How Buyers Collect Prices Before a Tender — and How Suppliers Can Use It
Buyers often request quotes before a tender to understand the market. Here's how suppliers can turn that into an advantage.
Why buyers collect prices early
You need to buy a fuel additive or build a warehouse. You don't want to overpay, and you don't want the tender to fail because no one bids. So before announcing a tender, the buyer calls suppliers, requests quotes, and checks price lists. That's how they set the starting price for the lot. It's not always a tender — often it's just market research.
According to TenderLabs data for the last 30 days, 38,549 lots were announced in Uzbekistan. The largest was a fuel additive (ADA-M) worth 8.6 trillion UZS. With sums like that, the buyer wants to know real prices. And they often collect them before publishing the tender.
How it works in practice
A buyer may send a request to three to five suppliers. Or check open sources. Or run a market study. The goal is to see the price range and pick a reference point for the starting contract price. If you get such a request, it's a chance to influence the future tender.
Important: the buyer is not obliged to sign a contract with you based on the price collection. But your quote can become the basis for the starting price. If you quote too high, the lot may be expensive, and competitors will offer less. If too low, you risk working at a loss. You need balance.
What this means for suppliers
First, respond to price requests even if there's no tender yet. It's a free way to get noticed and influence the terms. Second, watch for announcements about collecting commercial offers — they often appear on the same platforms as tenders but without the procurement status. Third, analyze what prices are being requested in your category. For example, in construction there were 7,004 lots in 30 days, in energy — 4,924, in IT — 4,179. If you work in these sectors, your prices are definitely being studied.
Geography also tells a story: most lots were in Tashkent (8,749), Tashkent region (3,979), and Kashkadarya region (2,904). If you supply to these regions, be ready for requests.
How to use price collection to your advantage
Don't treat a price request as a formality. This is the stage where you can set a starting price that works for you. But don't inflate it: the buyer compares several offers. And don't cut it to a level where the project economics don't add up.
Another point: if you see the buyer collected prices and announced a tender with a starting price that's unprofitable for you, participate — but with a clear calculation. Sometimes it's better to walk away than to work at a loss. Remember: according to TenderLabs, most lots are announced on Thursday (11,922) and Saturday (6,820), and the fewest on Sunday (257). Plan your monitoring around these peaks.
In short, price collection is not a threat — it's an opportunity. Respond, analyze, offer reasonable prices, and improve your chances of winning future procurements.
