For contractors without a proposal writer
Construction bid preparation services you review and sign
Our bid preparation services turn the solicitation into a package ready for your signature. You give us the facts and the price. We do the paperwork.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price within 2 business hours
- Document review is free
- Pay only after you accept
- Bid packages in 5 business days
- You price, sign and submit
- Cover letterBidmere drafts
- Understanding and approachBidmere drafts
- ScheduleBidmere drafts
- Team and qualificationsYou approve
- Pricing formsYou price
- Required forms and addendaYou sign
Quick answer
Bidmere prepares construction bid packages and RFP responses for US general contractors and specialty subcontractors without a proposal writer. You send the documents and approved facts; you get a requirements matrix, proposal drafts, organized forms and a final review checklist, priced from $1,950 and ready in 5 business days. Your team prices, signs and submits.
What do bid preparation services include?
Bid preparation services turn a solicitation into a complete package your team can review, sign and submit. Bidmere builds a requirements matrix, drafts proposal sections, organizes forms and attachments and adds a final checklist, all from facts and pricing you approve.
| Package part | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Requirements matrix and addenda log | Bidmere prepares |
| Cover letter, approach and schedule narrative | Bidmere drafts |
| Team, qualifications and past performance | Bidmere drafts, you approve |
| Price forms | You price, Bidmere checks consistency |
| Bonds, certifications and signatures | You obtain and sign |
| Submission | You submit |
The split keeps the commercial decisions with you and the paperwork off your desk.
Construction bidding services by bid type
Pick your bid type to see what we prepare, what to send and what you get back.
Proposals and qualifications
- RFP proposal writing for construction
- Qualifications packages (RFQ and SOQ)
- Design-build and CMAR proposals
- Federal negotiated proposals (FAR Part 15)
- Prequalification questionnaires
- SF 330 qualifications
- Sources sought responses
Public bids
- Public sealed bids
- Bid writing services for written and sealed bids
- Two-step sealed bidding
- State DOT lettings
- Bid security and surety paperwork
- DBE and small business participation packages
Task-order contracts
Subcontract and change work
- Subcontractor bid proposals
- Bid leveling for general contractors
- Value engineering proposals
- Change order proposals
Service contracts
Bid preparation by owner type
Each owner type buys differently. The forms, scoring and rules change with the owner, so each guide lists the package types that owner uses.
- Federal agencies: SAM.gov notices, FAR-based solicitations, SF 330s and sources sought.
- State transportation departments: lettings, prequalification and DBE goals.
- Municipal owners: sealed bids, local forms and bonding.
- K-12 and higher education: RFQs, CMAR and occupied-campus phasing.
- Healthcare: infection control, phasing and qualifications-based selection.
What is a bid package in construction?
A bid package is everything a bidder submits in response to one solicitation. On a public sealed bid it is usually the signed bid form, bid security, addenda acknowledgments and required affidavits. On an RFP it adds a written technical proposal scored on more than price.
Owners and general contractors also use the term for the documents they send out: the drawings, specs and bid form for one trade or one phase. Bidmere works from that outgoing package and prepares the return package your team signs.
| Bid type | What the return package usually holds |
|---|---|
| Public sealed bid | Bid form, bid bond, addenda acknowledgment, affidavits, subcontractor list |
| RFP or negotiated proposal | Technical proposal, team, past performance, schedule, separate price form |
| RFQ or SOQ | Qualifications, key staff, project list, no price |
| Subcontractor bid to a GC | Scope letter, price, inclusions, exclusions, alternates |
See types of construction bids for how each one is awarded.
Bid preparation for specialty subcontractors
Subcontractors bid to general contractors, and GCs compare scope before price. A clear scope letter often beats a lower number with vague exclusions.
For subs, Bidmere turns your estimate into a subcontractor bid proposal: price, inclusions, exclusions, alternates, qualifications and the addenda you priced. If the GC sends a prequalification form, a prequalification questionnaire package answers it from facts you approve. Need the number first? A single-trade estimate is priced from $195 and arrives in 48 hours.
Bid package preparation, step by step
Every bid package in construction follows the same sequence, so nothing depends on memory at 1 p.m. on bid day. If you are learning how to write a construction proposal or how to write a bid proposal for the first time, this is the order to work in.
- Read the solicitation and addenda. Every page, attachment and form.
- Build the requirements matrix. Each instruction mapped to a section, an owner and a due time.
- Log questions. Unclear scope or conflicting instructions, ready to send before the question deadline.
- Draft the narrative. Approach, schedule, team and past performance from approved facts.
- Organize forms. In the order the owner lists them, with signature points marked.
- Check consistency. Names, prices, dates and addenda numbers match everywhere.
- Final review checklist. Handed to your team for pricing, signatures and submission.
Use the free construction bid preparation checklist for your own bids.
Have a solicitation in hand? Send the RFP or bid documents. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteWhat to send for a bid package quote
A short description gets you a quote. The full list below gets you a faster package.
- The solicitation or bid documents, with every addendum
- Due date, time and submission method
- Bid forms and any owner-required templates
- Project list, key staff and safety information if the owner scores them
- Earlier proposals or boilerplate you want reused
- Your price, or the estimate it comes from
- Bonding and insurance details, if the solicitation asks for them
Files are shared through a secure exchange after scope review, not through the quote form.
Why construction bids get rejected before price is read
A public bid can be rejected as nonresponsive before anyone reads the price. These are the gaps we check in every package.
- Addenda not acknowledged on the bid form.
- Bid bond missing, unsigned or not in the required form or amount.
- Required forms left out, such as non-collusion affidavits or subcontractor lists.
- Unit prices or alternates blank when the bid form asks for them.
- Wrong signer, or a signature without proof of authority.
- Late delivery, or the wrong portal or address.
- Altered bid forms, or conditions written onto the form.
Learn the difference between responsive and responsible bidders.
The lowest bid is not always the most complete
When subcontractor bids arrive, each is checked against the same scope list and laid out in a bid tabulation, a side-by-side bid comparison of every sub on the same lines. Missing scope is flagged, so the general contractor compares like for like. The table below is a fictional example.
A low base bid can leave scope out. Each gap is flagged before you pick a sub, so the cost shows up in your number, not in a change order later. See bid leveling services and the free bid leveling sheet.
How bid preparation makes bid day calmer
Bid day is when late sub numbers, last addenda and signatures all land at once. A package prepared ahead leaves only pricing decisions for the final hours.
With Bidmere, the narrative, forms and checklist are done before bid day. Your team plugs in the final numbers, signs and submits. Use the construction bid day checklist and read how to handle construction bid addenda.
Bid management services vs bid preparation
Bid management services, and the bid management software some teams use, usually cover the full pursuit, from finding commercial construction bids to submitting. Bidmere covers the document side of that work.
| Task | Bidmere | Your team |
|---|---|---|
| Find bid opportunities | No | Yes |
| Requirements matrix and addenda log | Yes | Review |
| Proposal narrative | Yes | Approve |
| Forms and attachments | Organize | Sign |
| Subcontractor outreach | No | Yes |
| Bid leveling | Yes | Choose the sub |
| Estimate and quantities | Separate service | Set final price |
| Bonds and submission | No | Yes |
Looking for projects to bid? See construction bid sites. Need the number too? See construction estimating services.
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Scope item | Bid A | Bid B | Bid C | Bid D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal stud framing | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Gypsum board | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Level 4 finish | Included | Included | Gap | Included |
| Acoustical ceilings | Included | Included | Included | Gap |
| Firestopping | Gap | Gap | Gap | Included |
| Blocking and backing | Gap | Included | Included | Included |
| Cleanup and debris removal | Gap | Included | Included | Included |
| Scope covered | 4 of 7 | 6 of 7 | 5 of 7 | 6 of 7 |
Fictional example: drywall and finishes bid leveling across five subcontractor bids
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will a missed form disqualify us?
That is the risk a requirements matrix removes. Every form and signature point is listed and checked before the package reaches you.
Who sets the price?
You do. We organize the price forms and check they match the narrative. The number is yours.
Can you work with our past proposals?
Yes. Send earlier proposals and boilerplate. We reuse what is accurate and flag what is out of date.
Who submits?
Your authorized signer. Bidmere does not sign, submit or contact the owner for you.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What are bid preparation services?
Bid preparation services turn a solicitation into a complete package your team can review, sign and submit. Bidmere reads the documents and addenda, lists every requirement, drafts the proposal sections, organizes the forms and attachments and checks the package against the instructions. Your team supplies the price and approved facts, signs and submits.
How much do construction bidding services cost?
Bidmere bid and proposal packages are priced from $1,950. Federal proposals are priced from $6,950, SF 330 qualifications are from $3,950 and capability statements are $649. Smaller tasks such as bid leveling or a subcontractor proposal are quoted to the work. Every job gets a fixed quote within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept.
How fast can you prepare a bid package?
Bid packages are ready in 5 business days, counted from your accepted quote and complete documents. You get a fixed quote or our questions within 2 business hours of your request. Send the due date with your first message. If the bid is due sooner, the quote says what can be done before the deadline.
Do you write the proposal or only organize the forms?
Both, as agreed in the quote. We draft narrative sections such as the approach, schedule narrative, team and past performance from facts you approve. We also organize the bid forms, attachments, certifications and checklists. Your team sets the price, signs the forms and submits. You choose the mix of writing and organizing per bid.
Is an estimate included in a bid package?
Not by default. Bid preparation organizes your approved pricing. Measuring quantities and building a cost estimate is a separate service, with single-trade estimates from $195. Tell us if you need both. The estimate and package are scheduled together, and overlapping work is not charged twice.
What is bid management, and do you do it?
Bid management covers the whole pursuit: finding the bid, inviting subcontractors, tracking addenda, leveling sub bids, building the number and submitting. Bidmere handles the document side: requirements, drafting, forms, addenda tracking and bid leveling. Your team runs sub outreach, sets the final price and submits. We do not find bids for you.
Will Bidmere sign or submit my bid?
No. Your team approves the facts, prices and commitments, obtains any required bonds, signs the forms and makes the final submission. Bidmere prepares material for your review and gives you a final checklist. We also do not attend bid openings or guarantee an award. Responsibility for the bid stays with the bidder, as owners expect.
What should I check on bid day?
Check that every addendum is acknowledged, every required form is signed, the bid bond matches the bid amount rules, the price form is complete and the delivery method and time are confirmed. Late changes from subcontractors are the most common risk. Our bid day checklist and the final review checklist in every package cover these items.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.