Overseas contracts

There are additional points relevant to tenders for clients overseas:

• If any part of the client documentation is in a language in which you are not fluent, have it translated reliably by someone who is and who understands the technical basis of the contract. Commercial or legal translation agencies may not have the means or procedures to ensure that a translation makes technical sense.

• Are there instructions or recommendations about working jointly with a local firm or making a visit to the overseas client? In the latter case, does the client name an official or manager for you to contact?

• Do not risk leaving it to local associates to inform the client that you have received the invitation to tender or are intending to submit a bid: confirm this yourself in writing.

• Does the client require the bid to be in a language other than English, or to be submitted in the client's language as well as English?

• The client may supplement the bid specification with statistics and other data related to the contract. From your knowledge of the client or the country, how reliable and current do the data appear? Will your work programme need to provide for additional surveys and research?

• Are there issues of contract law, taxation, foreign exchange, industrial relations and so forth that will need to be defined?