The bidding process for commercial or government construction projects is time-consuming and complex.

To maximize your chances of success, it’s essential to have a clear plan and timeline in place for each stage of the process with a bid schedule template. 

In this article, we’ll provide a detailed bid schedule template to help you stay organized, focused, and on track as you navigate the various stages of a commercial construction bid.

Bid Schedule for Commercial Construction

Greater than 2-3 Weeks Out

1. Foster Relationships: Focus on building and nurturing relationships with potential partners who can help fill gaps in your organization’s capabilities. These partnerships will prove invaluable when you need to respond quickly to opportunities.
2. Perform Market Research: Keep an eye on procurement websites, such as SAM.gov, eBuy, and State/City procurement portals, to identify potential opportunities for bidding on commercial construction projects.

2-3 Weeks Out

1. Identify Potential Proposals and Make a Go/No-Go Decision: Review procurement websites regularly to identify potential solicitations. Give your team enough time to evaluate each opportunity and decide whether it’s a good fit for your business.
2. Submit (Request For Information) RFIs: Review all the documents for each solicitation as soon as possible, and submit any questions before the RFI deadline.
3. Compile Bid Documents and Distribute Internally: Once you’ve decided to pursue a bid, gather all necessary documents and distribute them to your team members. Establish internal deadlines for each team member’s contributions, working backward from the submission deadline.

1-2 Weeks Out

1. Create Initial Draft (Technical Proposal): Develop an initial draft of your technical proposal based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the solicitation. Collaborate with your team to identify potential weaknesses and strengths and strategize ways to address them.
2. Monitor Procurement Website: Keep an eye on the procurement website for formal responses to your RFIs, as well as any amendments that may extend the bid date.
3. Collect and Complete Specific Forms: Fill out any non-standard forms required at the time of bid submission.

5-7 Days Out

1. Secondary Draft (Technical Proposal): Incorporate team feedback and any new information from the buyer provided in RFI responses into your technical proposal.
2. Create Initial Pricing Proposal: Determine the price for your proposal, taking into account any information gleaned from RFIs that might affect your estimation of risk.

1-3 Days Out

1. Complete Final Draft (Technical and Price Proposals): Have your team review and provide final thoughts on the technical and price proposals. Make any necessary changes and ensure all evaluation criteria are addressed.
2. Compile Files: Organize all files related to the bid in an easily accessible location.

Bid Day

Submit your proposal as early as possible to avoid issues with the submission website or email systems. Double-check that all required documents are included and properly formatted.

By following this bid schedule, your organization will be better prepared to navigate the complex world of commercial construction bidding. With a clear plan in place, you’ll be able to stay organized and focused on the tasks at hand, ultimately increasing your chances of winning lucrative construction contracts.
The ACE Consulting pre-construction team can help you create a strong bid package for a project. Contact us today to learn more.