire the details of the tender. Of course, as soon as you have decided to pursue a tender, the clock starts ticking. Details about the tender need to be acquired, if not yet obtained, supplier qualifications need to be arrange, and documentation required for the bid will need to be prepared. For certain product categories standards apply or licenses will need to be checked. In this section, information is provided about the various stages in the tendering process.
At least 40 days
After the publication of the invitation to tender you have at least 40 days to prepare the necessary documentation to participate in the tender. For tenders falling under the WTO GPA the Japanese government has implemented a voluntary measure to extend this period to 50 days to facilitate access to opportunities for foreign suppliers.
In the event of the Limited Tendering Procedure, it is required to publish a notice of its intent to use such procedures (with the exception of procurements of extreme urgency) in the official gazette at least 20 days in advance of the planned date of the award of contract. (Notice of procurement in the field of supercomputers, telecommunications, medical technology and non-R&D satellites, must be published in the official gazette 40 days in advance, in principle.)
http://www.eu-japan.eu/government-procurement/preparations-for-tendering
For foreign suppliers with no Japanese language capabilities, the English language summary of the tender notice is the first source of information to decide whether there is a business case to tender for a contract. Below explains in more detail what kind of information is provided, and... |
In case of the procurement of complex goods or services, the procuring entity will organize an explanatory meeting, usually within days after the invitation to tender. Please note that the information whether an explanatory meeting will be organized, is usually not listed in the English... |
Given the large diversity in the goods and services that are procured by government entities, it rather difficult to give a concise description of the contents of tender documentation. For the procurement of relatively simple items, the documentation can be short, but for complex items, the tender... |
To ensure the quality and safety of goods and services provided to Japanese government entities, in quite a few categories certain standards need to be met or licenses obtained. In particular, in tenders where a product is produced specifically for the procuring entity suppliers have to meet... |
Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) General overview For a general overview on Japanese standards and various resources see the description under Legal & Regulatory Issues » Standards.Practical Information The Japan Industrial Standards Committee (JISC), a body attached to METI and in charge of surveying and... |
In general, there is little English information made available on licenses and permissions in Japan. In particular, if a company is active in sectors such as construction or the medical sector, licenses will be required. It is advisable to orientate at an early stage what licenses are... |
Tender submission and contracting Submission and opening of tenders Once all documents for the tender have been prepared, they must be sealed and submitted at the location specified in the tender notice and/or tender documentation. Documents can be submitted in person by tenderers themselves or by representative, or by mail.... |
The overall majority of tenders in Japan are evaluated on one criterion: - lowest price. The reasoning behind this is that all suppliers participating are deemed to possess the ability and skills to meet the conditions of the tender, ensured by the Supplier Qualification System.Projected... |
Electronic bidding systems are rapidly becoming the norm in Japan, with many government organisations setting up designated portals to conduct all tender procedures online. The national government has integrated the various steps of the procurement process into one portal called GEPS. (www.geps.go.... |
In line with the WTO agreement on public procurement Japan has established a complaints system, called CHANS. In practice, this system is seldom used since its establishment in 1996. At the regional and local level, procuring entities have their own complaint procedures, primarily... |
