A pre-bid meeting is held before the bid submission deadline so that prospective bidders can raise doubts about the scope, specifications, or conditions of a tender. Attendance is not mandatory, but the meeting is often the best opportunity to clarify ambiguities before prices are committed.
After the meeting, the buyer publishes pre-bid meeting minutes, which record every query raised and the buyer's official response. The minutes are not informal notes; they are treated as an addendum to the tender and can amend the original conditions, including technical specifications and dates.
Bidders should always download the minutes and any corrigenda before submitting. A bid prepared against the original notice while ignoring the minutes can be rejected for quoting against superseded requirements. If the minutes change the submission deadline, the new date applies to everyone.