RFP Submission Checklist for Trade Contractors
A bid that is missing a form gets rejected. It does not matter what your price is. Bid submissions are evaluated for completeness before they are evaluated for price, and non-responsive bids go in the reject pile. Here is how to make sure yours does not.
Before you price
Read the Instructions to Bidders word for word
The submission requirements are in the Instructions to Bidders section. This is not a section to skim. Every required form, every certification, every delivery requirement is listed there.
Make a checklist as you read it. Every time the instructions say 'bidder shall include' or 'the following must be submitted,' write it down. You will check each item before the bid leaves your hands.
The standard submission package
Most public bid submissions require: completed and signed bid form (use the owner's form, not your own), bid bond (usually 5 to 10 percent of bid amount), evidence of insurance at required limits, contractor's license number and expiration, acknowledgement of all addenda issued.
Many also require: list of proposed subcontractors, MBE/WBE/DBE participation forms or good faith effort documentation, prevailing wage compliance acknowledgement, conflict of interest and non-collusion certifications.
Some require a unit price schedule, alternates pricing, or a schedule of values with the bid. Read what is required and provide it in the format requested.
Addenda acknowledgement
If the owner issued addenda after the original RFP, you must acknowledge every one of them. The bid form usually has a space for this. Missing an addenda acknowledgement is a common cause of bid rejection.
Download every addendum from the bid portal or owner website before bid day. Read each one. Some addenda change the scope or the forms. Some change the deadline.
Delivery: exactly as specified
Delivery requirements are specified and enforced. If the bid must be delivered in a sealed envelope labeled with specific information, do exactly that. If it must be uploaded to a portal, upload it before the deadline.
Portal uploads can fail. Upload your bid at least an hour before the deadline. If you are mailing or hand-delivering, know the exact address, suite number, and the name of the person or department receiving bids.
Late bids are rejected. Period. No exceptions on public work.
The final check
Before your bid leaves your hands: go through your submission checklist item by item. Is every required form included? Are they signed where required? Are the bid bond and insurance certificates attached? Have you acknowledged every addendum?
Have someone else do a second check. A second set of eyes catches things the person who assembled the package is blind to.
After submission, keep a copy of everything you submitted. Disputes about what was included are rare but do happen.