Key elements to putting together a successful, comprehensive bid

1. Key elements to putting together a successful, comprehensive bid RESPONSIBLE & RESPONSIVE BIDDING

2. Have you ever… • Submitted a bid late? • Forgotten to sign the bid forms? • Not included all the required attachments? • Lost money because your bid did not include all costs?

3. THE EDUCATED BIDDING PROCESS Breaking the mass of data down to manageable parts with a systematic approach.

4. WHO CAN BID? Any business that sells a product or service and is: • Responsible • Competitive • Patient • Will invest the resources to market their business • Technologically proficient

5. RESPONSIBLE • Has the financial and physical resources to start the project on time, • Has the appropriate registrations or licenses • Meet timelines and deadlines with the work and necessary reporting, • Finish on budget and on time.

6. OTHER BIDDER CRITERIA You may be asked to provide proof of: • Compliance with all applicable laws pertaining to the solicitation, including Prevailing Wage Act / Davis Bacon Act • Federal E I N or Social Security Number • Equal Employment Opportunity Policy • Certificates of Insurance on Workmen’s Comp, General Liability, Errors & Omissions, Professional Liability, Product Liability • License to work in that city, county or state • Minority & Women Business Enterprise Participation

7. COMPETITIVE • Understand competitors • Understand the client • Understand the market • Offer value as well as competitive price

8. PATIENCE AND MARKETING • Be able to bid and endure the bidding process. • Bidding is a form of marketing • Bidding takes time and money to prepare the bid • You may win 3 out of 10 bids submitted

9. TECHNICALLY SAVVY • Download solicitation material from online sources • Place business on registration lists • Industry-specific organizations • PA UCP • System for Award Management (SAM) • Search for bid opportunities online • eMarketplace • FedBizOps • Maintain databases of information • More offerors are requiring electronic bidding

10. TYPES OF SOLICITATIONS • IFB(Invitation to Bid) • Bid package is considered complete • Price is a major consideration • RFQ(Request for Quote or Request for Qualification) • Request for information on pricing • Not a binding contract • Contract will come out of a purchase order • RFP(Request for Proposal) • Project details are not complete / owner is looking for someone to help them complete the design and details of the project • Evaluated on Technical Proposal, Cost and DBE participation

11. Any process for evaluating and responding to a request for pricing, opportunity to bid or invitation to qualify as a vendor will require equal diligence in order to win bids and make a profit.

12. EACH SOLICITATION IS UNIQUE • Read very carefully. • Then READ IT AGAIN • Everything you need to know about doing the job should be in the solicitation document(s).

13. FIRST LOOK FOR… • Scope of Work: Does it fit with what your company does? • Specifications: Have you ever bid this scope with these specifications or conditions? • Resources: Do you have the physical and financial ability to perform this contract?

14. SPECIFICATIONS • Manufacturers and Suppliers: • Technical specifications / drawings / patterns • Packaging and delivery requirements • Bid forms • Payment terms • Service Providers • What you will deliver • How you will deliver it • Bid forms • Payment terms

15. General Conditions Instructions to Bidders Scope of work Wage Rates Bid Forms Addenda/Bulletins Special Conditions Payment Terms SPECIFICATIONS (Project Manual) Construction Projects

16. Any solicitation may have Layout / Scale Notes Symbols Abbreviations BLUEPRINTS, DRAWINGS, TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

17. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS Common to many solicitations • Forms • Units of Quantities / Measure / Pricing • Schedule • Start date • Intermediate timelines • Finish date • Other required documents • Bonds / Insurance • Licenses / Permits • MWBE percentage participation

18. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • Construction Projects • Geo-technical reports • Hazardous Waste Conditions • Alternates • Manufacturers, Suppliers, Service Providers • Alternates • Contract extensions

19. PRE-BID MEETINGS Primarily Construction but can apply to other goods and services • Additional information from project personnel. • Affords all bidders a chance to ask questions • A networking opportunity between Primes and Subs for this and future projects • Provide for a walk-through of the site

20. WALK-THROUGH (actual) Also known as a “Site Visit” in Construction • Ask for a site visit if one is not offered • Use a check list on every walk-through • Make sketches if necessary • Take pictures if allowed.

21. WALK THROUGH (virtual) Consultants • Visit the offeror’s website • Research offeror’s competitors • Visit the offeror’s place of business • Check out the facility • Get a feel for the company climate

22. WALK THROUGH (virtual) Manufacturers / Suppliers • Visit the offeror’s website • Obtain a sample of previous parts or supplies from past contracts

23. ASK QUESTIONS Follow the procedure set up in the bidding documents. • Use a Query List to compose all your questions from any source of information • Compile questions into one request for information if possible • Send your questions in writing to the contact listed in the solicitation. If your question and answer are not in writing, you do nothaveananswer.

24. REVIEW • You’ve read and understood the solicitation • Questions have been asked and answered • You are now ready to start putting the bid together

25. MANAGING THE BID PROCESS

26. POINT OF TRANSITION • The solicitation (generated by the owner/ offeror/client) is owned by the offeror • Once you process the paperwork into a bid it becomes your bid and will be a part of your contract when you win. You will be bound by your offer (bid).

27. BID DOCUMENTS ELEMENTS • Prioritize • Use your research to craft the bid • Allocate tasks to analyze the bid documents and prepare the estimate • Take-offs • Pricing • Review and Reconciliation

28. CALCULATING THE ESTIMATE Be accurate with figures: • Expenses that are your responsibility • Material • Labor • Equipment • Fees • Overhead and Profit

29. CALCULATING THE ESTIMATE You don’t get a “do over” if you miss something or add incorrectly. You hurt yourself when you get a contract based on your figures and they are wrong.

30. PROCESSING THE FORMS • Review the forms as part of your beginning process, not at the end • Questions about the forms should have been asked during the Q & A. • Use the forms supplied • Do not improvise

31. FORMS You don’t get a “do over” if you do not fill out the forms correctly or omit something. All of your work can be for nothing if the forms are missing anything.

32. PACKAGING THE BID • Cover letter • Estimate • Required forms • Required Attachments • Bid submission

33. DUE DATES AND TIMES • Deliver your bids on time and to the right place • If possible, secure proof of timely bid submittal One minute late, and the whole exercise was a waste of time and money.

34. CONDITIONAL BIDS • An easy way to get your bid tossed • Definition: a bid with exceptions • Different materials • Different terms • Different conditions • DON’T DO THEM!

35. AFTER THE BID GOES IN… • Keep track of dates • Bid Opening • Award • File for future reference: • Estimating work sheets • Research of the project/solicitation

36. MORE INFORMATION • Websites • Industry Specific • Competitors • Industry Related Associations • Books and Industry-related publications • Amazon • Trade Association magazines

37. QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

38. Presented by Elizabeth Bowers Corporate Small Business Liaison Officer One PPG Place, 27th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-384-1000 ebowers@dckww.com