Programme overview
Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Lab
Introduction
Saudi government entities publish, receive and award tenders through Etimad, the Ministry of Finance e-procurement platform, and a missed upload, an expired certificate or a mis-stated price file can exclude an otherwise strong offer. Suppliers lose contracts to avoidable submission errors, and buyers lose time to incomplete files and payment claim disputes. This course walks both sides through the full Etimad cycle, from registration and tender search to offer submission, award, contracting and payment claims under the Government Tenders and Procurement Law. Participants practise each step in a training environment and leave with an Etimad Tender Submission Pack.
Course Objectives
- Register an establishment and its users on Etimad with the correct commercial registration data, activities and authorisations
- Locate relevant tenders, purchase tender booklets through SADAD and manage clarification questions within the published deadlines
- Prepare and upload separate technical and financial offers that meet the conditions and specifications booklet and local content requirements
- Arrange electronic bid security and supporting certificates in the form Etimad and the tender require
- Follow award notifications, complete contract signature and submit payment claims with supporting evidence on Etimad
- Assemble an Etimad Tender Submission Pack that a bid team can reuse for future tenders
Target Audience
- Bid and tender coordinators in supplier establishments
- Sales and business development staff who respond to Saudi government tenders
- Contracts and commercial staff who sign and administer government contracts
- Procurement officers who publish tenders and receive offers on Etimad
- Finance and accounts staff who prepare invoices and payment claims on government contracts
- Small and medium enterprise owners entering the Saudi government market for the first time
Course Outline
Day 1: Etimad and the Saudi Government e-Procurement Landscape
- Etimad End-to-End Cycle: Procurement Plan, Tender, Award, Contract and Payment
- GTPL Rules for Electronic Tendering and the 2026 GTPL Changes Compared With the UNCITRAL Model Law
- Etimad Supplier Registration: Commercial Registration, Chamber Authorisation and User Roles
- Activity Classification on Etimad Mapped to UNSPSC Codes
- Bid Readiness Self-Assessment Checklist: GOSI, Zakat and Local Content Certificates
Day 2: Platform Standards and Tender Documents
- Etimad Tender Notice Anatomy and Open Contracting Data Standard Fields
- Conditions and Specifications Booklet Reading and Compliance Matrix
- Digital Certificates and Electronic Signatures Based on X.509
- Procurement Methods on Etimad: Public Tender, Limited Tender, Direct Purchase and Framework Agreements
- Electronic Reverse Auction Rules and Bidding Strategy
Day 3: Preparing and Submitting the Offer
- Technical Offer Structure and Etimad Document Upload Checklist
- Financial Offer Pricing Schedule, Bill of Quantities and 10% National Product Price Preference
- Electronic Bid Security Through Etimad Under URDG 758
- Tender Booklet Purchase via SADAD, Clarification Requests and Addenda Tracking Log
- Submission Timeline Plan and Etimad Upload Confirmation Receipt
Day 4: Award, Contract and Common Failures
- Offer Opening Results and Evaluation Status Tracking on Etimad
- Award Notification, Three-Working-Day Standstill and Grievance Submission
- Contract Signature and Final Guarantee Submission on Etimad
- Payment Claims on Etimad and ZATCA FATOORA e-Invoice Requirements
- Disqualification Causes Analysis and ISO 37001 Bidder Integrity Declarations
Day 5: Lab Work and the Etimad Tender Submission Pack
- Lab: Etimad Supplier Registration and Tender Search in a Training Environment
- Lab: Full Technical and Financial Offer Submission Walkthrough
- Lab: Post-Award Contract Signature and First Payment Claim
- Etimad Tender Submission Pack Assembly
- Peer Compliance Check and Pack Presentation
Skills You Will Gain
- e-Procurement Platform Operation
- Tender Opportunity Screening
- Bid Compliance Checking
- Technical Offer Preparation
- Financial Offer Pricing
- Bank Guarantee Handling
- Electronic Contracting
- Payment Claim Submission
Why Attend This Course
- Return to work with an Etimad Tender Submission Pack that a bid team can reuse on the next government tender
- Avoid the upload, certificate and pricing errors that disqualify offers before evaluation
- Move from award to signed contract and first payment without avoidable delays
- Compare e-tendering practice with suppliers and government buyers from different sectors
Conclusion
Etimad rewards establishments that are prepared before a tender is published and disciplined once it closes. This Core Concept course follows the full cycle, from registration and classification, through reading documents, preparing and uploading offers and securing electronic guarantees, to award, contracting and payment claims under the Government Tenders and Procurement Law. The final day is spent in a training environment, repeating each transaction until it is routine, and produces an Etimad Tender Submission Pack that participants can put straight to use on their next bid.