Purchase Order Funding Solutions and Tender Funding Solutions meet related working-capital needs, but the application should explain the awarded work and its current stage. A purchase order, an awarded tender contract and a published tender opportunity are different starting points.
Fund The People provides our own in-house Purchase Order Funding Solutions, Tender Funding Solutions and Invoice Discounting Solutions. We fund qualifying transactions directly. This comparison helps you organise an application after award and choose the relevant service conversation.
Compare the stage, documents and funding need
| Your current position | Relevant next step | Records to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| You are searching for tender opportunities | Use our Tender Portal for opportunity discovery | Buyer requirements, closing dates and submission instructions |
| You hold an awarded purchase order and need supplier payment before delivery | Discuss our Purchase Order Funding Solutions | Awarded order, current supplier quotations and company records |
| You hold a qualifying awarded tender contract and need to fund fulfilment | Discuss our Tender Funding Solutions | Award documents, contract or order, supplier costs and delivery requirements |
| Completed and accepted work has a qualifying unpaid invoice | Discuss our Invoice Discounting Solutions | Invoice, linked order or contract, acceptance evidence and unpaid balance |
Describe what has been awarded, what remains to be delivered and which costs need funding. Our team can then assess the transaction using the relevant records. The name used in the buyer’s procurement process does not replace that information.
When our Purchase Order Funding Solutions fit the enquiry
An awarded purchase order specifies what the buyer needs your business to supply. If supplier costs fall due before the buyer pays, the order and current supplier quotations establish the starting point for our assessment.
Our published government or municipal route starts with a CSD-registered South African company and a valid awarded order worth at least R250,000. Explain the supplier-cost gap and the delivery deadline. Explore our Purchase Order Funding Solutions for the service requirements and application route.
When our Tender Funding Solutions fit the enquiry
A tender award may lead to an order or a contract with its own scope, delivery dates and payment arrangements. Our Tender Funding Solutions focus on qualifying awarded work and the supplier and fulfilment requirements behind it.
Prepare the award documents, the applicable order or contract, current supplier quotations and the delivery requirements. Identify whether the work involves one delivery or stages, and show which costs are needed before each payment milestone. Explore our Tender Funding Solutions and explain the awarded transaction to our team.
Opportunity discovery and funding assessment have different roles
Our Tender Portal helps businesses discover opportunities and supports supplier registration. It complements our funding services. Finding a tender is the start of preparing a response; it is different from holding an award that can be assessed for funding.
Fund The People’s partner and ecosystem relationships also have their own municipal, infrastructure, supplier-development and business roles. Our Funding Solutions are provided in-house, rather than matched to a network of external funders. The awarded work and application records remain central to the assessment.
A practical example of choosing the service conversation
Consider a supplier appointed to deliver equipment to a municipality. If the buyer has issued a purchase order and goods must be purchased before delivery, the enquiry should explain that order and the supplier quotation. If the award instead contains a staged contract, include the contract schedule and the costs required at each stage.
If accepted work has already been invoiced and the qualifying balance is awaiting payment, discuss our Invoice Discounting Solutions. This example identifies commercial stages; it does not state that every type of contract, cost or invoice will qualify.
Prepare the application around the actual award
- Identify the appointed company and the buyer that issued the award.
- Include the applicable purchase order, contract and award documents.
- Match supplier quotations to the quantities and specification required.
- Set out the delivery dates, supplier-payment dates and buyer-payment milestones.
- Identify the amount needed and any costs your business will cover separately.
- Review the proposed charges, covered costs, payment arrangements and settlement obligations.
Approval timing and supplier-payment timing
Fund The People provides funding approval within 48 hours for complete qualifying applications. The approved arrangement separately explains supplier-payment conditions and scheduling. Avoid treating an approval commitment as a promise of immediate disbursement.
Likewise, our Tender Funding Solutions should not be described as automatically providing bid security or performance guarantees. Explain the costs your awarded work requires and confirm the scope of the proposed service with our team.
Why Did 3000+ SMMEs Choose Fund The People?
Fund The People has supported 3,000+ South African SMMEs since January 2025. This is a support measure, rather than a count of approved funding transactions. Our direct in-house Funding Solutions work alongside end-to-end supply chain support with 1,000+ vetted, accredited suppliers.
Our deal range is R250,000–R8 million and above. Apply with your awarded order or contract, current supplier quotations and the dates that matter for delivery. Our official funding-model page explains the core services and the role of our delivery support.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PO and Tender Funding Solutions?
For this enquiry, the useful distinction is the awarded record and the work to be delivered. A purchase order can establish a supplier-payment requirement before delivery. An awarded tender contract may also include stages and a wider fulfilment schedule. Explain the documents and cost gap so our team can assess the relevant in-house Funding Solutions.
Can I treat a published tender as an awarded order?
No. A published opportunity invites a response; it does not itself show that your business has been appointed. Use the Tender Portal to discover work and prepare your submission. For an awarded-work funding enquiry, provide the award, order or contract that establishes the actual transaction.
Does Fund The People send applications to external funders?
Fund The People funds qualifying transactions directly through our own in-house Purchase Order Funding Solutions, Tender Funding Solutions and Invoice Discounting Solutions. Our Tender Portal and partner ecosystem complement those services. They do not turn the funding application into a matching or referral service to external funders.
Are bid security and performance guarantees included automatically?
Do not assume those services are included in our Tender Funding Solutions. Describe the requirements in your awarded contract and discuss the actual costs and proposed service scope with our team. The approved arrangement confirms what is covered.
What if the work is finished but the invoice is unpaid?
Explore our Invoice Discounting Solutions for a qualifying invoice linked to completed and accepted work. Prepare the invoice, order or contract, acceptance evidence and current unpaid balance. Tell the team about any partial payment, deduction or credit note so the enquiry reflects the actual outstanding amount.