Response Schedule Forms Explained: The Tender Paperwork That Disqualifies You
A plain-English guide to the response schedules in every Australian approach to market — the ATM response form, pricing schedule and evaluation-criteria forms — and how to complete them without getting disqualified.
Open any Australian tender pack and you will find a stack of Response Schedule forms. Response Schedule stands for Standard Bidding Document — the standardised forms Department of Finance requires in every bid. They look like bureaucratic filler. They are not: an unsigned or missing Response Schedule form is one of the most common reasons a bid is thrown out before price is even considered.
The forms you will meet most often
- ATM response form — the approach to market cover form: your company details, ABN and contacts
- Pricing schedule — line-item pricing where the tender asks for it; the arithmetic must add up
- Declaration of interest — any connection to anyone in the buying agency
- Evaluation-criteria response — your answer to each weighted criterion the buyer stated
- Past-contract schedule — referees and completed contracts of similar size
- Integrity declaration — that you did not collude and will comply with the code of conduct
The ones that catch people
The evaluation-criteria response is the big one: if you do not answer every weighted criterion the buyer stated, you score zero on the ones you skipped — handing the points to a weaker competitor. The declaration of interest must be honest; a false declaration can debar you. Integrity declarations must be signed by an authorised person. And on the pricing schedule, the arithmetic must add up — pricing errors get bids rejected or corrected against you.
How to complete them cleanly
- Sign every form an authorised signatory is required to sign — unsigned equals invalid
- Attach the proof each form references (insurance certificates, ABN extract, referee contacts)
- Use your exact registered company name and ABN throughout
- Double-check pricing totals and GST treatment on the pricing schedule
Frequently asked questions
What are Response Schedule forms?+
Response Schedule (Standard Bidding Document) forms are the standardised forms Department of Finance requires in every government bid — covering your particulars, pricing, declarations of interest, your non-price-criteria claim and an anti-collusion certificate.
What is the evaluation-criteria response?+
It is your written answer to each weighted criterion the buyer stated in the approach to market: capability, experience, methodology, personnel. Leaving one out means you score zero on it regardless of how strong you actually are.
What happens if I don't sign a response form?+
An unsigned mandatory form (a declaration, the integrity statement or the pricing schedule) usually makes the bid non-responsive, so it is disqualified before price is evaluated.
Where do I get Response Schedule forms?+
They are included in the tender document pack you download from AusTender or the buyer. You complete and return them with your bid as 'returnables'.
Which response schedules are mandatory in a tender?+
It varies per tender, but the ATM response form (bidder details), the pricing schedule, and the declarations the buyer specifies are the most common. The approach to market document lists exactly which apply.
What is the declaration of interest for?+
It discloses any connection between the bidder and people in the buying agency, so the buyer can screen for conflicts of interest. An unsigned or incomplete declaration is a frequent disqualification.
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