Overview

Our Bid Packages module allows you to create and send RFPs, receive proposals, and complete bid leveling all in one place. When you have selected a winning bidder, proceed to the contract and carry the details from the proposal into the contract.

Prerequisites

To add a bid package to a project, the Master Project Budget must be set up first, since you will be prompted to connect the bid package Bid Form Items to your budget's cost codes. This will allow you to see how the received proposals compare to your budget for those cost codes. The budget does NOT need to be marked as Final Approved.

Process

Add Bidders to your Company & Contact Listings

We recommend adding your bidders to your company and contacts listings before creating and sending the bid package. This will save time when you are ready to send the bid package because the recipients will already be populated in your workspace. Add the bidding companies to Companies, and the individual contacts to Contacts. Adding the bidders to your company and contact listings will not send them an invitation to join INGENIOUS. The invitation will be sent with the invitation to respond to the bid package.

Create the Bid Package

Navigate to Bid Packages using the Project Navigation Menu.
Click Create Bid Package.
Select the Bid Package / RFP Workspace Recipient Type to identify the type of company you would like to request the proposal from:

Note: This selection will dictate the type of company this bid package can be sent to. For example, if you create an Architect/Engineer/Designer RFP, you will send the RFP to companies noted as Designers within Companies in your workspace.
Select the Contract Holder Type (only applicable in an Owner's Rep workspace type).

Tip: Ensure alignment between the contract holder type and the corresponding budget to avoid pulling the wrong budget. Refer to the Alignment Analysis guidelines:

Owner as contract holder → Use Owner Budget.
Owner’s Rep as contract holder → Use Your Budget.

Enter Bid Details (required fields in red "*")

Using the Tabs on the top of the screen, fill out the information that you will share with your bidders.

General Bid Details: Enter the RFP name and verify the potential contract type and other relevant details. The Bid Package Manager will default to the person creating the bid package. You can have multiple bid package managers. The Bid Package Manager(s) will receive notifications related to the bid package. You can also choose to make this bid a Sealed Bid.
Bidding Schedule: Bidders will not be able to submit a bid package after the Bid Due Date unless you edit the bid package and extend the date.
- You can also opt to enable email reminders and choose when and how often these will be sent to the bidders.
Project Schedule: Provide other relevant dates to your bidders.

Enter Scope of Bid Package (optional)

Provide more detail to your bidders about the Project and about the specific Scope of Work you are requesting a proposal for. Type directly into these boxes or use keyboard shortcuts to Copy and Paste from another document:

PC: Control + V to paste

Mac: Command + V to paste

Enter Bid Form Details (at least one Item is required)

The Bid Form Details are the items that you want your bidders to provide pricing for. You can add them manually or load them from a previously created template. The steps below will guide you through loading from a template:

Click Load From Template.
Select an Bid Form template.

Click Load.

Make any applicable edits to the Bid Form tab: click the 🗑 icon to delete, re-arrange the list by dragging and dropping by the three-line icon to the left, or rename by clicking on the pencil icon.
Specify if any items should be considered Alternates by clicking on the toggle next to the Item Description. Items specified as Alternates will be broken out as separate costs from the base bid when leveling bids after receiving proposals.
Assign Cost Codes. Use the Apply to All button if the entire proposal will hit the same cost code on your budget. All items must be assigned Cost Codes for you to be able to move to the next step.

Note: Bidders will not see your cost codes or your budget.

Upload References (optional)

Add Drawing sets, Specifications, and Files (if applicable) to share with your bidders for their review.
Click Upload or drag and drop a file to add documents.

Enter Insurance Requirements (optional)

Use the Insurance Requirements tab to let your bidders know what the insurance requirements will be for the project.

Add Insurance Requirement or Load from Template.

Enter the Name and Minimum Value for each requirement.
If applicable, add Child Insurance Requirements to the Parent Insurance Requirement. For example, add "Collision Coverage" as a Child under the "Auto" Parent.

3. If applicable, attach a document with more information about the required insurance such as a COI template, for example.

Enter Questions & Answers (Q&A's) (optional)

The Q&A tab allows you to enter questions to qualify and differentiate bidders against each other. You can either add questions manually or load them from a Q&A template.

Examples of questions to ask in the Q&A tab include:

What is your safety record?
Please confirm your markup percentage.
Please confirm, Yes or No, that you have reviewed the attached Drawings and Files.

To add a Question:

Click Add Question, then select the Type of response the bidder is allowed to respond to the question with:

Text Input: Bidder can type their answer into a text box
Yes/No: Bidder will have to select Yes or No
Dropdown: Allows bidder to choose one option from available options that you configure
Multi-select: Allows bidders to choose multiple options from available options that you configure
Number: Limits bidder to only input a numerical response
Attachment: Requires bidder to upload an attachment
Enter the question you want the bidders to answer.
Click Add Question to create more questions or Load from Template:

4. Select the Template. Click Append and Save. The next steps will be to select/add bidders and send your Bid Package/RFP.