A tender sale, sometimes called a silent auction, invites interested parties to submit their best offer by a fixed deadline, without seeing what others have bid. The seller reviews all offers and decides which to accept based on price, payment terms, and certainty of completion.
This method works best when confidentiality matters, for example, when a business is trading through difficulties and does not want a public disposal to unsettle customers or suppliers. It also suits situations where the seller wants full control over the outcome rather than allowing open competitive bidding to dictate the price, and where the buyer pool is small enough that targeted outreach to known contacts is more effective than a broad open auction.
Tender sale could be the ideal method if you are looking to sell your assets. Get a valuation to start the process today.
Tender sales work best for specialist or high-value assets where the likely buyer pool is limited but identifiable. CNC machinery, metalworking equipment, and woodworking machinery are well suited to the method because the number of buyers with the technical need and the capital is small, and a sealed-bid process allows us to approach them directly and let the deadline generate competitive pressure.
Food processing machinery, engineering tools, and construction plant and machinery from factory closures and site exits also lend themselves to tender, particularly where the seller needs to control timing and terms as much as price. Antiques and collectables with a narrow specialist market are another strong fit, where a sealed-bid process protects the seller's ability to assess each offer on its merits before committing.
Across all these sectors, a tender sale gives the seller, or the insolvency practitioner, something an open auction cannot: the ability to weigh price alongside certainty of funds, collection logistics, and speed of completion before making a decision.
1. Book an appraisal with our valuers
We begin by valuing your assets and setting a guide price. This gives the market a credible starting point and helps ensure the sealed bids we receive reflect the genuine market value of what is being sold.
From there, we identify and approach potential buyers from our network of more than 26,000 registered contacts, supplemented by targeted digital marketing and direct industry outreach. The marketing is managed confidentially throughout, so your trading position is protected while the process is live.
Interested parties submit sealed bids by the agreed deadline. Because bids are submitted independently and without visibility of competing offers, the deadline mechanism encourages buyers to put forward their strongest offer rather than holding back in anticipation of a counter-bid. Bids can be submitted by phone, email, letter, or in person.
Once the deadline passes, we present all offers to you and advise on the headline price, payment terms, collection capability, and speed of completion. You choose which offer to accept.
On acceptance, the sale is completed by invoice or sales agreement, giving both parties a clear, legally binding record of the transaction.
A tender sale uses sealed bids and a fixed deadline, with the seller choosing which offer to accept. This works better when confidentiality is important, when the buyer pool is small and identifiable, or when the seller needs to weigh factors beyond the headline price before committing to a buyer.
A negotiated sale takes a different approach, with the most likely buyer engaging in direct, one-to-one discussions to agree on a price. This suits situations where there is realistically only one serious buyer for the asset.
In an online auction, the buyer pool is open, bids are visible, and competition drives the final price. This works well when the asset has broad appeal and price discovery through open competition is the priority.
BTG Eddisons Asset Sales manages the full tender sale process, from valuation and confidential marketing through to bid review and completion. Here is what we bring to every instruction:
Please call 0333 2002 041 or complete the form below for advice on the best sale method for your specialist assets. We can assist with targeting the best buyers and ensure a smooth sale transaction. Be sure to find out more about our industry by reading the articles on our news and insights hub.
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Eddisons boasts a national presence, with offices located throughout the UK.
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2nd Floor, 10 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP
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Yes. Every disposal begins with an on-site valuation. Our RICS-registered valuer, Richard Temple MRICS, Chartered Machinery Valuation Surveyor, assesses the assets and recommends the most appropriate valuation basis for your situation. Find out more on our asset valuations page.
Author: Kevin McAndrew
Regional Director
Kevin McAndrew leads the southern region from our Canary Wharf office, specialising in the valuation and sale of insolvent businesses and their assets for insolvency practitioners across the UK.
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