Pearl, Marcoms and Xenial were each briefed on the same round-table exhibition stand: a 5×3 m footprint, MDF construction, a branded back wall, LED cove lighting and two 55-inch touch screens. All three came back on official, TRN-bearing quotes at AED 20,890, 26,250 and 34,000 all-in. This tab covers what each price actually buys, where the three diverge, and the points to close in writing before anyone is awarded. The separate 3D miniature is compared under its own tab.
| Pearl 19,895 net | Marcoms 25,000 net | Xenial 32,300 net | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercials | |||
| Net price | 19,895.00 | 25,000.00 | 32,300.00 |
| VAT 5% | 994.75 Shown | 1,250.00 Shown | 1,700.00 Shown |
| Total incl. VAT | 20,889.75 | 26,250.00 | 34,000.00 |
| Line-item pricing | 2 lines | 1 line | 4 lines, 1 priced |
| Payment terms | 50% on contract signing, 50% on handover | 50% on quote approval, 50% at mock-up date | 100% in advance |
| Validity | 14 days | 30 days | 14 days (exp. 24 Aug) |
| Lead time | Not stated | Not stated | 15 to 20 days after PO + payment |
| TRN / tax ID | 100616901300003 | 100310798200003 | 100608616700003 |
| Cancellation exposure | Silent | 80% of value | 100% of value |
| Jurisdiction | Not stated | DIFC Courts, Dubai | Not stated |
| Structure | |||
| Stated footprint | 5 × 3 × 2.9 m | 5 × 3 m Verbal, not on quote | 5 × 3 m floor, no height |
| Back wall | MDF, vinyl graphic + roller paint, 55" cut-out | MDF, Fenomastic paint, branding provision | MDF, Fenomastic, plotter sticker, LED strip. 1.5 m + 2 m × 3 m h |
| Side wall | No | No | 3 × 3 m, MDF + LED |
| Flooring / platform | MDF + black carpet | No | MDF + carpet, 5 × 3 m |
| Counter | No | No | 1 × 0.5 × 1 m, PU paint |
| Lighting | LED cove at platform edging | Not itemised | Cove + profile-channel LED throughout, engraved pillars |
| AV & power | |||
| Touch screens | 2 × 55" supplied | Provision only | 2 × supplied |
| Additional display | No | No | 1 × 43" TV |
| Laptops | 2 included | No | No |
| AV cost separated | 3,795.00 Yes | No | No |
| Electrical / DB / cabling | Not stated | Not stated | DB + full cabling |
| Screen content | Client | Client | Client |
| Furniture & logistics | |||
| Seating | No | No | 6 chairs + 1 bar stool |
| Tables | No | No | 2 glass tables |
| Brochure stand | No | No | 1 |
| Transport / install / dismantle | Not stated | Included in T&Cs | Incl. at zero cost |
| 3D production | No | In-house | No |
| Prior work with OI | None | Yes | None |
| Ownership | Not stated | Rental, all items | Not stated |
The strongest quote on price and paperwork. Cheapest by 5,105 net, the only one that supplies the touch screens and prices them separately, states a stand height and includes flooring. The 2 laptops are a genuine extra nobody else offered. What holds it back is not the stand itself: we have no delivery history with Pearl, and they cannot also produce the container model, so awarding them splits the project across two suppliers. Keep Pearl as the strong fallback if Marcoms will not move on scope or cancellation terms.
Recommended on the strength of a known-supplier record. Same 5 × 3 m footprint as Xenial for 26,250 all-in, 5,360 above Pearl and 7,750 below Xenial. We have delivered with Marcoms before, and they are also the pick for the container model on the 3D tab, so one team can carry the whole project. Be clear about what the paper says though: this is the thinnest written scope of the three, one MDF wall with a screen provision rather than a supply, no flooring, furniture or counter, and an 80% cancellation charge on a rental basis. All of that has to be priced and negotiated before the PO.
Most complete build, now properly documented. The official quote resolves the earlier ambiguity: 34,000 is the all-in total, not net. Xenial apply a 1,700 discount that exactly cancels the VAT, so the taxable value is 32,300. The 13,110 premium over Pearl buys a side wall, a counter, engraved LED pillars, a full furniture package, a third screen, electrical works and logistics at no charge. The catch is commercial, not technical: 100% payment in advance and a 100% cancellation charge once confirmed, so all the timing risk sits with us.
Marcoms lists "touch screens 65 inch & 55 inch". Confirmed as an error: the scope is 2 × 55" for all three vendors. Get it corrected in writing before the quote is signed, otherwise it becomes a variation claim later.
Resolved: 34,000 is the all-in total. One wrinkle to raise: the 1,700 VAT is 5% of the pre-discount 34,000, but the taxable amount is stated as 32,300, on which 5% is 1,615. Their total is internally consistent, but ask for the tax invoice to show VAT on the discounted value.
All three are the same 5 × 3 m footprint, but they fill it very differently. Marcoms' quote is one line for a wall, so before the PO get a fixed BOQ from them: floor, back wall, side wall, counter, 2 × 55" touch screens, furniture, electrical, plus the 5 × 3 m in writing.
The single biggest open item on the award. Pearl and Xenial supply the screens; Marcoms only build the cut-out. Renting two 55" touch panels in the UAE typically runs 3,000 to 5,000, so on a true all-in basis Marcoms is closer to 30,000 than 26,250. Get it priced as a line item before the PO so the comparison is honest.
The stand and the container model come from the same vendor but on two separate quotes, and the model was quoted informally. Put both scopes on one PO with firm figures and a single delivery date so neither sits on a chat thread. The model detail sits on the 3D Miniature tab.
Xenial want 100% in advance with a 100% cancellation charge once confirmed, against Pearl's 50/50 and Marcoms' 50/50. With the event date still TBC, paying everything up front on a 15 to 20 day lead time is the weakest position of the three. Push Xenial to 50/50 as a condition of award.
Marcoms include it in their T&Cs and Xenial itemise it at zero cost. Pearl's quote is silent on transport, installation and dismantling, which is one more reason their 19,895 is not as clean a comparison as it first looks.
Marcoms is explicitly rental with post-event inspection liability. Pearl and Xenial are silent. If the stand is intended for reuse across the season, ask for a purchase price and storage terms, which changes the ranking entirely.
We have run events with Marcoms before. A supplier who already knows our brand standards, approval loop and delivery expectations carries far less execution risk than the cheapest bid from a vendor we have never briefed.
Marcoms hold the same 5 × 3 m footprint as Xenial at 26,250 all-in, which is 7,750 below Xenial's 34,000 and the middle price of the three. It is not the cheapest stand, but it is the most reasonable scope-to-price on the table.
Marcoms are also the recommended supplier for the container model on the 3D Miniature tab, so the stand and the model can run on one supplier we already know rather than being split across two.
Alongside the stand, we asked for a 3D miniature of the container. Marcoms and Xenial quoted it next to their stand builds, and Raidy Printing came in late as a 3D-only supplier. None of the three is a firm, like-for-like number yet: the model sizes differ, a display case is not in every quote, and two of the three are ranges rather than fixed prices. This tab compares the models on their own, then shows why bundling the model with the stand changes the maths.
| Marcoms 10,850 net | Xenial 10 to 12k / 35 to 37k | Raidy 22k / 27k | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercials | |||
| Quoted price | 10,850.00 | 10,000 to 12,000 35,000 to 37,000 |
22,000 (40 cm) 27,000 (60 cm) |
| VAT position | +5% stated (542.50) | Not stated | Not stated |
| Total incl. VAT | 11,392.50 | 10,500 to 12,600 est. | 28,350 est. (60 cm) |
| Price firmness | Approximate | Range | Around |
| Timeline | 20 to 30 days | Approx. 1 month | 4 to 5 weeks |
| Model & build | |||
| Stated size | 50 cm | Not stated | 40 cm or 60 cm |
| Print method | Resin 3D printing, internal detail | 3D print, natural fibre material | Opt 2 mix: resin, metal, clay, polymer |
| Enclosure | 3 sides acrylic, 1 side clear | Not stated | Not mentioned |
| Display case / podium | Included, 1 pc | MDF podium + glass top | Not mentioned |
| Colour accuracy | Painted finish | Exact Pantone | Not stated |
| Lighting | Excluded | Not stated | Not stated |
| Design / artwork | Our scope | Our scope | Our scope |
| Can also build the stand | Yes | Yes | No, 3D only |
Marcoms confirmed the case is included and Xenial offer a podium with a glass top. Raidy mention neither. A cased model and a bare model are not the same deliverable, so get the case priced across all three.
We asked whether the 10,850 is negotiable and never got an answer. Worth pushing once, since it is already the lowest number and they are being awarded the stand alongside it.
Option 1 at 10 to 12k and Option 2 at 35 to 37k are quoted for the same brief. Until they explain what the extra buys in the finished model, only Option 1 is comparable to the other two.
At 10,850 net Marcoms are the cheapest of the three and the only one to confirm the display case in writing, with resin printing for the internal detail. Raidy's comparable model is more than double.
Marcoms also build the stand on the Exhibition Stand tab, so the model and the stand can run on one PO, one project manager and one delivery date rather than being split across two suppliers.
Awarding both scopes to Marcoms comes to 37,642.50 incl. VAT, roughly 6,045 below Pearl plus Raidy and about 6,500 below Xenial for the pair. Raidy can only do the model, not the stand.
Grit & Soul, Zobbzle Designs and ClickTribe Media all quoted against the same videographer brief for our customer and partner story series: 12 interviews, one 60-second reel each, delivered in three reframed ratios, with two major revision rounds and full rights. Their prices for that identical scope are AED 66,760, 120,000 and 134,500. This tab covers what each price covers, every point where a submission is silent on something the brief asked for, and the two internal contradictions to resolve before any award.
ClickTribe is 2.01 times Grit & Soul for an identical deliverable: 12 subjects, 36 finished reels, three ratios, two revision rounds, full rights. That is 67,740 of difference on a fixed scope.
Every supplier delivers 36 reels. That works out at 1,854 per reel from Grit & Soul, 3,333 from Zobbzle at its headline price, and 3,736 from ClickTribe.
ClickTribe states VAT not applicable as a free zone entity. Grit & Soul is a mainland LLC and is silent on VAT, so 5% may sit on top of 66,760, taking it to 70,098. Zobbzle states nothing.
Grit & Soul charge 3,000 per trip outside the UAE. Zobbzle charge 5,000 per site with a line-by-line breakdown. ClickTribe do not price it at all, quoting it separately once the country is known.
| Grit & Soul 3,500 per subject | Zobbzle 10,000 per subject | ClickTribe 11,208 per subject | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 subjects | 59,760 | 100,000 | 112,080 |
| 12 subjects, quoted | 66,760 | 120,000 | 134,500 |
| 15 subjects | 77,260 | 150,000 | 168,120 |
| Gap at 15 vs lowest | Baseline | +72,740 | +90,860 |
Grit & Soul is the only supplier whose marginal rate sits well below its own average. At 3,500 to add a subject against an implied average of 5,563, going from 12 to 15 subjects costs 10,500. The same move costs 30,000 with Zobbzle and 33,624 with ClickTribe, whose per-subject rates are simply their totals divided by twelve. If the count is likely to land at the top of the range, the gap widens rather than closes. The 10 and 15 subject rows are calculated from each supplier's own stated per-subject rate, not separately quoted by them.
| Grit & Soul 66,760 | Zobbzle 120,000 | ClickTribe 134,500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercials | |||
| Total, 12 subjects | 66,760.00 | 120,000 also 108,000 | 134,500.00 |
| Per-subject rate | 3,500 Below average | 10,000 | 11,208 |
| VAT position | Not stated | Not stated | Not applicable, free zone |
| Invoicing entity | Grit & Soul For Commercial Photographs Production LLC | None on document Personal name and Gmail only | ClickTribe Media LLC, Sharjah Media City Free Zone |
| Payment terms | 70% before first shoot 30% at first cut | 50 / 50 Balance on final delivery, net 30 | Not stated |
| Cancellation terms | Not stated | 30% of that shoot's rate under 24 hours, free above | Fee applies within 2 days, amount not stated |
| Quote validity | Not stated | 60 days on cover, 30 in terms | Not stated |
| Travel beyond UAE | 3,000 per trip | 5,000 per site, itemised | Quoted separately later |
| Stated exclusions | None listed | Scope changes repriced | Nine, incl. clearance and idle time |
| Crew and capture | |||
| Crew on site | 1 to 3 people, unpinned | 8 named roles incl. DIT | 5 people: DOP, director, lighting tech, 2 videographers |
| Cameras | Not specified | 2 × Sony FX6 with primes | 1 to 3: Sony FX3, FX5, Blackmagic Pyxis |
| Brief asked for single camera | Priced to brief | Two, with rationale | Up to three |
| 4K capture, 1080 delivery | 4K ProRes, Full HD out | 4K package, 1080 delivery not stated | 4K, delivered at 1080 |
| Lighting detail | Included, no detail | Key, fill, rim. 20 to 30 min setup | Aputure 600D × 3 |
| Audio with backup | Yes | Yes, dedicated recordist | Yes, parallel backup |
| B-roll, 15 min per site | Captured, no quantity | 1 hour cut to 15 min | Separate pass, no quantity |
| Pre-shoot recce | Not offered | Not offered | Where access allows |
| Backup before leaving site | Not stated | DIT owns it, cloud or drive | Yes |
| Raw retained 12 months | Yes, on request | Yes, 1 year | At least 12 months |
| Post-production and delivery | |||
| Reframed, not cropped | Explicit | Versioned, wording not explicit | Explicit |
| Lower thirds, brand frames | Not mentioned | Graphics, brand frames not named | To OI specification |
| Burned-in captions on verticals | Captions, no split stated | Captions, no split stated | Explicit |
| Separate subtitle file, 16:9 | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Explicit |
| 2 major rounds + technical pass | Yes, sign-off sequenced | Yes | Yes, sign-off sequenced |
| Music licence, perpetuity | Paid and global, perpetuity absent | Licensed, terms unstated | Worldwide, in perpetuity |
| Delivery turnaround | First cut 5 days from last shoot day, then 5 and 3 | Per interview, 10 to 12 days each | Not stated |
| Rights, conduct and logistics | |||
| Ownership of deliverables | Full assignment of all IP | Full ownership | Full ownership |
| Raw footage handover | Assigned outright | Included in price | On request |
| No self-promo without approval | Retains portfolio licence | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| NDA covering all crew | No objection | Signed before any shoot | Every crew member |
| Max interviews per day | Not stated | 2 per day | 1 per day |
| Mobilisation notice | 5 days minimum | 2 days | 7 business days |
| Conduct on live client premises | Not addressed | Addressed in detail | Addressed |
| Creative alignment meeting | 2 weeks before shoot 1 | Look and feel approval before first interview | Not offered |
| Unified setup and props | Props included for consistency | Consistency argued, props not named | Props excluded |
Priced the brief, not an upsell. The brief asked for a single-camera setup per subject. Grit & Soul is the only supplier that quoted exactly that, which is most of why it lands at half the highest bid rather than because it misread the scope. It also carries the strongest rights transfer of the three, the only creative alignment meeting, and props for a unified look across twelve different offices. Its weaknesses are all commercial and administrative: a 70% advance, an unpinned crew size, a retained portfolio licence, and no cancellation or validity terms. Each of those is a contract term to negotiate, not a limit on what they can deliver.
The best answer to a schedule we do not control, undermined by its own paperwork. Two shoots a day against ClickTribe's one, two days notice against seven, per-interview delivery instead of one batch at the end, the only commitment to the 15 minutes of B-roll the brief asked for, and the fairest payment and cancellation terms in the set. Against that: the deck quotes 120,000 and 108,000 for the same scope, states its validity as both 60 and 30 days, carries no invoicing entity or TRN, and offers no explicit reframe-not-crop commitment or subtitle file. The production thinking is the strongest of the three. The document is the weakest.
Reads the brief back to us, then costs double to deliver it. It is the most compliant document: rights, music licensing, captions, subtitle files and brand frames are all answered in the brief's own language, and it is the only recce and the only clear VAT position. But it commits to no payment schedule, no delivery turnaround and no validity period, prices no travel, caps at one interview per day on seven business days notice, and excludes nine items including crew security clearance and onsite idle time, both of which the brief effectively guarantees will arise. Compliance on the page is not the same as the lowest risk in delivery, and at 134,500 it is not close to the best value.
The deck states AED 120,000 on its Overall Price slide and AED 108,000 as the base for the same 12 UAE subjects four slides later. Twelve at the stated 10,000 per subject equals 120,000, so 108,000 appears to be either an error or an undeclared discount. This is a 12,000 swing on the deciding number.
The quote is issued in a personal name under a trading style, from a Gmail address, with no company name, trade licence or TRN anywhere on the document. For a six-figure engagement filming inside government, banking and defence premises, that has to be resolved before evaluation, not after award.
Only ClickTribe states a position. Grit & Soul is a mainland LLC and does not mention VAT, so confirm whether 66,760 is inclusive or whether 5% takes it to 70,098. Get every price restated as VAT-inclusive before they are compared again.
The brief requires paid and organic use, worldwide, in perpetuity. Only ClickTribe states all three. Grit & Soul lists paid ads and global distribution but never says perpetuity, and Zobbzle states only that licensed material is included. Without perpetuity the films expire.
The brief asks for burned-in captions on the verticals plus a separate subtitle file for each horizontal master, and lower thirds to OI specification. Only ClickTribe commits to both. Add them explicitly to the winning scope so they are not treated as a variation.
Grit & Soul deliver the first cut five days after the last shoot day, so with filming spread over two to four weeks nothing is reviewable until the whole series wraps. Zobbzle deliver per interview. ClickTribe commit to nothing. Fix a per-interview cadence in the PO.
Grit & Soul's terms assign everything to us, then retain a perpetual licence to use the finished films on their own website, social and demo reel. The brief requires written approval before any such use. Narrow this to case-by-case written consent as a condition of award.
Zobbzle's price line covers licensed third-party material including music, AI and or graphics. The brief never asked for AI-generated content. On credibility assets featuring named government and banking executives, that needs an explicit exclusion.
The brief warns that some venues need advance crew clearance and that subject availability drives the schedule. ClickTribe excludes both crew security clearance and onsite idle time, so its 134,500 is a floor rather than a ceiling. Ask all three to bring these inside the fixed price.
The brief specified a single-camera setup per subject. Grit & Soul quoted that. Zobbzle and ClickTribe both quoted multi-camera crews of eight and five people, which is scope we did not ask for and a large part of what separates 66,760 from 134,500.
67,740 buys nothing in the other two submissions that a PO clause cannot secure here. In capability terms the difference comes down to a recce and a subtitle file, which does not justify what is effectively a second production budget.
It assigns all copyright and IP in both the deliverables and the raw footage, worldwide, perpetual, exclusive, royalty-free and irrevocable. The other two grant ownership of deliverables with raw footage handed over. This is the only outright assignment.
At 3,500 to add a subject, going to the top of the 10 to 15 range costs 10,500. The same move costs 30,000 with Zobbzle and 33,624 with ClickTribe, whose marginal rates are just their totals divided by twelve.
The only submission with a creative alignment meeting two weeks out and props carried across every site for a unified setup. The brief's core requirement is that twelve interviews read as one campaign, and this is the only quote that budgets for it.
Grit & Soul lists no exclusions at all. ClickTribe lists nine, two of which the brief makes near-certain. On a fixed-scope series, a quote with no carve-outs is worth more than a cheaper-looking one that reopens on the day.