A construction solicitation is the owner's formal request for bids or proposals. Reading it correctly is as important as pricing it: a low number in a non-compliant package is still rejected. This guide explains the common solicitation types, the documents inside them and how to respond so your bid is both competitive and responsive.
Types of solicitations
- Invitation for Bid (IFB) / Invitation to Bid (ITB): sealed, price-based competition. Award generally goes to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
- Request for Proposal (RFP): evaluates qualifications, approach, schedule and price against stated criteria; used for design-build, CM at-risk and complex projects.
- Request for Qualifications (RFQ): shortlists firms before a price or proposal stage.
- Request for Quotation: a simpler price request, often for smaller scopes or materials.
What is inside the bid package
- Notice or Invitation to Bid: project description, bid date and location, pre-bid meeting, estimated cost range.
- Instructions to Bidders: how bids must be prepared, submitted, withdrawn and evaluated; bid security; bid validity period.
- Bid form: base bid, alternates, unit prices, allowances, addendum acknowledgments, subcontractor listing.
- Agreement, general conditions and supplementary conditions: payment, change orders, retainage, liquidated damages, insurance and bonds.
- Division 01 – General Requirements: submittals, schedules, temporary facilities, quality control and closeout.
- Drawings and specifications (Divisions 02–48): the technical scope, organized by CSI MasterFormat.
- Wage determinations or labor provisions: prevailing-wage rates when applicable.
Responsive and responsible
A responsive bid conforms to the solicitation: correct forms, complete pricing, acknowledged addenda, required security and signatures. A responsible bidder has the capacity, experience, licensing, bonding and financial strength to perform. Common rejection reasons include missing addendum acknowledgments, blank unit-price lines, unsigned forms, missing bid bonds and late delivery.
Read in this order
- Instructions to Bidders and bid form — they define compliance.
- Supplementary conditions and Division 01 — they define obligations and costs.
- Specifications for your trades — products, standards, testing and submittals.
- Drawings — quantities, details and interfaces.
- Addenda — they override everything issued earlier.
Bonds, insurance and security
Solicitations often require bid security — commonly a bid bond or certified check expressed as a percentage of the bid — and performance and payment bonds on award, plus specific insurance limits. Confirm these before committing to a bid so you are not surprised on award day.
Alternates, allowances and unit prices on the bid form
Price every line the form lists. Alternates can change the low bidder, allowances must be carried at the stated amount and unit prices should be supported by your cost build-up, because they may be used later to adjust the contract.
Prevailing wage and public work
Public work frequently carries prevailing-wage obligations; federally funded construction is covered by Davis-Bacon and related acts. Read the wage determination attached to the solicitation, price labor on those rates and plan for payroll reporting. See our article on prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon for estimators and our public bid estimating service.
A simple compliance matrix
List every requirement in the solicitation in a table: requirement, source (document and page), owner, due date and status. Typical rows include the bid form, addendum acknowledgments, bid security, license and registration, insurance certificates, subcontractor list, wage certifications and delivery instructions. Review the matrix twice — once when you start and once before submission.
Evaluation criteria in RFPs
RFPs publish evaluation criteria and weights — for example price, qualifications, schedule and approach. Respond to each criterion explicitly and in the order given, support claims with relevant project examples and keep the pricing consistent with the technical approach.
Respond with confidence
Build a compliance matrix from the solicitation — every required item with an owner and a due date — and tick it off before submission. Upload your solicitation documents and Bid Sharp will prepare the takeoff, pricing and bid-form support.
Have a bid coming up?
Upload your plans and bid date. We reply with scope, price and turnaround.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an IFB and an RFP?
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An IFB (or ITB) is a sealed, price-based competition awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. An RFP evaluates qualifications, approach and price against stated criteria and may allow negotiation.
What makes a bid non-responsive?
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Common causes are missing addendum acknowledgments, incomplete bid forms, missing bid security, unsigned documents and late delivery.
What does responsible bidder mean?
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A responsible bidder has the capacity, experience, licenses, bonding and financial ability to perform the work.
Written by the Bid Sharp Estimating Team
Bid Sharp provides construction estimating, quantity takeoff, structural and permit drawings, shop drawings and scheduling for contractors across the United States. This article is general information, not legal or engineering advice.
