Tender Affidavits and Declarations
You sign these quickly because they are formalities. They are not - a false declaration is a separate and much larger problem than losing the bid.
What you are actually signing
A tender pack usually carries several self-declarations: that you are not blacklisted, that your information is true, that there is no conflict of interest, that you accept the conditions, sometimes that you have no litigation with the authority.
These are signed under your own authority and, where required, on stamp paper before a notary. That is the point. A declaration that turns out to be false is not treated as an error in the bid — it is treated as a misrepresentation, and the consequences run to forfeiture of the deposit and debarment.
So the ten minutes spent reading them is the cheapest ten minutes in the whole bid.
The ones that need actual checking
- Non-blacklisting. Check every department, not just this one, and check subsidiaries and partners where the wording covers them.
- Litigation and disputes. Some ask for disclosure rather than absence. Answering ‘none’ when there is an arbitration running is the mistake that ends badly.
- Turnover and experience declarations. These must match the certificates you attach, to the rupee.
- Related-party and conflict declarations. Two firms with common partners bidding the same tender is a specific issue — read the wording.
- Acceptance of conditions without deviation. Signing this and then attaching a deviation sheet contradicts itself and gets bids rejected.
Written 5 September 2026. Government requirements and portal behaviour change — message us to confirm before you rely on any date or figure here.
Format and execution
Where the tender gives a format, use that format exactly, including the annexure number. Substituting your own wording, however equivalent, is a routine reason for rejection at the evaluation stage — see our page on why bids get rejected.
Check whether stamp paper and notarisation are required, whose name the stamp paper is in, and whether the date on it predates the signature. All three get queried.
Common questions
Send us your case
Send the tender document. We will list every declaration it wants and flag the ones that need checking.
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The other places a bid gets won or lost.