When publishing the contract notice you may decide that you are interested in receiving alternative solutions to meet the published requirements. If you indicate that alternative proposals (variant bids) will be considered, then provide a separate Appendix within the tender documentation where the tenderer may submit such a proposal.
The tenderers should be reminded that they must submit a compliant bid ie one that meets the specification outlined in the tender documentation in addition to any alternative solution(s).
A decision to consider variant bids can enable tenderers to submit innovative solutions that may offer a better solution in both practical and financial terms.
To view a sample Alternative (variant) proposals document, please click here.