Bid Express: MoDOT is requiring that contractors must have an active account with a private company, Bid Express, in order to submit their bids via the Internet. Part of the system established by Bid Express requires bidders to obtain a digital ID in order to electronically sign their bids.
Previous policy: In June 2010, MoDOT rejected a bid as non-responsive because it was not submitted electronically. At the time, their policy was that electronic bidding was required for bids of $250,000 or more. Click here to read my June 8, 2010 blog entry from 2010 and my blog from July 1, 2010 on the subject.
Washington state: The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) adopted electronic bidding in the fall of 2009. Click here to read my blog entry.
Challenges for small businesses: As electronic bidding gains more popularity in the years ahead, it will present unique challenges to small contractors without the technological savvy to navigate through this latest development. Unless public agencies provide sufficient training and restrict electronic bidding to larger projects, public agencies may experience a decrease in bids received, potentially increasing prices to the public.
Mike Purdy's Public Contracting Blog
© 2013 by Michael E. Purdy Associates, LLC
http://PublicContracting.blogspot.com
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1 comment:
Submitting proposals/bids electronically is here to stay. We facilitate pre-bid meetings via webinar. Early on we offered Gov Agencies the opportunity to accept proposals electronically on a RFP by RFP basis at the expense of the proposer. We never came across an interested contractor that was not elated at the prospect of not having to deal with printing, reprinting, binding, delivery, etc. Most, if not all of the e-procurement systems have easy to follow instructions on how to submit documents. If there was ever a question I found someone was always available to provide assistance. Everyone needs to work smarter, more efficinetly and have equal opportunity to offer Public Agnecies the best products/services for the most competitive fee. This can best be accomplished by taking advantage of the electronic solutions available through pre-bid meetings via webinar and the ability to submit proposals electronically.
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