Bid support means building the material and routine that surround your price. Two Alberta subs can submit within 2% of each other, and the GC or owner will pick the one whose submission is clearer, whose references are easier to check and whose estimator followed up politely. We handle that part. Your estimating, quantities and commercial terms stay entirely with you.
What's included
- A capability statement in two lengths: a one-page summary for quick requests and a fuller version for formal submissions. It covers scopes, crew and equipment, safety summary, regions served, key people and contact paths.
- Project sheets. A one-page sheet for each relevant past job, organised by building or facility type so you can pull the right five in minutes.
- A reference list with permission confirmed and contact details checked each quarter.
- Boilerplate library. Reusable, accurate text for company history, safety approach, quality control, schedule management and winter-work methods, written once and kept current.
- A bid log. A simple sheet tracking every bid: client, type (invited, open, negotiated), value range, result, and the reason given when you lose.
- A follow-up routine. A thank-you after submission, a check-in after award, and a short request for feedback on losses.
- A go/no-go checklist so you stop spending estimator hours on tenders you were never likely to win.
Who it's for
Commercial, ICI and industrial contractors who bid regularly, whether to GCs, property managers, school divisions, municipalities, health facilities or industrial owners. It also suits residential contractors who quote larger projects such as basement developments or full mechanical replacements and want a sharper written proposal.
Timeline
- Weeks 1–2: review your last ten to twenty bids and their results; interview your estimator.
- Weeks 3–6: capability statement, first project sheets, boilerplate library and go/no-go checklist.
- Week 6 onward: bid log and follow-up routine in daily use; new project sheets added as jobs close.
- Quarterly: review of win rates by bid type and client, and an update of references.
How we measure results
The bid log is the scoreboard. We look at win rate by bid type, win rate by client, estimator hours per win, and the share of losses where you learned why. A small improvement is worth a lot. If you submit 60 bids a year averaging $140,000 and win 15%, that's nine awards. Lift the rate to 20% by bidding smarter and presenting better, and you have twelve awards from the same effort, or the same nine from fewer submissions.
A sample go/no-go checklist
Before an estimator spends a day on a tender, five quick questions usually tell you whether it's worth it:
- Have we done this scope, at roughly this size, in the last three years?
- Do we know the GC or owner, or can someone vouch for us?
- How many firms are likely to bid, and is it open or invited?
- Can our crews actually take this on during the scheduled window?
- Does the bid require credentials or paperwork we don't have ready?
Two or more "no" answers usually mean pass, or bid only if the work is strategically important. Logged over a year, these answers show you where your wins really come from.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating every tender as a must-bid. Open public bids with ten or more submitters may suit some firms; for others the hours belong on invited work. Portals such as Alberta Purchasing Connection are worth checking, but selectively.
- Copying the last proposal. Old project sheets with the wrong client name are more common than anyone admits.
- Generic safety paragraphs. Describe your actual program and credentials; see our guide on presenting your safety record.
- Never asking why you lost. Most GCs will tell you if you ask politely and briefly.
- Letting the website contradict the bid. If your proposal says 40 employees and your website says 25, a reviewer notices.
This service pairs naturally with commercial and ICI marketing and industrial prequalification. For costs, see pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Do you estimate or price our bids?
No. Pricing, quantities and commercial terms are yours. We work on everything around the price: how your capability, experience, schedule approach and team are presented, and what happens after you submit.
Do you watch public tender portals for us?
We can help you set up a simple routine for checking the portals relevant to your work, such as Alberta Purchasing Connection for provincial public-sector opportunities. You decide what to pursue.
What's a reasonable win rate?
It varies widely by trade and bid type. Invited bids with a known GC often win far more often than open public tenders. Track your own rate by bid type first; that tells you more than any industry average.
Can this help with design-build or negotiated work?
Yes. Negotiated and design-build opportunities lean even harder on credibility, references and a clear process, which is exactly what this service builds.
Sources
- Alberta Purchasing Connection (2026-10-23)