What is a forwarder tender?
A forwarder tender is a structured procurement process in which your sea and air freight volumes are tendered to a selected group of forwarders. Forwarders are intermediaries between shipper and carrier: they organize transport via shipping lines or airlines, but add services on top that are critical in international transport. Customs handling, documentation, tracking, inventory coordination in transit hubs.
Forwarder selection is therefore structurally different from a carrier tender for road transport. With road transport the focus is largely on price and reliability on a limited number of lanes. With forwarders the wider service package weighs in, geographic coverage in your key regions, and operational coordination between multiple parties in the chain (port, customs, hinterland transport).
For a typical internationally operating shipper, the forwarder portfolio consists of one globally covering main provider plus two to three regional specialists for specific lanes where the main provider performs weaker.
When is a forwarder tender relevant?
A forwarder tender makes sense on multiple triggers. With significant volume growth or a shift in shipping profile making existing forwarders no longer optimal. With geographic expansion to new regions where forwarder coverage is too limited. With service issues with current forwarders that are structurally not resolved. Or simply periodically (typically every two to three years) as a healthy market check.
Specifically after periods of market volatility (such as the sea freight peak in 2021 and 2022) a re-tender is often valuable, since market prices and service levels have strongly normalized but contracts have not.
Our approach
We map your international shipping profile per lane, modality (FCL, LCL, air), and region. Service requirements (transit time, reliability, customs support) are prioritized with your team.
We select six to twelve forwarders based on geographic coverage and sector experience. The RFI goes deeper than just price: customs procedures, IT integration, claim handling and operational structure are queried.
The shortlist receives a detailed RFP with scenario pricing per lane, fuel clauses, and additional service packages. We build a comparison matrix that also includes indirect costs such as customs fees and handling charges.
With shortlist forwarders we organize operational due diligence: conversations with operations teams, validation of customs capabilities, and reference checks with comparable clients. This prevents surprises after contract closing.
We conduct the negotiations technically and commercially together with your purchasing manager. Attention to fuel clauses, indexing, claim procedures, SLAs on transit time and customs clearance, and clear exit conditions.
What you get
- Custom requirements document with scope, lanes and service needs
- RFI and RFP documents for the selected forwarders
- Comparison analysis with scenario pricing per lane and forwarder
- Operational due diligence report per shortlist forwarder
- Signed contract per selected party, including SLAs and KPIs
- Handover document for your operational team and first month follow-up
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a carrier and a forwarder?
A carrier performs the transport itself (shipping line, airline, road carrier). A forwarder is an intermediary that organizes transport via carriers, plus additional services such as customs handling, documentation and tracking. For international sea and air freight most shippers work via forwarders.
How long does a forwarder selection process take?
A full process typically takes ten to fourteen weeks, about two weeks longer than a carrier tender due to the extra criteria around customs, communication and operational coordination. For complex international networks with multiple regions this can extend to four months.
How many forwarders do I need in my portfolio?
For most shippers two to four forwarders is the right number. Too few creates dependency and weak negotiating position. Too many spreads volume and service attention. The right distribution depends on your geographic profile: one global all-rounder plus two regional specialists is a frequently chosen model.
How do you measure operational quality of forwarders?
Beyond price we typically weigh on-time delivery, documentation quality, customs clearance speed, claim handling, communication responsiveness, IT integration capabilities and track record with reference clients in comparable lanes. The weighting depends on what matters most in your situation.
What happens after contract closing?
After contract we support the handover and operational kick-off, including agreements on reporting, KPIs and escalation procedures. A good start makes the relationship productive from the first month. Many clients move the operational follow-through into our Operations & Procurement retainer.
A forwarder tender for your international shipments?
Schedule a call where we walk through what a tender for your scope could deliver.