A property group asked us to review a tender document last month. The body was two pages long: 1,200 sets of workwear, fabric "comfortable and durable", acceptance "per national standards", lowest price wins.

Three suppliers bid. Prices ranged from RMB 680,000 to 1,120,000. Nobody in the evaluation meeting could explain the 440,000 gap, because the tender said nothing about fabric weight, trim brands or replenishment response time.

The lowest bidder won. On first delivery, two departments reported stiff waistbands, and the navy of one batch did not match the batch delivered the year before. When the buyer went back to the tender document, there was no clause to reject either complaint.

A vague tender is not a shortcut. It hands the decision to whoever quotes least. What follows is the clause structure we have seen work across dozens of tenders we have supplied.

1. The tender and the contract are two documents, but they must line up

The tender decides who wins. The contract decides how the job runs. The usual mismatch: the tender carries detailed technical parameters, while the contract body says only "as per the tender document". At acceptance, each side interprets a different document and nothing can be settled.

A workable habit is to keep the technical specification as a standalone, numbered document and attach the whole thing to the contract by reference. The twelve technical indicators that belong in the contract body are laid out in how to sign a uniform procurement contract; keep the same numbering as the specification so a later change only touches one place.

2. Nine clauses for the technical specification

Clause 1: Item list, positions and quantities

Do not write a single total. "1,200 sets" and "five positions, two to four pieces per person per season, 1,200 sets in total" are different documents. The first invites bidders to pad the count with the cheapest item. The second forces them to price by position.

Write it as a table: position, headcount, pieces per person, replacement cycle. Use the trade's normal category names and separate workwear, uniforms, suits and polo shirts, so that "workwear" does not end up covering both a shirt and a padded jacket in one line.

Clause 2: Sizing system and size allocation

Reference the GB/T 1335 sizing series, then answer four questions: who measures (supplier on site or self-reported sizes), what coverage is required (for example, on-site measurement for at least 95% of staff), how out-of-range body types are handled (individual pattern or graded sizing), and how many fitting sets are provided.

Leave this vague and the problem surfaces a year later. A new hire reports 175/96A one time and 175/100A the next; the two garments do not fit the same person.

Clause 3: Fabric parameters

Fabric is where bids diverge most, and where "premium fabric" hides the most. Five items must be written:

The fibre labelling standard has a new edition in force from a future date, so check the transition before citing a version: see GB/T 29862-2026 fibre content labelling. Colour difference needs its own rule; the four hard metrics of fabric consistency and the colour fastness test reports can be written directly into the acceptance clause.

Clause 4: Trims and sewing

Workwear rarely fails first at the fabric. It fails at the zipper, the thread and the buttons. Three current standards are worth citing: zippers per QB/T 2171, QB/T 2172 and QB/T 2173; sewing thread per GB/T 6836; buttons per GB/T 35454. Interlining should specify type and peel strength.

For sewing, give two testable numbers: stitch density (for example no fewer than 12 stitches per 3 cm, with the bidder stating a value and sealing a sample) and double stitching at load points (back rise, underarm, pocket mouth, placket). The item-by-item method is in the trim inspection checklist.

Clause 5: Logo and labelling

Four things: process (embroidery, screen print, woven label, heat transfer), position and size to the centimetre, colour matched to the corporate identity value, and wash resistance (how many cycles before fading or cracking). The care label must carry fibre content, care instructions and safety category; missing one makes the labelling non-compliant.

Clause 6: Delivery and packing

Fix the delivery milestones: first batch date, the trigger and lead time for replenishment, and stock arrangements before public holidays. Packing should identify department, name and size, delivered to the designated floor with a signed handover.

Reasonable lead times come from a timeline, not a wish: see how to calculate custom lead time. Measuring, material preparation, production and inspection each take a share, and named milestones beat a single line saying "delivery within 30 days".

Clause 7: Acceptance and handling of non-conformity

Reference GB/T 2828.1 for sampling, stating inspection level and AQL. Judgement items should cover appearance, dimensional deviation, colour difference and sewing. Also write what happens on failure: rework or replacement, how many days, who pays for re-inspection, and whether two consecutive failed batches terminate the contract.

The full process is in the bulk delivery acceptance checklist.

Clause 8: After-sales and replenishment

This is the clause most often omitted and most often the source of trouble in year two. Specify the response and delivery time for repeat orders, the rules and freight responsibility for size exchanges, the warranty period and scope, and what happens when a fabric is discontinued.

Discontinued fabric is normal in this industry. The document should require written notice in advance, written buyer approval before any substitute, and a new sealed sample comparison. No direct substitution on the line. For one large property group we hold a dedicated material stock and ship repeat orders within three working days; that only works because the clause was written into the contract at the start.

Clause 9: Samples and sealed reference samples

Three elements, none optional: number of samples, who signs off the sealed sample, and how production is judged against it. The judgement method must be operational: visual comparison under the same light source, colour card rating, key dimension measurement.

The sealed sample becomes the benchmark for every later acceptance. The process is detailed in sample approval and sealed sample records. Without one, acceptance turns into an argument about impressions.

3. Scoring: three common imbalances

Good clauses still lose to bad weighting.

Price weighted too heavily. If price dominates, the tender has told bidders to fill in the parameters however they like. A workable range: price 40 to 50 points, technical 30 to 40, service and after-sales 10 to 20, track record 5 to 10, adjusted for project complexity. For protective clothing or multi-position programmes, technical weight should go up.

Technical scores that cannot be judged. "Premium fabric", "excellent craftsmanship", "strong design" cannot be scored; evaluators fall back on impressions. Bind every point to a document: points for a GB 18401 test report, points for sealed sample records from comparable projects in the past three years, points for a written commitment to ship repeat orders within three working days backed by a stock statement.

Eligibility written as exclusion. Requiring performance records from a specific administrative region, a specific brand authorisation, or registered capital unrelated to project scale restricts potential suppliers. It carries compliance risk and screens out capable factories. Eligibility should fit the actual need of the project.

For a finer scoring structure, the tiering logic in the 21-dimension supplier screening matrix is a useful reference.

4. Make the specification attachable to the contract

The last step is usually skipped: move the clauses into the contract annex unchanged, keep the numbering, and map acceptance standards, replenishment deadlines and sealed sample comparison one to one. Add a change mechanism: fabric, trim or factory substitutions all require written approval and a new sealed sample.

Only then does the tender do its job. Three bids can be compared clause by clause, not just by the total.

5. Buyer's self-check list

A tender is not a formality to be cleared. It is the instrument that lets several bids be compared on the same terms. The more specific it is, the less the lowest price sets the outcome.

Suzhou Hengtong has specialised in custom corporate uniforms for 18 years and has served more than 2,000 organisations, with bases in Suzhou and Wenzhou and an 8,000 sqm plant. Our in-house laboratory runs vertical flame, point-to-point resistance and acid penetration testing, and we are glad to provide technical clarification while a specification is being drafted. Delivery examples are in customer cases, company background in about us, and project enquiries through contact.