How to review a construction tender or RFP before you price it
Read a tender in a fixed order: the bid instructions, whether you are eligible, what could cost you, the scope, the schedule and what is unclear. Then make the bid or no-bid call and write down why, before you spend time pricing.
The short version
A tender package can run to hundreds of pages, and most of what decides your bid is on a handful of them. The way to review one is to read in a fixed order and stop at each step to answer one question, so you decide whether to bid before you spend time pricing.
Review it in this order
- 1
Read the bid instructions first
Closing date, time and place, how bids are submitted, who you may ask questions and by when, what must be in the bid, whether a site visit is mandatory, and what security or bonds are required. Missing a submission rule can disqualify a bid, so this comes before anything else.
- 2
Decide whether you are eligible
Check the requirements against your own position: bonding capacity, insurance limits, required experience, certifications and safety record. If you cannot meet a mandatory requirement, you have your answer before reading further.
- 3
Scan the contract for what could cost you
Look at the contract form and general and supplementary conditions for liquidated damages, holdback, payment terms, change procedures, warranty, insurance and termination. Many Canadian tenders use standard-form contracts such as the CCDC documents, with amendments. Flag anything unusual for your lawyer instead of interpreting it yourself.
- 4
Understand the scope for your trades
List the divisions and trades involved, read the specification sections for the work you will price, and compare them with the drawings. Note quantities, products, exclusions and work done by others.
- 5
Check the schedule
Note the start, milestones, phasing, access hours and completion date. A schedule you cannot meet is a reason not to bid.
- 6
Write down what is unclear
Conflicts between documents, missing sheets and vague requirements become questions. See how to track RFIs on a bid, and read every addendum as it arrives.
- 7
Make the bid or no-bid call and write the reason
Bid, pass, or bid with conditions. Keep the reason, so next time you can see why you pursued or passed on a type of job.
- 8
Split it into packages
For the trades you will sub out, write a clear scope of work for each, so the bids you get back can be leveled like for like.
A one-page checklist
| Item | Where to look | The question |
|---|---|---|
| Closing and submission | Bid instructions | When, where and how must it arrive? |
| Questions | Bid instructions | Who may we ask, and what is the last day? |
| Bid security and bonds | Bid instructions, general conditions | What is required, and can we provide it? |
| Insurance | General or supplementary conditions | What limits are required? |
| Liquidated damages and holdback | Contract conditions | What are the amounts and the release terms? |
| Site visit | Bid instructions | Is it mandatory, and when? |
| Subcontractor rules | Bid instructions | Must trades be listed, and by when? |
| Scope and quantities | Specifications and drawings | What is included, and do the documents agree? |
| Schedule | Bid instructions, conditions | Can we meet the dates and phasing? |
| Addenda | Issued during the bid period | Have we read and acknowledged them all? |
Common traps
- Pricing before reading the instructions and then finding a mandatory requirement you cannot meet.
- Trusting the drawings or the specifications without comparing them. When they disagree, ask.
- Missing an addendum, or not acknowledging it on the bid form.
- Leaving questions until the last day, after the question deadline.
- Giving subcontractors a different description of the work than the documents.
How ScopeMark helps
- Upload and label the documents. Mark each file as a specification, drawing, bid instructions or addendum. Large PDFs are split in your browser.
- Choose what to read. Pick the CSI divisions that matter to you. The overview, key terms, bidder requirements and eligibility still cover the whole project.
- Get a first-pass draft. The AI returns an overview and fact sheet (bid security, bonds, insurance, liquidated damages, holdback, site visit, sub-trade bid rule), scope and quantities, requirements, eligibility against your company profile, gaps, risks, the schedule and trade packages. Every finding names its document and page.
- Check the quotes. ScopeMark matches quoted words against the PDF's own text. "Verified" means the words are on that page, not that the fact is right, and a scanned file is never called verified.
- See when documents disagree. A cross-document count check lists items where the documents give different numbers, with the figures side by side and no winner picked.
- Unknown stays unknown. Your company profile is self-declared and never verified. Anything the profile or documents cannot settle is shown as unknown, not assumed.
- Track the decision. Each RFP moves from new through reviewing and bidding to submitted, then won, lost or no bid, with a recorded reason. A bid checklist tracks bonds, insurance, forms and addenda.
The AI writes a first pass for a person to check. It does not give legal advice, it does not price, and ScopeMark submits nothing for you. See how ScopeMark handles an RFP, from upload to a won project.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a tender and an RFP?
The words are often used interchangeably in Canadian construction. A tender often means a price submitted against fully defined documents, and an RFP often means a proposal that includes approach as well as price. Your documents will say which process applies.
What should I read first in a tender package?
The bid instructions. They set the closing time, the submission method, the question deadline, the required forms and any mandatory site visit, and missing one can disqualify a bid.
How do I decide whether to bid?
Check eligibility (bonding, insurance, experience), the contract risks, the scope against your capacity and the schedule. Record the decision and the reason either way.
Can AI review a tender for me?
ScopeMark's AI drafts a first pass with page citations for a person to check. It shows what it cannot verify as unknown, does not price, does not give legal advice and submits nothing.
Should a lawyer read the contract?
For anything unusual in the contract conditions, yes. ScopeMark flags contract and legal items for counsel instead of interpreting them.
Does ScopeMark hold or move our money?
No. ScopeMark does not process payments between companies and subcontractors. The buyer pays directly, outside ScopeMark, and records the payment. ScopeMark's only revenue is its subscription.