Winning a tender does not end the paperwork; it starts the evidence phase. The delivered hardware is checked against the tendered model and variant, installation and commissioning produce a record per unit, and the buyer’s acceptance stage closes the delivery against the contract documents — each step signed by someone. Only then does the site pass into its service years, under the terms the bid promised.
Key Takeaways
- After the award, every stage produces evidence and a signature: delivery, installation, commissioning, acceptance, handover into service.
- Acceptance is the bid read backwards — the delivered model and variant must match what the bid described, checked at delivery.
- Snagging, rectification and partial acceptance work exactly as the contract documents define them; read those clauses early.
- The signed acceptance date starts warranties, service terms and payment milestones — both sides keep the identical pack.
The Chain From Award to Acceptance
The stages below are the shape most public contracts follow; the contract you signed defines each one for your project, including who signs and in what order.
| Stage | Evidence produced | Who signs or accepts |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Delivery notes and a serial list matched against the tendered model, variant and quantity | The buyer’s receiving check confirms what arrived is what was bid |
| Installation | An installation record per unit: location, circuit, settings as installed | The installer or contractor of record signs the work |
| Commissioning | A commissioning record per unit: unit live, access working, first sessions done | The commissioning party signs; the buyer may witness it |
| Acceptance | The acceptance pack: the records above assembled against the contract’s acceptance criteria, plus a snagging list | The buyer signs formal acceptance — the contract’s central signature |
| Handover into service | The accepted pack, the warranty start as the contract states it, the service terms from the bid taking over | Both sides hold the same complete set |
Acceptance Is the Bid, Read Backwards
The specification lines you answered at bid stage come back as the acceptance checklist. The discipline at delivery is matching, not testing: the unit on the pallet must be the model, variant and configuration the bid described — cable version where the tender specified cable, socket where it specified socket. A mismatch found at acceptance is not a technical problem; it is a contract problem, far cheaper caught at the delivery check, in writing, on the day.
Where the buyer’s checks find defects or gaps, the usual shape is a snagging list: items recorded, rectified by the responsible party, then re-presented for a further check before sign-off. What counts as a defect, how rectification is evidenced and whether part of a site can be accepted while the rest is snagged are defined by the contract documents — read those clauses before delivery, not after the first list arrives. Our commercial maintenance checklist shows how those records then feed the site’s service rhythm.
What the Signature Starts
Acceptance is also a starting connector. The warranty position, the service response the bid promised and the payment milestones are typically keyed to dates the contract names — acceptance is a common one, which is why the signed date matters and both sides keep the identical pack. From that date, the fault route, the spares route and the claim paperwork should already be written down, as our guide to spare parts and RMA for distributors and the distributor’s warranty checklist set out.
Hardware That Arrives as Tendered
The supplier’s part is simple to state and easy to get wrong: ship the exact configuration that was bid, with its documentation pack behind it. EVDANCE is a Shenzhen manufacturer founded in 2011, exports to more than 30 countries and carries a 3-year standard warranty. For public and workplace AC lots, the EV-AC03201T is a floor-standing dual-connector station — two Type 2 connectors, up to 43 kW shared (22 kW per connector), OCPP 1.6J, RFID, IP54 — and the EV-ACT3204PE wallbox covers 22 kW three-phase bays with RFID and app access, IP66 and CE as listed. Post-award questions for a specific contract go through the commercial charging team or contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who writes the acceptance tests?
The buyer does, through the tender and contract documents: the criteria, the evidence required and who signs are set there. The supplier’s job is to deliver units and records those checks can be run against — having read the criteria before delivery, not after.
What happens if a delivered unit differs from the tendered variant?
Treat it as a contract issue, immediately and in writing. A different variant is not a near-equivalent the supplier may quietly substitute; the delivery check exists to catch it before installation. What follows is whatever the contract documents provide.
When does the warranty start?
Where the contract and the warranty terms say it starts — acceptance is a common trigger, but the documents decide, not custom. Read the trigger before signing and record the date in the acceptance pack.
Related Reading
- Commercial EV Charger Maintenance Checklist
- EV Charger Spare Parts and RMA Process for Distributors
- EV Charger Warranty and After-Sales Terms: A Distributor’s Checklist
