In this phrase, a tender is a term used in business to refer to an invitation by governments and other entities to submit a bid for contracts.

Because you used the word Submit I would say most certainly it is the first meaning given above.

A tender is often when a company or a government department is looking for works or services for their company, county or departments. They publicise what works or services they require. Along with conditions and latest date and time of submission. Then a lot of companies or firms submit their "Tender" = their price and what they will offer for that price. Then when the Tender date is reached the large company or government department looks at all the "Tenders" and decides who to award the "Tender" to= who has won the "Tender" the contract. Any company who sends in a "Tender" After the last date does not get considered. This on only one meaning. You can also "Tender" a resignation. Quit your job or responsibilities. You can "Tender" in financial services. 1) A formal structured bid to provide services to another party following the rules conditions and time-lines set out in the "Tender Invitation Documents" This is the most common way it is used equal to Tendering a resignation in daily English usage 2) To offer to provide to do work or services for a third party. 3) To offer a price for something 4) To offer to do something in exchange for something else or money cash financial reward This means much depends on the surrounding context.

It's a bit like "give an estimate", but on a larger scale. So for example if you want to have your house extended, and you have some plans about the sort of building work you want done, you can contact a builder and ask them to come and evaluate the work and prepare you a detailed costing of these works, including the overall cost. This is "an estimate". (This word obviously has other meanings in other contexts...) Similarly, if for example you are a city council, or a government department, or maybe a large company, and you wish for some large project to be costed and evaluated (e.g. a new public building, new software...), often several companies might be asked to "submit tenders", with their evaluation of the costs. Then the company with the best proposal is usually selected by the commissioning organisation. So an estimate would probably be one, or possibly two pages with the list of items and costings, whereas a tender might be a file running to many pages, with details of the many aspects of the project being tendered for.