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Contractor's Corner Tips for Successfully Submitting Bids By Tom Deines, FCSI, CCCA B idding in the public works arena can be a bit diferent than other types of contracting work, and for those not familiar with the uncharted territory, the learning curve is often steep. Although diferent municipalities have their diferent quirks, there are many similarities. In today's ultra-competitive hard-bid market, it's difcult enough just turning in the lowest bid. Te last thing you want to have happen is to turn in your bid, fnd out that you have the apparent lowest bid, but then have it rejected due to a technicality! If you decide that you want to bid in this area, there are some basic but very important tips that you need to know to help ensure your success. Tis article attempts to identify those common threads and help you navigate through the majority of them on your next public bid. 10 Tips for Business Owners and Prime Contractors Here are 10 tips to keep in mind if you are submitting your bid as a business owner or prime contractor. 1. Make sure that you turn in your bid on time! Yes, it sounds very basic, but on bid day, there is only one clock that matters: the ofcial bid clock. If you are physically delivering the bid, make sure that your bid delivery person goes to the exact building/room where the bids will be accepted and synchronizes his or her own watch or phone with the ofcial bid clock. Most agencies will not accept a bid late, even if it is just by one minute. 2. Seal your bid envelope. Whether you use something that is provided by the agency or your own envelope, make sure that you put all the information that is required on the outside of it. Make sure it is legible and in a conspicuous location. And seal the envelope before turning it in. Bids can and have been rejected for not being sealed. Make sure that you turn in your bid on time! Yes, it sounds very basic, but on bid day, there is only one clock that matters: the official bid clock. 30 JANUARY 2014 COATINGSPROMAG.COM 3. Fill out your bid schedule or form in ink, not pencil. Blue or black inks are preferable for bids. Just last year, our company was second on a hard-bid job but actually wound up getting the job — all because the apparent low bidder flled out his bid schedule in pencil. 4. Fill out your bid correctly if you're doing so electronically. As a clarifcation for items 1–3 above, many public agencies are now accepting bids electronically using an online service, such as Bid Express. If you are using a service like this: a. You will still have an ofcial bid clock, which will be found on the service's website. b. You won't have to worry about sealing your envelope, but you will still need to make sure that you have properly flled out and submitted all pertinent forms. c. You won't have to worry about ink; the service will usually