Compulsory briefing sessions: why missing one can cost you the tender
What briefing sessions and clarification meetings are, how a tender tells you one is compulsory, what happens if you miss it, and how attendance is recorded.
Checked against the official sources listed below on 11 October 2026.
What a briefing session is
Many organs of state hold a meeting before a tender closes — called a briefing session, a clarification meeting or a site inspection — where bidders learn about the work, the services or the supply being bought and can ask questions.
How you know it is compulsory
The tender advert and the tender documents give the date, time and place of the meeting and say whether attendance is compulsory. On the eTender Publication Portal every tender record says whether there is a briefing session and whether it is compulsory, and SARS, for example, prints "(Compulsory)" beside the briefing date on its published tenders.
What happens if you miss it
When attendance is compulsory, missing the meeting usually ends your bid. The cidb's guidance for construction tenders says a tender will not be considered if the tenderer did not attend a compulsory clarification meeting, and SARS has told bidders for one of its tenders that a bidder who did not attend its compulsory briefing session would be disqualified.
The rule that applies is the one in each tender's own conditions, so read them and diarise the meeting the day you find the tender.
Prove that you were there
An attendance register is usually taken, and some organs of state issue a certificate of attendance. The cidb's guidance puts the onus on the bidder to prove attendance, so:
- arrive early and sign the register in your business's name as it appears on your bid;
- keep any certificate or proof of attendance with your bid documents; and
- note what was clarified at the meeting — answers given there can affect how you price.
Where Govermate fits
When you find a tender on Govermate, check its official tender notice for a briefing session before anything else: a compulsory meeting can fall weeks before the closing date.
Official sources
- Contractor management guidelines, section 2(opens the official page in a new tab)Construction Industry Development Board (cidb)
- Standard Conditions of Tender(opens the official page in a new tab)Construction Industry Development Board (cidb)
- RFP 33/2022 compulsory briefing session(opens the official page in a new tab)South African Revenue Service
- Published tenders(opens the official page in a new tab)South African Revenue Service
- eTender Publication Portal: tender opportunities(opens the official page in a new tab)National Treasury