The invitation to tender (ITT) in care bids
The invitation to tender, or ITT, is the scored quality stage where you set out how you will deliver the contract. It is built around method statements: written answers on safeguarding, staffing, quality, mobilisation and more, each marked against a published grid. Unlike the pass-fail selection questionnaire, the ITT decides who wins on the strength of evidenced answers. This is where most care contracts are actually won or lost.
What the ITT contains
An ITT sets out the service specification, the contract terms and conditions, the quality questions and their weightings, the pricing schedule, and how price will be evaluated. The quality questions are usually method statements asking how you will deliver specific parts of the service. Each carries a maximum score, a word or page limit and a published marking scheme. Reading the whole document before writing matters, because the specification and terms often contain the detail your answers need to reflect.
How the scoring works
Evaluators mark each quality answer against the criteria, often on a zero to four or zero to five scale, sometimes with a minimum threshold on individual questions that you must clear to stay in the running. The quality marks combine with the price score using the stated weightings, commonly around 60/40 or 70/30 in favour of quality, and up to 90/10 for quality-led care. Knowing the weighting tells you where your effort returns the most marks and how much room you realistically have on price.
Most advantageous tender under the new rules
Since the Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, contracts are awarded on the basis of the most advantageous tender, replacing the former most economically advantageous tender wording. In practice this reinforces that price is one factor among several, and that quality, social value and deliverability carry real weight. The ITT will state the award criteria and weightings; treat them as the definitive guide to where marks are available rather than relying on how previous tenders were scored.
Social value in the ITT
Most public care tenders include a social value element, commonly weighted at a minimum of 10 percent and often higher in care, sometimes 10 to 30 percent. It is measured against frameworks such as the National TOMs and must be deliverable and contractual, not aspirational. Strong social value answers commit to specific, local, measurable actions you can actually deliver and report on, for example local employment, training or community support tied to this contract, rather than generic promises that you cannot evidence later.
Writing answers that score
Mirror the question and the grid, lead with your evidence, and describe how your service runs in practice rather than how you would like it to. Specific timings, named roles, rotas, audit results and training rates outscore general statements of intent, because every bidder writes the generic version. Use the full word count on detail, not on restating the question. Where the format allows, a short real example or outcome demonstrates capability far more convincingly than a paragraph of values. We write ITT responses that answer the grid and draw out the evidence from how you actually operate.
Final checks before submission
Before you submit, run a compliance read against the instructions: every question answered, every word and page limit respected, the pricing schedule complete and consistent, all attachments included and named correctly, and the portal submission tested well before the deadline. Ideally someone who did not write the answers does this read, because a fresh eye catches the missed question or formatting slip that a tired author misses. A strong bid lost on a technical submission error is the most avoidable loss there is.
Typical ITT scoring scale
Many care ITTs mark each quality answer on a zero to four scale. The exact wording is in the tender.
| Score | Meaning | What the answer typically shows |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No or non-compliant response | Question not answered or fails a threshold |
| 1 | Poor | Limited detail, little or no evidence |
| 2 | Acceptable | Meets the requirement with some evidence |
| 3 | Good | Clear method with relevant evidence throughout |
| 4 | Excellent | Comprehensive, specific and fully evidenced |
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Common questions
What is the difference between the SQ and the ITT?
The SQ is the pass-fail eligibility stage. The ITT is the scored quality stage where method statements decide the result. You must clear the SQ to have your ITT answers assessed, so they do different jobs in sequence.
Are ITT answers always limited in length?
Usually yes. Each question states a word or page limit, and going over can mean the excess is ignored. Use the space on evidence and detail, not on restating the question, and check the limit before you write.
How important is price in an ITT?
It depends on the weighting, which the ITT states. Many care tenders weight quality more heavily than price, often 60/40 or 70/30 and sometimes up to 90/10, so a strong, evidenced quality response is often decisive.
What does most advantageous tender mean?
It is the award basis under the Procurement Act 2023, in force from 24 February 2025. The contract goes to the bid offering the best overall combination of quality, price, social value and other stated criteria, not simply the lowest price.
How much does social value count in a care ITT?
A minimum of 10 percent is common across public procurement, and care tenders often weight it higher, sometimes 10 to 30 percent. It is measured against frameworks like the National TOMs and must be deliverable and contractual, so commit only to what you can actually deliver and report.
Can I ask questions about the ITT before submitting?
Yes. Tenders run a clarification window where you can submit questions through the portal, and answers are usually shared with all bidders. Use it to resolve genuine ambiguities early rather than guessing and risking a non-compliant answer.
Keep reading
Browse all care tender guides, or see care tender writing by service.
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