Construction File: Public Openings for Online Bidding

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Recently BCCA endorsed the requirements of CCA 90 Guidelines for Electronic Procurement, Clause 11, Bid Results as the Association’s policy for disclosure of bid information when projects are bid on-line:

All bid results should be electronically recorded, compiled, reported, and transmitted, or, in the alternative, be readily accessible to all interested bidders as soon as practical after the bid closing time. The process of electronic procurement should not be used to avoid a public opening process. Therefore, the instructions to bidders should specify the procedure for bidders to electronically obtain bid results or witness, in person, the opening of bids, as well as the anticipated time interval following bid closing after which bid results will be electronically transmitted or published.

To meet the requirements of the BCCA's Policy for Electronic Bid Openings and to maintain the fair, open and transparent requirements of a public bid opening the following minimum standards are required:

  1. Instructions to Bidders shall provide the information on how the unofficial and official bid results will be made available. The Internet location and time for availability where and when these bid results are available shall be provided (e.g. BidCentral’s Bid to Owner Bid Module or in a specified folder in the BidCentral on-line planroom).
  2. At the time of bid closing the bid price and any alternative, separate or unit prices that are being considered in evaluation of the bids shall be provided on-line as unofficial bid results.
  3. Official bid results shall be made available on-line no later than 30 minutes after the bid closing time. Official bid results shall include the information as listed below. 

Bidding authorities providing a full public bid opening should provide one of the two following standards:

On-line Bid Opening

  1. Where a live on-line bid opening is used, the Instructions to Bidders shall state that the bid opening shall occur at the closing time for the project. The Instructions to Bidders will provide the Internet location where the on-line bid opening will happen and provide any instructions on what computer application or Internet access protocol a viewer must follow to be present for the on-line bid opening. Possible options for an on-line bid opening are:
    1. Internet viewing sessions shared on a bidder’s computer using software or a service provider (e.g. Glance or Adobe Connect Pro) along with a teleconference capability for audio communications.
    2. A webcast viewing and audio session using an Internet conference service provider (e.g. Adobe Connect Pro).
  2. At the time of bid closing the bid price and any alternative, separate or unit prices that are being considered in evaluation of the bids shall be released as unofficial bid results.
  1. Official bid results shall be made available on-line no later than 30 minutes after the bid closing time. Official bid results shall include the information as listed below. 

Live Public Bid Opening

  1.  Where a live public bid opening is to occur when bidders can witness, in person, the opening of bids the Instructions to Bidders shall specify the location where this opening will occur. At these bid openings the electronic bid will be opened on the Internet location (BidCentral) for the bid recipient and the unofficial bid prices announced.
  2. At the time of bid closing the bid price and any alternative, separate or unit prices that are being considered in evaluation of the bids shall be released as unofficial bid results.
  3. Official bid results shall be made available on-line no later than 30 minutes after the bid closing time. Official bid results shall include the information as listed below. 

Official bid results shall include the following:

  1. The complete on-line bid form which shows the bidders base bid amounts.
  2. Any Alternative, Separate or Unit Prices that are being considered in the evaluation of the bids and subsequent award of the contract.
  3. A copy of the bidders bid bonds and/or Consent of Surety.
  4. The list of trade contractors being named by the bidders.
  5. Any other attachments or information that is submitted with the bid which is being considered in evaluation of the bid and subsequent award of contract. 
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