Procurement Platforms
NUPCO Tender Items: How to Read and Price the Item List
31 October 2026 · 7 min read · By NextBid Bid Experts
A NUPCO tender is priced line by line. Here is what each column of the item list means, how itemized lines and groups differ, and the unit, pack size, shelf life and delivery traps to check before you price.
The National Unified Procurement Company (NUPCO) publishes tender items as a Tender Item List linked from the tender page: a PDF on framework agreements or an Excel file on direct purchase requests. It gives every item a NUPCO code, a description, a unit of measure (UOM) and a quantity. You price each line per unit, in riyals and without VAT, and the booklet says whether to bid it alone or inside a group where every item needs a price. Read the UOM and the delivery terms before you enter a number.
What does a NUPCO item list contain?
The NUPCO tender pages we reviewed offer Buy This Tender, Tender Item List (بنود المنافسة in Arabic), Terms & Conditions and, on one of them, additional attachments such as the guide to submitting offers on NUPCO's platform. The two 2026 lists they link to, a home care devices list of 53 items and a dental supplies list that runs to 64 pages, share these core columns:
| Column | What it tells you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| NUPCO code | A 13-digit code; some lists add an item number | Match it to NUPCO's Unified Catalogue |
| Description | The specification, with size and often a pack statement | Quote what is written, not a near match |
| UOM | The unit the quantity and your price are counted in, such as EACH, PC, PACK, KIT, SET or CASE | Compare it with the pack statement |
| Group or itemized | Bid alone (ITEMIZED) or inside a GROUP; the home care list repeats each item number here | A group needs a price for every item |
| Quantity | The quantity NUPCO states | An estimate, not a promise |
Read the whole description, because it can redefine the unit. In the dental list, the first line is counted in EA, yet its description ends "ONE EACH (EA)=ONE (1) PACK", so each unit is a pack, not a piece. NUPCO's codes also appear in its Unified Catalogue, Excel files with generic and unified descriptions for pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, medical supplies and laboratory supplies. The rows we compared matched the tender lists, so a catalogue lookup shows what NUPCO means by a code. For the full tender process, see our NUPCO supplier guide.
Should you bid itemized lines or groups?
The booklets we reviewed treat the two kinds of line differently. For itemized lines you may bid on all items or on a specific item. A group must be bid whole, with a unit price for every item in it. NUPCO may also split the award of one item or one group among several suppliers, so winning a line does not guarantee all of its quantity.
Groups also change how you win. In the dental supplies booklet, a group goes whole to the offer that meets the specifications, has every item registered with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) and has the lowest total price for the group, though the committee may award some items individually. The same booklet lets NUPCO exclude a cheaper compliant offer that skips an item of a group, so a missing price is a risk, not a shortcut.
How should you price each line?
- Price one unit in riyals, in the unit the list counts. The home care booklet asks for the smallest standard unit offered and tells bidders to observe the unit of measure (Sets, Kit, Pack and so on).
- Enter the unit price without VAT, with the VAT value and rate in the field provided for each item. Up to four decimal places count, and digits after the fourth are ignored.
- Cover every cost. Prices stay fixed and must include fees, shipping, loading, unloading, storage and transport to the site, and VAT has its own field.
- Disclose every trademark in the quantity and price tables.
- For Different Sizes items, list every size you can supply, and for a Set, Kit or Pack, itemize the price of its contents. The dental booklet puts both in the notes field.
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The committee also corrects arithmetic. In both booklets the price in words prevails over the price in figures, and the unit price over the line total. If a price still looks wrong, the committee may test it against similar items, other offers and market prices, and exclude a bidder who rejects the figure it adopts. It may also recommend excluding an offer whose corrected errors exceed 10% of the price list or offer total. The current Implementing Regulations, which apply to government tenders on Etimad, set a similar rule and the same 10% threshold. The new law, which takes effect in early January 2027, has no arithmetic rule of its own and leaves it to its new Implementing Regulations, due within 120 days of the law's publication, so check your booklet. For the Etimad side, see arithmetic errors in financial offers.
Which traps catch suppliers on units, packs and delivery?
- Units and pack size. Price the unit the list counts, not your own pack. A 2023 medicines booklet adopts the unit in the item specification when units differ, and NUPCO's Medeval platform guide has the system multiply an accessory's unit price by its package size: SAR 10 and 10 pieces give SAR 100 per box.
- Moving quantities. The home care booklet calls its quantities indicative, with supply following each entity's actual need. The dental booklet lets entities request or add quantities while awarded offers stay valid, and increase or reduce them on their purchase orders.
- Split deliveries. In the dental booklet the first batch is due within 120 days of the contract letters or contracts, later batches are set by NUPCO or the entity, and delivery can run up to six months after the competition period ends (the booklet's special conditions fix awarded prices for three years from the final results). Bidders state each batch's lead time in the notes field.
- Shelf life. The dental booklet requires at least two thirds of the shelf life to remain at delivery and, for items of three years or more, no more than 9 months since manufacture. The 2023 medicines booklet asked for 66% remaining, or 75% on items under three years, so read your own booklet.
Price the list, not your own catalogue. The UOM, the pack statement and the group rule decide what your unit price must cover, and a price entered against the wrong unit invites the committee's correction and exclusion rules.
How do you work through a long list?
Read the booklet's bidding and pricing sections first, then take the list into a spreadsheet, one row per line: your product, pack size, cost per UOM, unit price and notes on sizes, kit contents and delivery time. Pulse, NextBid's tender-alert subscription, emails new NUPCO tenders on its paid plans, and Pulse Pro shows the item list or bill of quantities of active tenders where one is published and exports it to Excel. See also reading a tender document before you bid and preparing a financial offer.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the item list for a NUPCO tender?
On the tender page. The Tender Item List link (بنود المنافسة in Arabic) opens a PDF on framework agreements and an Excel file on direct purchase requests, next to the Terms & Conditions link that opens the booklet (on direct purchase requests, a shorter terms document).
What does UOM mean in a NUPCO item list?
Unit of measure: the unit your quantity and price are counted in, such as EACH, PACK, KIT or SET. Check the description for a pack statement before you price.
Do I have to price every item?
Not for itemized lines, which you can bid in whole or in part. A group needs a price for every item, and the dental booklet lets NUPCO exclude an offer that skips one.
Is the quantity in the list guaranteed?
No. The home care booklet calls its quantities indicative, and the dental booklet lets entities increase or reduce them on their purchase orders.
Can Pulse export a NUPCO item list to Excel?
Yes. Pulse Pro shows the item list or bill of quantities of active tenders where one is published and exports it to Excel. NUPCO alerts need a paid plan, and a 14-day free trial is available on Pulse Pro and Pulse Intelligence (a card is required to start it, nothing is charged for 14 days, and the plan you chose is charged to that card when the trial ends unless you cancel before then).
The item list is where a NUPCO bid is priced, so get it in front of you early. Pulse emails new NUPCO tenders alongside those from Etimad, Forsah and Tanafos on its paid plans, Pulse Pro and Pulse Intelligence, and both plans come with a 14-day free trial (a card is required to start it, nothing is charged for 14 days, and the plan you chose is charged to that card when the trial ends unless you cancel before then).