What happens in the bid stage?

The bidding of a public building project is a highly regulated process under Massachusetts law. Contracts for construction must be awarded to the lowest responsible and eligible bidder based on a fair and competitive solicitation of bids.

The following steps apply to the bid stage of a M.G.L. c. 149 public building project estimated to cost $10 million or more. Further information about these steps can be found in the latest edition of Designing and Constructing Public Facilities, a manual published by the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General.

Step 1: Establish a Prequalification Committee.

Step 2: Advertise a request for qualifications (RFQ).

Step 3: Receive statements of qualifications from general contractors and subcontractors.

Step 4: Evaluate and prequalify general contractors and subcontractors.

Step 5: Notify prequalification applicants. Publish a public notice of all prequalified general contractors and subcontractors.

Step 6: Solicit general bids and filed sub-bids from prequalified general contractors and subcontractors.

Step 7: Receive and open filed sub-bids from prequalified subcontractors. Distribute the sub-bid tabulation sheet to prequalified general contractors.

Step 8: Receive and open general bids from prequalified general contractors. Award the project to the lowest responsible and eligible bidder.

Formal bidding for the New Tufts Library Project began November 1, 2018 with the release of an Invitation for Bids (IFB) (Step 6 above). Find the bid documents here.

The New Tufts Library Project will be awarded to the “lowest responsible and eligible bidder.” In this context, a responsible bidder is defined by M.G.L. c. 149 as a general contractor who “possess[es] the skill, ability and integrity necessary to faithfully perform the work called for by a particular contract, based upon a determination of competent workmanship and financial soundness.” An eligible bidder, meanwhile, is defined as a general contractor who is not only prequalified to bid on the project, but who further meets all statutory requirements and whose bid conforms in all respects to the requirements of the IFB.