Bid Management
Bid Management covers the workflow of preparing, soliciting, receiving, comparing, and leveling subcontractor and supplier bids for construction work packages.
Open Bid Leveling From the Estimation
Section titled “Open Bid Leveling From the Estimation”Bid work belongs to a specific estimation revision. Open the project, select the revision from Estimations, then open its Estimation Workspace and select Bid Leveling.
Use the workspace tab to manage bid packages and monitor open items. When the comparison needs more room, open the full bid-leveling matrix for the package.
Bid Packages
Section titled “Bid Packages”A Bid Package is a grouping of estimation modules scoped for soliciting competitive bids. Each package represents a discrete unit of work that contractors can price.
Each Bid Package includes:
- Scope summary — description of the work to be bid
- Modules — estimation modules with quantity and cost frozen at the time they are assigned to the package
- Trade code and classification — for organizing packages
- Status — lifecycle state:
draft → open → in review → awarded → closed - Due date — bid deadline
- Proposals — received bid proposals from contractors
Modules are frozen at package creation time so the bid scope remains stable even if the estimate changes.
Bid Proposals
Section titled “Bid Proposals”A Bid Proposal is a contractor’s or supplier’s priced response to a Bid Package. Each proposal records:
- Base bid amount — the contractor’s total price for the package scope
- Alternates — optional pricing for alternative approaches or materials
- Scope inclusions and exclusions — what the bid does and does not cover
- Adjustments — leveling adjustments applied during bid evaluation
Bid Leveling Matrix
Section titled “Bid Leveling Matrix”Bid Leveling is the process of comparing multiple proposals on a consistent basis so the client can select the best value, not just the lowest base price. Leveling accounts for:
| Adjustment | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Add | Scope items the base bid excludes but the project requires | Increases effective bid |
| Deduct | Scope items included in the base bid but not needed | Decreases effective bid |
| Risk Allowance | Contingency for identified risks | Increases effective bid |
| Alternate Accepted | Pricing for accepted alternatives | Adjusts effective bid |
Leveling produces an adjusted bid total for each proposal, enabling fair comparison.
In the full matrix, suppliers appear in columns and scope items appear in rows. Each cell shows the proposal’s coverage status, amount, and any supporting note or reference. Review whether the item is covered, excluded, or unclear before relying on its price.
Raise Clarifications From the Matrix
Section titled “Raise Clarifications From the Matrix”Raise a clarification directly from the supplier and scope-item cell that needs explanation. Darwin pre-fills the request with that supplier, scope item, coverage status, and amount so the question retains its context.
Clarifications created from an Excluded or Unclear cell are marked high priority. Follow them from the matrix’s Clarifications panel or the Work Requests hub.
Leveling Decisions and Award
Section titled “Leveling Decisions and Award”A Leveling Decision records which proposal was selected, the rationale, and pass-over notes for each competing proposal. The decision records both the base bid and the leveled bid as they stood at decision time.
Record the leveling decision before awarding the package. Awarding marks the package as awarded and can create a project commitment from the winning bid. Continue in Cost Control to review the resulting commitment alongside the project’s other tracked costs.
Once a package is awarded, treat the matrix as the decision record rather than restarting the same award.
Workflow Role
Section titled “Workflow Role”- An estimate is structured into bid packages during or after estimation
- Packages are issued to contractors for pricing
- Proposals are received and leveled against the estimate scope
- Award decisions create draft commitments linked to the winning proposals
- Variance tracking can trace procurement variance back to bid events