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Public buying is designed to be fair rather than fast, and every part of the process follows from that. The rules that make it slow are the same rules that make it winnable by an unknown supplier with a better bid.
Above a threshold, public bodies must advertise and run a competitive process. Winning starts with knowing where they are published and answering exactly what was asked — most losing bids lose on completeness, not on price.
Most jurisdictions require supplier registration before bidding, and many reserve a share of spend for small, minority-owned, women-owned or veteran-owned businesses. Those designations require certification that takes time to obtain.
What you wrote is what you are held to, including delivery times and specifications you were optimistic about. There is far less renegotiation than in commercial buying.
Public buyers pay, eventually, and often on statutory terms. Plan working capital for the terms rather than the promise.