Every government e-tender asks for a BOQ — the Bill of Quantities — as your financial bid. It's where your price lives, so one mistake can cost you the tender. This guide walks through how BOQs work on most government e-procurement portals and the mistakes contractors make most often.
What is a BOQ?
A BOQ lists every item of work in the tender — for example excavation, PCC, brickwork or electrical wiring — with its quantity and unit. The department fixes the items and quantities. Your job is to quote your price.
The two common types of BOQ
Item-rate BOQ. You quote a rate for each item. The sheet multiplies your rate by the quantity and adds everything up into your total bid.
Percentage BOQ. You don't quote item rates. Instead you quote one percentage above, below or at par with the department's estimated cost. Many civil works tenders use this type.
Check which type your tender uses before you start — the way you fill it is completely different.
Step-by-step: filling the BOQ
- Download the BOQ file from the tender page. On most government portals it's an Excel file (often the older .xls format) that comes with the tender documents.
- Don't rename the file. Portals usually check the file name when you upload it. Keep it exactly as downloaded.
- Open it in Microsoft Excel and enable macros if asked. Many BOQ files use macros to calculate totals and write the amount in words.
- Fill only the cells meant for you. Usually only your rate or percentage cells (and sometimes your name) can be edited; the rest is locked. Never try to unlock or change other cells.
- For item-rate BOQs: enter your rate for each item and check that the amounts and total update.
- For percentage BOQs: choose above, below or at par, then enter your percentage.
- Check the total and the amount in words before saving. If they don't update, macros may be switched off.
- Save in the same format — don't convert it to another file type.
- Upload it in the financial (price) bid section of the portal, then check the portal accepts it without errors.
Common mistakes that get bids rejected
- Renaming the BOQ file or saving it in a different format
- Editing locked cells or changing quantities
- Filling the BOQ with macros disabled, so totals don't calculate
- Leaving some items without a rate in an item-rate BOQ
- Uploading at the last minute and running into portal problems
How to decide your rates
The hardest part of a BOQ isn't the form — it's the price. Quote too high and you lose; quote too low and you lose money on the work. Good rates come from three places: the department's schedule of rates (SSR/SOR), current market prices for materials and labour, and what other contractors actually quoted in similar tenders.
How BOQ+ helps
BOQ+ reads your tender's BOQ on your phone and suggests rates from real government tender results — what contractors actually quoted in similar work in your state — alongside official rate books. For percentage tenders, it shows the range contractors in your state typically bid. You can check, adjust and export your priced BOQ in minutes, then fill your final figures in the official file.
Always follow the instructions on your tender's portal — procedures can differ between departments and states.