Compare supplier quotes for your corporate retreat.

Give both quotes the same reference programme.

Set a reference programme: participants, dates, duration, nights, spaces and meals. Separate essential needs from options. If one proposal covers a day meeting and the other a residential stay, request a comparable scope before ranking prices.

Record the date and version of each document. Keep the original and supplementary replies; a new version should not erase the conditions you relied on.

• Use the same headcount and working dates.
• Compare the same room layout and access periods.
• Describe accommodation and meals separately.

Review quantities before totals.

Identify the unit for each line: person, night, day, room, journey or package. Check quantities and what each package includes. Nights do not follow automatically from days; the number staying overnight may be lower than total attendance.

Keep quotes in their original currency and confirm whether taxes are included. Do not directly compare totals with different currencies or tax treatment. A missing amount is a point to clarify, not a free service.

• Clarify quantities and any minimum numbers.
• Distinguish unit prices, packages and options.
• Request consistent tax and currency presentation.

Find what explains the difference.

Venue, equipment, catering, transfers and coordination: record what is included, excluded or optional. Equipment available at a venue is not necessarily included with the support your programme requires.

Fictional example: one proposal includes a screen and technical support; another only mentions the room. Ask for the technical addition before concluding that the second is cheaper. This difference in description alone does not establish a saving.

• Compare setup and dismantling periods.
• Check staffing and overtime arrangements.
• Identify services already covered by your suppliers.

Read the conditions alongside the quote.

Service Public describes general terms of sale as part of the commercial relationship in France. Its guidance on French business-to-business transactions covers pricing and payment information. This reference does not establish UK contract requirements. Review the documents applicable to your proposal with your procurement lead when interpretation is needed.

Review conditions separately: proposal validity, deposit deadlines, headcount confirmation, changes and cancellation. A deposit is a payment instalment for the service; showing it separately does not justify counting it twice in the cost.

Reference: Service Public Entreprendre · General terms of sale in France.

• Obtain attached terms and any special conditions.
• Clarify the consequences of date or headcount changes.
• Identify who is authorised to approve the choice.

Turn differences into useful questions.

For each difference, ask whether it comes from a service, quantity or condition. Classify replies as confirmed, to clarify or outside scope. Keep existing quotes and request support only for the services needed.

Prepare a programme summary and open questions rather than a file with unnecessary personal data. CNIL recommends limiting collection to what serves the purpose. Preparing a brief and selecting a proposal creates neither a purchase requisition nor a confirmed order.

Reference: CNIL · Six GDPR principles.

• Summarise requirements without copying participant contact details.
• Keep a record of replies and the selected version.
• Request a quote only for the items still needed.