Bid engineering guide

Inspection and test plan (ITP): hold, witness and review points, and what to check in a tender

How an ITP is laid out, what the intervention points mean, and how equipment manufacturers compare a buyer's inspection requirements with their standard plan before they bid.

By Ademola Afolabi, Founder, New Odyssey Ltd · Last reviewed: 2026-10-23

The short answer

An inspection and test plan (ITP) lists every inspection and test during manufacture, with the procedure, acceptance criteria, record and who must take part. Hold, witness and review points set the buyer's involvement. Compare the buyer's ITP requirements with your standard plan at bid stage and declare the differences.

Key Takeaways

Each ITP step has an activity, a reference procedure, acceptance criteria, a record and intervention levels.
Hold points stop work until release; witness points invite attendance after notice.
Names and intervention letters vary by company; read each ITP's legend.
Extra tests, witness points and certificate types change cost and lead time, so price or declare them.

What an ITP looks like

An ITP follows the equipment from material receipt to dispatch, one step per row. Companies call it different things, including quality control plan (QCP) or inspection plan. For the short definition, see the ITP glossary entry.

Typical ITP columns (own summary; layouts vary by company)
Column	What it holds
Step and activity	The inspection or test, in the order it happens
Reference	The procedure, specification or standard the step follows
Acceptance criteria	What counts as a pass
Verifying record	The certificate, report or signed sheet the step produces
Intervention	What the manufacturer, buyer and any third-party inspector each do at the step

Hold, witness, review and monitor points

Common intervention points (meanings and letters vary; check the contract)
Point	What it usually means
Hold	Work stops until the buyer or its inspector inspects and releases the step.
Witness	The buyer is invited to attend after notice; in many contracts work may go ahead if it does not attend.
Review	The buyer reviews records, such as certificates or reports, rather than attending.
Monitor or surveillance	The buyer may observe at its choice, without a formal notice.

What to check at bid stage

List every inspection, test and certificate requirement in the specification, datasheets and any model ITP.
Compare each one with your standard plan, and mark added tests, wider NDE extent, PMI and extra hold or witness points.
Check the certificate type asked for, such as EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2, and who appoints any third-party inspector.
Check the notice period for witnessed tests and build it into the schedule.
Give each requirement a row in your compliance matrix, and declare differences in the technical deviation list.

The ITP is usually a document on the vendor data requirements list, and the records it produces go into the final data book.

Where OdysseyGPT fits

OdysseyGPT reads the ITP and the inspection and testing clauses in the tender package. It checks each against your own test procedures and standard plan, and gives it a status with a quote and the page, sheet or cell it came from. It does not write the ITP or agree intervention points; your engineers and quality team do. See OdysseyGPT for manufacturing.

Buyer questions

20 questions bid engineers, proposal engineers and buyers ask. Last reviewed: 2026-10-23

What is an inspection and test plan (ITP)?

An ITP is a table that lists every inspection and test during manufacture, from material receipt to dispatch. For each step it names the procedure or standard, the acceptance criteria, the record produced and who must take part. It turns the specification's inspection and testing requirements into a plan both buyer and manufacturer agree.

Is an ITP the same as a quality control plan?

Often, yes. Companies use different names for the same kind of document: inspection and test plan, quality control plan (QCP), inspection plan or quality plan. Some treat a quality plan as a wider document that covers more than inspection. Check what the tender means, and answer in the form it asks for.

Who writes the ITP?

The manufacturer usually writes it, based on its own standard plan and the buyer's requirements. The buyer, or its inspector, then marks the points where it wants to take part. Some buyers issue a model ITP and ask the manufacturer to complete it. Either way, the final ITP is agreed between both sides before manufacture starts.

What columns does an ITP usually have?

Typical columns are step number, activity, reference procedure or standard, acceptance criteria, verifying record, and the intervention level for each party, such as manufacturer, buyer and third-party inspector. Some add the frequency or extent of the check. The buyer's template, if there is one, sets the exact layout.

What is a hold point in an ITP?

A hold point is a step where work must stop until the buyer or its inspector has inspected it and released it. The next step cannot start without that release. Hold points protect the buyer on critical checks, but they add schedule risk, so manufacturers should plan and price them.

What is a witness point in an ITP?

A witness point is a step the buyer or its inspector is invited to attend after notice. In many contracts, if the inspector does not attend after proper notice, the manufacturer may go ahead and record the result. Check the contract wording, because some buyers treat witness points more strictly.

What are review and monitor points?

A review point means the buyer reviews records, such as certificates or test reports, rather than attending. A monitor or surveillance point means the buyer may observe at its own choice, without a formal notice. Letters for these vary by company, such as H, W, R and M. Read the legend on each ITP.

How much notice must I give before a witnessed test?

The contract or ITP sets the notice period, and it differs between buyers. Inspectors may need to travel, so notice is often given in working days ahead of the test. Missing the notice can mean repeating the test. Check the period at bid stage and build it into your production plan.

What is a third-party inspector on an ITP?

A third-party inspector is an independent inspector, appointed by the buyer or the manufacturer, who witnesses or reviews set steps. Some certificates depend on one. For example, an EN 10204 3.2 certificate is validated by the maker's own inspection representative and also by the buyer's inspector or one named in official regulations. The ITP should say who appoints them and who pays.

Should I send an ITP with my bid?

Many tenders ask for a draft ITP with the offer, and the final one is agreed after award. Even if one is not asked for, compare the buyer's inspection and testing requirements with your standard plan at bid stage. Extra tests, witness points and certificates change cost and lead time, so declare and price them.

What are common ITP deviations in equipment tenders?

Common ones include extra witnessed or hold points, a wider extent of NDE, positive material identification on more parts, tests your standard plan does not include, and certificate types such as 3.2 instead of 3.1. Each difference from your standard plan should be declared in the deviation list or priced.

What is PMI on an ITP?

PMI stands for positive material identification. It checks the alloy of a part, usually with a portable analyser, to confirm it is the material specified. Specifications often ask for PMI on alloy pressure parts and sometimes on welds. The ITP should state which parts, how many and who witnesses it.

What steps are typical on a valve ITP?

A valve ITP typically covers material certificate review, NDE where specified, dimensional and visual checks, pressure tests to the product standard, any extra tests such as fugitive emissions, painting checks, marking and final documentation. Product standards like API 6D set their own tests. The project specification decides which steps the buyer witnesses.

What steps are typical on a pump ITP?

A centrifugal pump ITP typically covers material certificates, hydrostatic testing of pressure parts, performance testing, and, where specified, NPSH and mechanical run tests. It also covers dimensional checks, painting and final documentation. Which tests are witnessed is set by the purchaser. See the API 610 guide for pump-specific points.

Who pays for witness inspections?

It depends on the contract. Buyers often pay their own inspectors' time and travel, while the manufacturer covers the cost of the tests and of repeating any that fail. Third-party inspection may be paid by either side. Check the commercial terms and state your assumption in the offer if they are unclear.

How do ITP records reach the final data book?

Each ITP step produces a record, such as a certificate, test report or signed inspection sheet. These records, and the signed-off ITP itself, are usually collected into the final data book listed on the VDRL. Collect them as each step is done, not at the end.

Can the ITP change after award?

Yes. The draft ITP from the bid is usually reviewed by the buyer after award and returned with comments. Agreed changes are made in a new revision, which must be approved before the affected steps. Changes that add tests or hold points may affect price and schedule, so raise them formally.

Should ITP requirements be in my compliance matrix?

Yes. Each test, witness point and certificate the buyer asks for is a requirement. Give each its own row with a status, so you can see which match your standard plan and which are deviations. See the engineering compliance matrix guide for the layout.

How does OdysseyGPT check ITP requirements in a tender?

OdysseyGPT reads the ITP and the inspection and testing clauses in the tender package. It checks each one against your own test procedures and standard plan, and gives it a status with a quote and the page, sheet or cell it came from. You export the result in the compliance matrix and deviations and clarifications list.

Does OdysseyGPT write or agree the ITP?

No. It does not write the ITP or set intervention points. Agreeing hold and witness points with the buyer stays a decision for your engineers and quality team. OdysseyGPT also does not send anything to the customer and does not interpret drawings such as general arrangements or P&IDs.

Frequently asked questions

Is a draft ITP enough at bid stage?

Often yes. Many tenders ask for a draft ITP with the offer and agree the final one after award, before manufacture starts.

Does the ITP replace the product standard's tests?

No. The ITP lists the tests the product standard and project specification require, and adds who takes part. The tests themselves come from those documents.

References

Supplier quality requirements (hold and witness points)

Air Products

Visit source

Inspection and test plans in construction quality management

Compliance Council