EDUCATION MATTERS
compressed timeline poses challenges for both the tendering process and the timely launch of the studies themselves.
implementation and timelines. Thanks to our team’s experience and creativity, we are usually able to propose feasible alternatives. Additional hurdles may include unclear instructions, complex bidder questionnaires, or technical issues with submission platforms. The writing process is highly collaborative. Colleagues co-write using shared documents while others focus on budgeting, administrative forms, and attachments. Coordination is crucial across so many teams. Regular status meetings and internal reviews help to ensure consistency, especially in for complex proposals. When external subcontractors or consortium partners are involved, an additional layer of coordination is needed to align their inputs
Most tenders are administered via electronic procurement platforms, with submissions now almost exclusively handled digitally. In some cases, especially for international tenders, postal delivery is still required. Tender dossiers tend to follow a standard structure, usually comprising the Terms of Reference (ToR) alongside instructions for bidders, contract templates, as well as legal and administrative annexes. Our proposals must respond to all of these specifications. Typically, a submission consists of a technical and a financial proposal, plus supporting
Figure 1: Number of submitted proposals since October 2024
9 10
8
7
6
5
4
3
2 1 0
National Projects
International Projects
Submitted Proposals
Awarded Contracts
Decision Pending*
* Decision is pending at the time of writing this article (as of 19 June 2025).
documents such as declarations, certificates, and policies on information security and processing of personal data.
in terms of tone, timelines, and documentation structure. Toward the end, final editing and quality assurance steps are built in to ensure all sections align before upload. For example, more than 16 colleagues contributed to the proposal for supporting a systematic evaluation assessment in South Africa, including external partners who contributed in the proposal writing. Our PISA 2029 Core C technical proposal alone spanned 54 pages—excluding annexes. For StarS, we submitted 20 separate documents. In the past, one of the largest proposals we submitted included four technical proposals, with the longest exceeding 150 pages and involving four external partner organizations, all of whom contributed to its development.
Preparing a strong, high-quality proposal is a team effort. Project staff, senior research advisors, administrative experts as well as specialists in information security, ICTS and software in Hamburg collaborate closely with colleagues in Amsterdam. Together, they bring a wide range of expertise to each proposal. We begin by establishing a clear timeline and defining and assigning responsibilities. Questions to the contracting authority are submitted early to clarify any ambiguities.
Common challenges include vague, contradictory, or unrealistic requirements from clients regarding
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