b'FROM OUR PRESIDENTTenders: Troubles, Tips and TricksI have been with WCA for 24 years now, and over the past decade or so Ive noticed a steady erosion of industry standard tender practices, mostly on the part of public owners and their consultants. Our industry is heavily reliant on competitive pricing and open and fair biddingmaking this a real concern. On page 36, youll find a piece highlighting the importance of transparent and timely tender and award information, as well as an article on page 32 exploring the notion of rejecting Contract A. These are just two warning signs our system is in trouble. At WCA, we routinely have conversations with consultants and owners who are concerned their projects are not getting enough exposure and not receiving competitive bids. There can be several factors at play here: remoteness of the work or shortage of workers, but sometimes its related to the way in which bids have been handled in the past. If you are an owner or consultant and are about to take a project to tender, here are some tips that might help: Include a budget number with the tender. Everyone knows the budget existsadd it to the tender. Contractors will look atpackages that are within their wheelhouse and by providing that info you are assisting them in determining their level of interest. Despite what owners and consultants think, the existence of a published budget does not cause a contractor to bid tothat number.Publish the tender results the day of the tender close (or within 24 hours). Insist your consultants do thisWCA will publish these immediately when provided. Published results in no way obligate you to accept any or the lowest bid. (Your privilege clause deals with this.) The early results provide assurances to the contractors that you have received their bid, tells them roughly where they stand and provides assurances that a fair process is being followed. It allows a contractor (and their subs) to determine they may not be successful and allows them to move on if thats the case. Contractors do have bonding limits and need to stay within them, which can be hard to do if they are unsure of the bid results. Keep the bid validation / irrevocability period as short as possible to ensure competitive bids and best value. We learned this lesson during COVID-19. The supply chain is more stable today, but suppliers cant hold prices indefinitely.Publish the award information. People talk, and rumours will abound until you publish the resultsthis ensures your credibilityand transparency in the process. Its also a requirement of the trade agreements.One other tip: WCA hosts a Bid Calendar on its website at winnipegconstruction.ca/bid-calendar. This clever little app tells you what is bidding each day. Pick a quiet day for a tender closing or a tender extension.There is no question our industry has its challenges. Lets not compound these with tender-related issues that are relatively easyto address.Ron Hambley6 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca'