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Cost Estimating and Pricing for Tenders and Contracts

Many African businesses lose tenders because their pricing is either too thin to survive delivery or too high to win. This course shows finance and commercial staff how to build accurate bottom up cost estimates, load the right overheads and margins, and price competitively for public and private tenders. Participants leave able to defend a bid price line by line and protect profit once the contract is awarded.

What you will be able to do

  • Break a scope of work into labour, materials, equipment and overhead cost components.
  • Calculate realistic overhead recovery and margin loadings for a bid.
  • Build a defensible cost estimate that survives client and auditor scrutiny.
  • Apply pricing strategies for competitive tenders without eroding profitability.
  • Identify pricing risks such as escalation, currency and scope creep before submission.
  • Track estimated versus actual cost once the contract is running.

Course outline

  1. 01Anatomy of a Tender Cost Estimate
  2. 02Direct and Indirect Cost Components
  3. 03Overhead Recovery and Margin Loading
  4. 04Competitive Pricing Strategies
  5. 05Escalation, Currency and Contingency Provisions
  6. 06Common Estimating Errors and How to Avoid Them
  7. 07Estimate Versus Actual Cost Tracking
  8. 08Defending a Bid Price to Clients and Evaluators

Who should attend

Estimators, bid coordinators, commercial accountants and finance staff who prepare or review pricing for tenders, quotations and contracts.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendar
17 to 19 Aug 2026Johannesburg3R13,000
31 Aug to 2 Sep 2026Mauritius3US$1,500
7 to 9 Sep 2026Dubai3US$1,500
14 to 16 Sep 2026Lagos3US$1,500
21 to 23 Sep 2026Harare3US$1,500
28 to 30 Sep 2026Kampala3US$1,500
5 to 7 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam3US$1,500
12 to 14 Oct 2026Pretoria3R13,000
19 to 21 Oct 2026Cape Town3R13,000
2 to 4 Nov 2026Online3US$900
9 to 11 Nov 2026Mozambique3US$1,500
16 to 18 Nov 2026Cairo3US$1,500
23 to 25 Nov 2026Accra3US$1,500
30 Nov to 2 Dec 2026Lusaka3US$1,500
7 to 9 Dec 2026Kigali3US$1,500
14 to 16 Dec 2026Nairobi3US$1,500
21 to 23 Dec 2026Durban3R13,000

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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