About / James DeGreef

James DeGreef

Founder of CrewBid

James built CrewBid to gather BC’s public service tenders in one place and explain each one in plain language, so small crews can find the work larger firms pay estimators to watch.

How the guides are checked

Every guide and article is written and fact-checked by a person against the official sources it links to: provincial and federal procurement pages, BC Laws, WorkSafeBC and the buyers' own documents. Each one shows the date its facts were last checked. We may use an open-source AI model to help outline or proofread, but a person reads and checks every line before it's published. Spot something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

Guides by James DeGreef (36)

• Federal contracts in BC: how Ottawa buys locally By buyer type · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How BC municipalities and regional districts buy services By buyer type · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How BC school districts buy maintenance and services By buyer type · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How standing offers and pre-qualified supplier lists work Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to ask questions during a tender and handle addenda Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to build a safety program for a small crew in BC Requirements and paperwork · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to find and bid on public tenders in Alberta from BC Alberta · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to get a debrief after losing a public bid Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to get bonded for public contracts in BC Requirements and paperwork · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to get COR safety certification in BC Requirements and paperwork · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to price a multi-year public service contract Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to read a tender in an hour and build a compliance checklist Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to read the insurance clause in a BC tender Requirements and paperwork · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to register on BC Bid as a supplier Registering on portals · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to register on CanadaBuys and bid on federal contracts Registering on portals · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to sell to BC health authorities By buyer type · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to show references and experience in a public tender Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win government contracts in BC as a small trade business Getting started · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win HVAC maintenance contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win IT, web and software contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win janitorial and custodial contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win landscaping and grounds maintenance contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win municipal snow removal contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win pest control contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win roofing contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win security and patrol contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to win window washing contracts in BC By trade · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to write an RFP proposal that scores well Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Should you bid? A bid or no-bid checklist for small crews Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Subcontracting on public contracts: the side door into public work Pricing and writing the bid · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Tender words in plain English: RFQ, RFP, ITT and more Getting started · facts checked October 24, 2026
• The paperwork BC public buyers ask for Requirements and paperwork · facts checked October 24, 2026
• What being prime contractor means on a BC public job Requirements and paperwork · facts checked October 24, 2026
• When BC public buyers have to post a tender (and why you don't see small jobs) Getting started · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Where BC public tenders are posted, and which ones to watch Registering on portals · facts checked October 24, 2026
• WorkSafeBC coverage for contractors bidding on public work Requirements and paperwork · facts checked October 24, 2026

Articles by James DeGreef (38)

• BC's Construction Prompt Payment Act, and what changes when it starts Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Build a bid library once, answer tenders in hours Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Change orders and extra work on public contracts Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Contract A: the Canadian tender law every bidder should know How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Direct awards, ACANs and notices of intent explained How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Does the lowest bid always win? Not quite Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Getting paid on public contracts: cash flow, holdbacks and late invoices Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Green and low-carbon requirements in public tenders Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Hiring for a contract you just won Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How public buyers check your references Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to keep a public contract when it comes up for renewal Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• How to read award notices and bid results Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Indigenous procurement: the federal 5 percent target and what it means in BC Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Inside the evaluation room: how public bids are scored How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Mandatory site meetings, and why missing one ends your bid Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Nine ways good bids get thrown out Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Public versus private work: the honest trade-offs Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Should you buy equipment to win a public contract? Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Social value in BC tenders: living wages, local hiring and community benefits Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Stacking seasonal contracts into year-round work Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• The one-page executive summary that wins proposals Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• The records that protect you on a public contract Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• The shift to e-bidding and open procurement data Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• The unit-rate trap in public tenders Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Using AI to read tenders without getting burned Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• What a public buyer is actually worried about How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• What the federal Buy Canadian policy means for small contractors Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• When only one firm bids on a public contract Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• When you win a contract, do you inherit the workers? BC's retendering rules Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Where small crews beat big firms on public contracts Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Who's who in BC public buying, from cities to Crowns How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Why Alberta is open to BC crews: the New West Partnership Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Why BC tenders bunch up: the public budget calendar How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Why public tenders get cancelled, and what to do about it How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Why the best public contracts come back every few years How public buying works · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Working for First Nations as buyers Trends and changes · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Working in more than one town? Mobile business licences in BC Running a crew that bids · facts checked October 24, 2026
• Your first public contract: what the first year really looks like Winning more bids · facts checked October 24, 2026