The tenders came back and we can't line them up
Different exclusions, different assumptions, and no way to compare like for like without rebuilding all three.
What's happening?
Three tenders, three shapes: one excludes scaffold, one assumes free crane time, one prices a different drawing revision because that was what the portal held the day they downloaded it. Lined up side by side they look comparable, and they are not - the cheapest number is frequently the one that priced the least job.
Levelling is the unglamorous fix: every return normalised to the same scope, exclusions priced back in, assumptions listed and either accepted or closed, so the comparison is between prices rather than between misunderstandings. It works best when it starts before the enquiry goes out - a pricing schedule issued with the invitation means the returns come back in one shape instead of being forced into one afterwards.
The template is both halves: the schedule to issue with the enquiry, and the levelling sheet that brings the returns to the same scope before anyone says the word cheapest.
The solution
The returns brought to one scope before anyone picks one.
If you would rather it were done for you, Tender Levelling & Award Recommendation is the service that does it.