Ofertant

Ofertant is a term used in procurement and contract law to designate the party that submits a bid or offer in response to a tender invitation. It is equivalent to the English terms bidder or offeror and is found in several Romance-language legal and administrative texts, notably in Romanian and Catalan contexts.

In procurement, an ofertant prepares and submits a bid specifying price, delivery terms, technical compliance, and any required documentation. Offers are evaluated by a committee against criteria such as price, quality, compliance with specifications, and suppliers' qualifications. The bid is typically submitted by a deadline and kept confidential until bid opening; after opening, the ofertants may be asked to clarify aspects of their proposals. The contract is awarded to the ofertant whose bid best meets the procurement criteria, subject to legal rights to appeal or request debriefing by unsuccessful bidders.

Legal and regulatory considerations include bid security or performance bonds, anti-collusion rules, eligibility checks, and time limits. The terminology may vary by jurisdiction; some uses reserve the term for the individual or company presenting an offer, while others use it for any party in an open tender process.

See also: procurement, tender, bidding, contract award, offeror.