0. INTRODUCTION
1. SCOPE
   1. Functional definition
   2. Field of application
   3. Principles
2. REFERENCES
3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
   1. Standard terms and definitions
4. MESSAGE DEFINITION
   1. Data segment clarification
      1. Header section
      2. Detail section
      3. Summary section
   2. Data segment index (alphabetical sequence)
   3. Message structure
      1. Segment table
5. ANNEX

This specification provides the definition of the Tender message (CONTEN) to be used in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between trading partners involved in administration, commerce and transport.

Following the receipt of an invitation to tender (ITT) , a Main Contractor or subcontractor will submit a tender which is a commercial offer to execute the project work defined in the Bill of Quantities (BoQ) within the ITT.

This message type may be applied for both national and international trade. It is based on universal practice and is not dependent on the type of business or industry. The following descriptions refer to the construction industry as an example, but do not exclude other business sectors' implementation.

A BoQ is a set of documentation that describes the various facets of work that make up a construction project. This documentation is often quite voluminous and typically contains information structured in accordance with several industry standards.

The BoQ is a key set of documentation for a number of stages within the overall construction process. This documentation, or parts of it, are frequently exchanged between the various parties involved in the project.

A project is typically subdivided into individual groupings of work and within these groups are detailed work items. The tender requires the competing Main Contractors or subcontractor to apply prices and financial amounts to these items in support of the total tender offer.

The tenderer may also require to communicate additional information to that concerning prices and financial amounts. Depending upon the form of legal contract applicable and nature of the project, the tenderer may need to add detail work items and amend work item descriptions and quantities. Therefore the message design of CONTEN will have similar capabilities to that of CONITT.

The initial exchanges will typically take place between competing subcontractors and Main Contractors concerning specialist work, prior to the award of the main contract. Secondly , the competing Main Contractors will exchange tenders with the Client or his representative , for the main contract.

Subsequent negotiations may require revised tenders to be submitted. Once the main contract has been established any further invitations to tender for specialist work will result in further tenders being exchanged between subcontractors and the successful Main Contractor.

This is only one of a number of messages being designed for the BoQ and the principles for this CONTEN message are consistent with those adopted for each of the other BoQ messages.

There are several concepts to be understood and these are key to some of the design principles adopted. Most of these have been created to respond to two base problems associated with the BoQ documentation:

1. A BoQ is often a very large document, it is not unusual for it to run to several volumes in its paper form.

ii) Given the size of the document, there is also the problem of how to advise on the structure to which the document conforms and the accurate indexing and sequencing of information within such a volume of data.

Each individual component of work referred to in the BoQ is called a "work item" and it is at this level that progress and payments are evaluated.

For each work item a description is provided and this description is very precise in its wording. This results in two things:

1. A lot of repetitive descriptions for like items at least at the higher levels within these levelled descriptions.

ii) A lot of similar work items, indeed the same description, often occurs a number of times throughout the project but assigned to different work items.

Point ii) above has been addressed by a concept called " standard items", this enables an equivalent to a standard library of descriptions to be exchanged and individual work items to reference a standard description that need be sent, only once.

Frequently within a BoQ, elements of an item's description are common to adjacent items. When this happens the items which share the same description are grouped together and the common part of the description is presented once at the start of the group. This concept is used extensively and it is possible to have quite a number of layers of shared heading.

Two distinctions need to be established, firstly, the existence of Heading text which is related to an item. There can be multiples of these as in the levels of a standard description. The second distinction is that of "Groups". Where a group is a collection of more than one work item and all of these items have a common theme. For example:

• they all belong to the same trade
• all for the same part of the project, building or structure.

Despite the large number of items that they may embrace, or the fact that they represent substantial parts of the project, all of these are recognized as "groups".

Thus, there can be several or many items within a group and there can be layers of groups within groups, all of which collectively constitute the project.

There are numerous variations for structuring the information that makes up the BoQ. Although, it is possible to introduce some standardisation it is clear that any message must allow the freedom to structure the data according to the dictates of a individual project. The design therefore, includes the ability to convey the document's structure as part of the BoQ message. Indeed the design allows for a different set of document structuring information, to be defined at group level as well as globally for the project. This means that a set of indexing rules can be defined to apply to the entire project and that a different set of indexing rules can be used to override these for a given group(s).

To complement the indexing concept there is a component referred to as the "Project Index Reference". This is a faceted code assigned to all items of data that are to be used in conjunction with the index.

In other words all pieces of data that are to be structured using the index must contain a structured code composed in accordance with the index and this is used as a "sorting" mechanism to ensure that the data is correctly structured.

The actual appearance of the message bears no relation to the appearance of the current paper document. As there are unlimited permutations for assembling the BoQ data it has not been possible, nor desirable to make the appearance similar.

The CONTEN appearance is similar to the results of the data analysis exercise. Namely that there are 4 blocks or groupings of data, each of which can appear many times and that all of the mechanisms for linking and relating the components together are data elements within these blocks. The task of interpreting the indexing rules and subsequently assembling the data in the message will fall to local software. The complexity of this task has been simplified by grouping the data elements into the blocks described above. In this way the processing can follow a logical flow.

This approach has several advantages over the existing rigidity of the paper document. It is clear to the message design team that BoQ documentation exchanged using EDI will deliver a variety of new opportunities to its users.

This last principle offers the solution to the volume problem too. One message has a definitive number of occurrence's for each block of data. If for a "large" project this number is exceeded then multiple versions of the same message are built. It also enables a BoQ to be exchanged in subdivisions if so desired.

See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction, Section 1.

See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.6 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction, Section 2.

This section should be read in conjunction with the Segment Table which indicate mandatory, conditional and repeating requirements.

Information to be provided in the Header section:

0010 UNH, Message header

A service segment starting and uniquely identifying a message. The message type code for the Tender message is CONTEN.

Note: Tender messages conforming to this document must contain the following data in segment UNH, composite S009:

0020 BGM, Beginning of message

A segment which identifies the document name and the message function code.

0030 RFF, Reference

This segment is used to identify the unique project reference number.

0040 DTM, Date/time/period

The document date will be recorded using this DTM segment.

0050 AUT, Authentication result

A segment used to authenticate the message by exchanging a password or some other form of identification agreed between the trading partners.

0060 AGR, Agreement identification

This segment will be used to identify the "type of contract and form of tender" that apply to this contract.

0070 Segment Group 1: IND-RCS-SG2

A group of segments to record both the structure and contents of the indexing used for the BoQ document.

0080 IND, Index details

A segment to qualify whether the index applies to the whole project, part of a project (a group of items), or whether the index provides an alternative view (analysis) of the work items. The segment also indicates in the index qualifier whether it contains index structure information or describes the index contents.

0090 RCS, Requirements and conditions

A segment used to indicate the action request (add , change etc.) to be applied to the index data.

0100 Segment Group 2: GIS-SG3

A group of segments to specify the position and detailed component parts of the index information.

0110 GIS, General indicator

This indicator segment specifies one of six positions within the index structure to which the detailed information applies.

0120 Segment Group 3: BII-IMD

A group of segments to specify the detailed components of the index information.

0130 BII, Structure identification

A segment used to specify a structured index number that is to be associated with the descriptions that follow in segment IMD.

0140 IMD, Item description

A segment to specify the descriptions in both full text and abbreviated form . These descriptions to be associated with the contents of segment BII.

0150 Segment Group 4: BII-RCS-GIS-NAD-LOC-APR-ALI-QTY-DTM-RTE-SG5-

SG6-SG7-SG9-SG10-SG18 This information is subordinate to the data provided within the header section and relates to groups of work items as described in section 1.3.1 of this document. A segment group recording all the details that apply to a group of items. There can be many "Groups of items" within a project and all are to be recorded within this part of the message.

0160 BII, Structure identification

A segment used to convey a structured index number that uniquely identifies each group of items recorded for the project.

0170 RCS, Requirements and conditions

The action to be applied to segment group 4 data is recorded here.

0180 GIS, General indicator

This indicator segment identifies what category of item grouping Segment Group 4 applies to. There will be two permitted categories - Project or Group.

0190 NAD, Name and address

The recording of the name and address information applying to this group of items.

0200 LOC, Place/location identification

In addition to the name and address details above this is the identification of a location description and an abbreviated or short name by which the grouping is to be known.

0210 APR, Additional price information

A segment to record a multiplication factor called "Timesing" that applies to the entire project or a specific grouping of items.

0220 ALI, Additional information

This segment would be used to denote, in a coded form, what rules were adopted for the rounding of all financial values within this group of items.

0230 QTY, Quantity

This segment enables grouping control quantities to be recorded. These are not to be confused with message control totals that appear later and use the CNT segment.

0240 DTM, Date/time/period

Any date details required for the group of items will be recorded using the DTM segment. There are a considerable number of different date qualifiers that could apply.

0250 RTE, Rate details

This segment is used to record a cost rate that may apply to this grouping.

0260 Segment Group 5: RFF-DTM-GIS-FTX

Some base data about how the information for this group of items was compiled. It will identify the standard method conventions adopted, the author of the data and it will also refer to any "request for quotation" messages that are to be read in conjunction .

0270 RFF, Reference

This segment will be used to specify a series of references, including the reference to a "Request for Quotation" message, standard method identity, the identity of the author of the data and the identity, if appropriate any software tool used during the preparation process.

0280 DTM, Date/time/period

The date of the Request for Quotation message that is to be processed in conjunction with this BoQ message.

0290 GIS, General indicator

An entry in this segment will acknowledge or note the existence of variations to the standard method rules referenced in the associated RFF.

0300 FTX, Free text

In the event of variations to the standard method rules this segment will provide any necessary narrative to explain the changes.

0310 Segment Group 6: CUX-DTM-FTX

Details of which currency rules apply to this group of items.

0320 CUX, Currencies

Recording details of the currency that applies to the group of items being defined.

0330 DTM, Date/time/period

This segment will be used to recorded any dates that are applicable to qualify the currency details recorded in CUX.

0340 FTX, Free text

Any narrative necessary to explain or qualify the currency information.

0350 Segment Group 7: ALC-RFF-DTM-RNG-FTX-SG8

A group of segments used to convey details of the price fluctuation calculations to be applied.

0360 ALC, Allowance or charge

A segment to identity whether the data recorded in this segment group represents an actualization or a revision figure.

0370 RFF, Reference

A segment providing a reference to the (usually standard) formula rules to be applied.

0380 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment to record the contract base or control date to be used in the formula.

0390 RNG, Range details

Where the formula makes reference to data within a range the details of the range will be identified in this segment.

0400 FTX, Free text

A segment to convey the actual formula and narrative relating to the formula. This will be used only in the exceptional case of a non-standard formula being used.

0410 Segment Group 8: PCD-RFF

A group of segments to specify the remaining components of the price fluctuation calculation.

0420 PCD, Percentage details

A segment to specify a percentage value to be used as a coefficient in conjunction with the reference given in the following RFF.

0430 RFF, Reference

A segment to specify the reference of a work section applicable to a set of calculation components.

0440 Segment Group 9: RCS-BII-FTX

This segment group is used to record, in textual form, any terms and conditions that are deemed to apply to part or all of the group of items.

0450 RCS, Requirements and conditions

The identity of the particular conditions that are to apply and a coded reference to denote whether this is to be added or changed etc..

0460 BII, Structure identification

A structured index reference to identify to what range within the group of items the conditions apply.

0470 FTX, Free text

The narrative description of the condition or term identified by this segment group.

0480 Segment Group 10: ARD-MOA-FTX-SG11-SG12

This segment group is used to record any financial values that apply for a group of items. There are considerable number of different values and qualifiers that will apply.

0490 ARD, Amounts relationship details

A segment to record the qualifier to the financial value. This qualifier is in addition to the qualifier used within the following MOA segment.

0500 MOA, Monetary amount

A segment to record the value of the monetary amount being defined.

0510 FTX, Free text

Any narrative qualification necessary to complete the details about a financial value will be recorded in this segment.

0520 Segment Group 11: TAX-MOA-LOC

Where specific tax rules apply to the entire project or a grouping within the project they will be recorded in this segment group.

0530 TAX, Duty/tax/fee details

Where the financial value being described within segment group 10 is a taxation or duty value, details of the tax or duty will be recorded here.

0540 MOA, Monetary amount

A segment to specify the actual monetary amount of the tax or duty.

0550 LOC, Place/location identification

A segment to specify any location details used to qualify the tax details.

0560 Segment Group 12: ALC-ALI-SG13-SG14-SG15-SG16-SG17

Where it is necessary to express the components that contribute to a monetary value this segment group will be used.

0570 ALC, Allowance or charge

A segment identifying the charge or allowance and where necessary it's calculation sequence.

0580 ALI, Additional information

A segment indicating that the allowance or charge specified is subject to special conditions owing to origin, customs preference or commercial factors.

0590 Segment Group 13: QTY-RNG

Components of a financial value expressed in terms of quantities are recorded in this segment group.

0600 QTY, Quantity

Any quantity details used to define or make precise the monetary value are recorded in this segment.

0610 RNG, Range details

Details of the range that applies to the quantity components are expressed in this segment.

0620 Segment Group 14: PCD-RNG

Components of a financial value expressed in terms of a percentage are recorded in this segment group.

0630 PCD, Percentage details

This segment is used where the financial information is expressed as a percentage or a percentage is required for further qualification.

0640 RNG, Range details

Details of the range that applies to the percentage components are expressed in this segment.

0650 Segment Group 15: MOA-RNG

Any components of a monetary amount that are themselves expressed as monetary amounts are recorded in this segment group.

0660 MOA, Monetary amount

The monetary amount component is recorded in this segment.

0670 RNG, Range details

Details of the range that applies to the monetary amount components are expressed in this segment.

0680 Segment Group 16: RTE-RNG

Components of a financial value expressed in terms of a rate are recorded in this segment group.

0690 RTE, Rate details

Any rate details used to define or make precise the monetary value are recorded in this segment.

0700 RNG, Range details

Details of the range that applies to the rate components are expressed in this segment.

0710 Segment Group 17: TAX-MOA

Components of a financial value expressed in terms of a tax or duty are recorded in this segment group.

0720 TAX, Duty/tax/fee details

Any tax details used to define or make precise the monetary value are recorded in this segment.

0730 MOA, Monetary amount

A segment to specify the actual monetary amount of the tax or duty component.

0740 Segment Group 18: NAD-LOC-FII-FTX-SG19-SG20-SG21

Name and address information relating to Parties, Banks and Contacts are recorded in this segment group.

0750 NAD, Name and address

Company name and address that relate to this group of items and that have not been previously notified are recorded in this segment. Each name and address recorded is qualified by the use of the party qualifier 3035.

0760 LOC, Place/location identification

A segment used to record more specific location information of the party specified in the NAD segment, e.g. a location within a construction site.

0770 FII, Financial institution information

Bank details associated with these parties recorded in the preceding NAD segment are given here.

0780 FTX, Free text

This segment allows for any narrative that may need to accompany the name and address information about a company.

0790 Segment Group 19: RFF-DTM

This group of segments will record unique reference numbers by which the party will be known and referenced. This will ensure that each party is uniquely identified even if there is more than one party with a similar qualifier.

0800 RFF, Reference

Details of any unique referencing used within the project to identify the party. Not to be confused with the party qualifier in the NAD.

0810 DTM, Date/time/period

Date and time details that are used to qualify the party reference number are recorded in this segment.

0820 Segment Group 20: DOC-DTM

This segment group is used to identify documentation related specifically to the party being defined.

0830 DOC, Document/message details

The identity of the documentation is recorded in this segment.

0840 DTM, Date/time/period

Date details used to qualify the documentation are recorded in this segment.

0850 Segment Group 21: CTA-COM

The information about who to contact within each of the parties detailed in this segment group.

0860 CTA, Contact information

This segment will contain the identity of the individual, within a company, who is the contact point.

0870 COM, Communication contact

Here is recorded the telephone number etc. that the contact can be reached via.

Information to be provided in the Detail section:

0880 UNS, Section control

A service segment placed at the beginning of the detail section to avoid collision.

0890 Segment Group 22: BII-RCS-GIS-SG23-SG24-SG25-SG27-SG30-SG31-

SG32-SG34 A group of segments recording all the details that apply to an item. There can be many items within a project, details of all items, regardless of where they appear in the BoQ will be recorded in this segment group.

0900 BII, Structure identification

A segment used to convey a structured index number that uniquely identifies each item recorded for the project.

0910 RCS, Requirements and conditions

The action to be applied to this segment group data is recorded here.

0920 GIS, General indicator

Through a list of coded qualifiers this segment is used to define precisely various features about this item e.g.: - it will distinguish between standard, work or sub item types. - identify whether this item is of an agreed, disputed or provisional status. - a qualification of the type of rate that has been associated with this item. - identifying to what category this item resides.

0930 Segment Group 23: RFF-DTM

A group of segments recording additional reference information against an item of work.

0940 RFF, Reference

Where project documentation has been prepared in accordance with a Standard Methodology the item's reference to that Standard Method is recorded here. Also recorded here is the unique reference number assigned to a sub item. This reference would be used in conjunction with the item index no. in the BII of this segment group.

0950 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment to record a date for the Standard Method of Measurement reference.

0960 Segment Group 24: DIM-APR-FTX

A group of segments which may be used where Segment Group 23 refers to a sub-item number. It would contain sets of dimension details to further describe the quantities.

0970 DIM, Dimensions

A segment used to record where applicable, the length, width and height for portions of work measured.

0980 APR, Additional price information

A segment to record a multiplication factor called "Timesing" that applies to a set of dimensions.

0990 FTX, Free text

A segment to record an annotation for each set of dimensions.

1000 Segment Group 25: LIN-SG26

A group of segments to record descriptive text for items and headings for groupings of items.

1010 LIN, Line item

A segment to record a qualifier as to whether it is a description for an item or a heading for a group of items. This would also include a number identifying the level the description applies to, within a set of levelled headings.

1020 Segment Group 26: IMD-RFF-GIS

A group of segments to record the description line details together with text reference numbers and change action codes used to identify who is authorised to apply changes.

1030 IMD, Item description

This segment is used to convey any descriptive material to be recorded for the item. This descriptive material can apply to the item description and item heading information. The distinction is explained in section 1.3 of this paper.

1040 RFF, Reference

A segment used to record up to five text reference numbers per item description line.

1050 GIS, General indicator

A segment used to record up to five text change action codes per item description line.

1060 Segment Group 27: QTY-GIS-APR-SG28

This segment group is used to record the complex range of quantity values and prices that apply to an item.

1070 QTY, Quantity

Many different quantity values can be applied to an item during it's execution. All of these quantities will be recorded in this segment.

1080 GIS, General indicator

This segment is used to provide the qualifiers that apply to the various quantities in the previous segment.

1090 APR, Additional price information

A segment to record a multiplication factor called "Timesing" that applies to a set of dimensions.

1100 Segment Group 28: PRI-GIS-SG29

A group of segments to record a series of prices and monetary amounts relating to each QTY value.

1110 PRI, Price details

A segment to record up to three price values for each QTY value.

1120 GIS, General indicator

A segment to record up to three qualifiers for each price.

1130 Segment Group 29: ARD-MOA

A group of segments to record the monetary amounts , currency, tax details resulting from the multiplication of QTY and PRI values.

1140 ARD, Amounts relationship details

A segment to qualify the monetary amount as to it's purpose in the business exchange.

1150 MOA, Monetary amount

A segment to record the value and currency of the monetary amount.

1160 Segment Group 30: TAX-MOA-LOC

A group of segments in which is detailed taxation information, which applies to the item . There are often several different types of tax which need to be applied.

1170 TAX, Duty/tax/fee details

Details of the taxation to be applied is recorded here.

1180 MOA, Monetary amount

A segment to record the value and currency of the monetary amount.

1190 LOC, Place/location identification

A segment to specify location codes relating to the tax details recorded in this segment group.

1200 Segment Group 31: RCS-BII-GIS

Where it is necessary to record a relationship about the current item and it's association with another item, this segment group will be used.

1210 RCS, Requirements and conditions

A segment to identify the requirements that applied to this particular reference.

1220 BII, Structure identification

Record here the structured index number of the other item to which the current item relates.

1230 GIS, General indicator

This is the segment where a coded reference describing the item relationship is recorded.

1240 Segment Group 32: ALC-RFF-DTM-RNG-FTX-SG33

A group of segments used to convey details of the price fluctuation calculations to be applied to the item.

1250 ALC, Allowance or charge

A segment to identity whether the data recorded in this segment group represents an actualization or a revision figure.

1260 RFF, Reference

A segment providing a reference to the (usually standard) formula rules to be applied.

1270 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment to record the contract base or control date to be used in the formula.

1280 RNG, Range details

Where the formula makes reference to data within a range the details of the range will be identified in this segment.

1290 FTX, Free text

A segment to convey the actual formula and narrative relating to the formula. This will be used only in the exceptional case of a non-standard formula being used.

1300 Segment Group 33: PCD-RFF

A group of segments to specify the remaining components of the price fluctuation calculation.

1310 PCD, Percentage details

A segment to specify a percentage value to be used as a coefficient in conjunction with the reference given in the following RFF.

1320 RFF, Reference

A segment to specify the reference of a work section applicable to a set of calculation components.

1330 Segment Group 34: IMD-QTY-MOA-PRI

A segment group to record where necessary alternative index information for an item. The validity of an alternative index would be defined in the Segment Group 3 IMD.

1340 IMD, Item description

A segment used to record an alternative index description (previously defined in Segment Group 3 IMD), that relates to this item.

1350 QTY, Quantity

A segment to record the quantity and measurement unit that relates to the coded entry for the item.

1360 MOA, Monetary amount

A segment to record the currency and value associated with the item.

1370 PRI, Price details

A segment to record the monetary rate of the code associated with the item.

Information to be provided in the Summary section:

1380 CNT, Control total

Various control total checks may be taken and the resultant values would be recorded in this segment. Typically these checks will be counts of quantity and monetary values that apply to the entire message.

1390 UNT, Message trailer

A service segment ending a message, giving the total number of segments in the message and the control reference number of the message.

Bill of Quantities - BOQ

A document that is used as the basis of a tender. It gives a description and measurement of quantities of labour and materials, and other items required to carryout a building contract. It is based upon the drawing specifications and schedules and forms part of the Contract documents.

Form of Tender Pro-forma's that are issued by the Client's representative and used by competing contractors to submit their proposed prices.

Price Fluctuation Formula

A formal process for calculating the allowance in a contract for changes in the cost of labour and material that occur during the course of construction.

Timesing

A multiplication factor applied when taking dimension information from drawings. It is used to denote the number of times a particular piece of work is repeated.

Trade

An occupation such as carpentry or bricklaying that needs a specific set of manual skills and training.

Work Item

Individual components of work that are identified within a BOQ.