Bid package: sealed bid
Public sealed bid preparation, checked before opening
We organize the bid form, addenda and required documents for your public construction bid, so nothing makes it nonresponsive at opening.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price agreed before any work starts
- Plan review is free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- Bid packages in 5 business days
- Your facts, your prices, your signature
Key dates
- Solicitation issuedDay 0
- Pre-bid meetingDay 6
- Questions dueDay 13
- Addendum 1Day 16
- Addendum 2Day 20
- Bid due and openingDay 27
Bidmere prepares
- Requirements matrixDay 1 to day 4
- Drafting and form set-upDay 4 to day 20
- Addenda check, review setDay 20 to day 24
Bidder decides and submits
- Facts and questionsDay 2 to day 13
- Approvals and pricingDay 21 to day 26
- Sign, bond, submitDay 26 to day 27
Quick answer
Public sealed bid preparation from Bidmere organizes the forms and attachments for general contractors and subcontractors bidding public works. You get a bid form workbook for base bid, alternates and unit prices, an addenda log, a required documents checklist and a pre-opening review list. Packages are priced from $1,950 and ready in 5 business days.
What does public sealed bid preparation include?
It includes everything the bid form and instructions require, organized so your signer can check it in one pass.
- Bid form workbook: base bid, alternates and unit prices organized to match the bid form lines
- Addenda log: each addendum with what it changed and where to acknowledge it
- Required documents checklist: forms, certifications, bid security and signatures, each with an owner
- Pre-opening review list: signatures, acknowledgments, envelope marking or portal upload and the deadline
Looking for outside help with sealed bids in general? See bid writing services.
How are public sealed bids awarded?
Sealed bids are opened publicly and awarded on price and price-related factors among conforming bids from responsible bidders. A low bid that is not responsive does not win.
On federal sealed bids, a bid must comply in all material respects with the invitation, and bidders must acknowledge each amendment by the time set for receipt. Federal construction typically uses Standard Form 1442. State and local owners follow their own statutes, which the solicitation names.
What does a sealed bid schedule look like?
Fictional example: a 27-day invented solicitation.
- Day 0: solicitation issued. We build the requirements matrix by day 4.
- Day 6: pre-bid meeting. Your team attends; we log any changes it produces.
- Day 13: questions due. We list open questions for your team to send.
- Days 16 and 20: addenda issued. We log each and mark affected bid form lines.
- Days 21 to 26: your team approves pricing; we run the review set.
- Day 27: you sign, bond and submit before opening.
What makes a sealed bid nonresponsive?
Most rejections come from paperwork, not price.
- An addendum not acknowledged where the bid form asks
- Bid security missing, in the wrong form or the wrong amount
- Unit price items on the bid form that do not match the plans
- An addendum that changed quantities after your estimate was priced
- A missing signature or certification
- Unclear delivery method: sealed envelope, portal or both
Not included: bonds, signing, delivering or uploading the bid, and legal review.
Have the 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 quoteHow should the bid form workbook be organized?
One row per bid form line, in the bid form’s order, with the source of each number. That way an addendum that changes a line shows exactly what to reprice. Fictional example below.
What should you send?
- The invitation for bids and bid form, such as SF 1442 on federal construction
- All addenda
- Your estimate, or the quantities and rates to price it
- Company information your authorized signer will certify
- The bond and insurance requirements in the solicitation
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Bid form line | Description | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base bid | All work per plans and specs | Your estimate total | Awaiting your approval |
| Alternate 1 | Add: canopy at entry | Estimate, alt tab | Priced |
| Alternate 2 | Deduct: VCT for LVT | Estimate, alt tab | Repriced after Addendum 2 |
| Unit price 1 | Rock excavation, per CY | Your unit rate | Open question: quantity basis |
Fictional example: bid form workbook rows for an invented public building
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Who is responsible for the final submission?
Your company. We prepare and check. Your authorized signer approves, signs and submits.
What if our deadline is close?
Send the due date with your request. We confirm what can be delivered before you accept, or we tell you the scope needs to shrink.
What if the quote is more than we expected?
You see the fixed price before any work starts and pay nothing unless you accept it. You can also narrow the scope to selected sections.
We need the estimate too. Is that included?
Estimating is scoped separately. Send both needs together and overlapping work is not charged twice.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does public sealed bid preparation cost?
Each job gets a fixed price after we read the documents. Substantial bid and proposal packages are priced from $1,950. Smaller tasks are quoted to the work involved. A short bid form with few attachments can cost less. The quote arrives within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept the price and delivery date.
How fast can you turn it around?
We reply with a fixed quote or our questions within 2 business hours. Substantial sealed bid packages are ready in 5 business days from your accepted quote and complete documents. Tell us your due date and your internal review date. If the time left cannot support the work and your review, we say so before you accept.
What happens if an addendum is not acknowledged?
On federal sealed bids, bidders must acknowledge each amendment by the time and place set for receipt of bids, and a bid must comply in all material respects to be considered. We list every addendum and where to acknowledge it, and your team signs the acknowledgments.
Who provides the bid bond?
Your company does, through its surety. Bid security assures the owner that you will not withdraw the bid during the acceptance period and will sign the contract and furnish required bonds. Bidmere does not provide, quote or place bonds or insurance. We list the requirements for your surety.
Can you price the bid as well?
Yes, through our estimating service, quoted separately. We measure quantities and price them at your rates, then carry the totals into the bid form workbook. Your team sets markup and the final number. Overlapping work between the estimate and the package is not charged twice.
What is the difference between responsive and responsible?
A responsive bid conforms to the invitation in all material respects. A responsible bidder can actually perform, based on capacity, finances, integrity and record. A bid can fail either test, and owners check both before award. Our guide on responsive and responsible bidders explains each.
What do you need from us?
The invitation for bids, bid form, all addenda, your estimate or pricing inputs, and the bond and insurance requirements. Your authorized signer approves the numbers, signs the forms and submits the bid before the deadline. We do not deliver or upload bids.
How do you handle confidential documents?
Start with a short, non-confidential description in the quote form. The form takes text only, with no uploads and no payment. If the job needs your plans, financials or pricing, we arrange a secure document exchange after scope review. Leave private rates and personal data out of the first message.
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.