licitación
/liθitaˈθjon/
The English phrase "contract bid" is translated into Spanish as licitación.
licitación is used to describe a formal proposal submitted to a government or organization to provide goods or services at a specific price. It is a versatile term that can refer to the specific proposal itself (the bid) or the entire competitive bidding process (the tender).
Which one should you use?
While licitación is the standard term, other variations exist depending on your focus. Use Propuesta de licitación in public procurement or government contexts to emphasize the bidding process itself. Use Cotización de contrato when you want to highlight the financial aspects of the bid. For more formal contexts, you may use Oferta de contrato or Propuesta contractual.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of licitación is licitaciones. If you need to refer to the action of bidding, use the verb licitar. The person or entity that submits the bid is known as a licitador.
How do you pronounce it?
/liθitaˈθjon/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American jurisdictions, a licitación desierta occurs when a bid is declared 'deserted' because no proposals met the requirements or the prices were too high.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, a licitación involves a sobre cerrado or 'closed envelope' system to prevent bribery and ensure all bids are opened simultaneously.
- The term licitación shares its root with the Latin 'licet', meaning 'it is permitted'. This suggests that the essence of a bid is not just the price, but the legal permission to participate in the process.
Examples in context
- El contratista presentó una oferta de contrato para la construcción del edificio.The contractor submitted a contract bid for the construction of the building.
- Nuestro equipo está preparando una propuesta de licitación para el proyecto de desarrollo de software.Our team is preparing a contract bid for the software development project.
- Ya hemos recibido varias propuestas contractuales para la remodelación de la oficina.We have already received several contract bids for the office renovation.
- Presentamos la licitación para la obra pública.We are submitting the contract bid for the public works.
- Ganamos la licitación del proyecto de construcción.We won the contract bid for the construction project.
- La licitación para suministros médicos fue aprobada.The contract bid for medical supplies was approved.
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing their company's business updates in an office.
- JavierMaría, ¿ganamos la licitación para el nuevo contrato?María, did we win the contract bid for the new contract?
- MaríaSí, Javier, nuestra licitación fue la mejor.Yes, Javier, our contract bid was the best.
- JavierEs una gran noticia para la empresa.It is great news for the company.
- MaríaDebemos empezar a preparar los materiales pronto.We must start preparing the materials soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry licitación, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries licitación, CC BY-SA 4.0.
