TENDERING FACTORS CONSIDERED BY SYRIAN CONTRACTORS

For construction contractors, it is not an easy decision whether to bid or not to bid for a new project. That involves quantifying the combined impact of many factors and then producing a quick cost estimation for the project. All that should be done within a short limited time. Developing a decision-support system for making “bid/ no bid” and “mark up size” decisions will be of great help to contractors. This paper reports the progress of the first stage of developing a decision-support system to help contractors in bidding situations. The Syrian tendering system is presented and, through a questionnaire survey supported by six semi-structured interviews with interested expert contractors, thirty-eight factors were uncovered and ranked according to their importance to contractors operating in Syria. Meeting the “totender” conditions, financial capability of the client, and relations with and reputation of the client are the most important factors in the bidding decision. On the other hand, relation with other contractors/suppliers, the proportions to be subcontracted and the local customs are the least important factors in making this decision.