Articles
The why behind public work in BC: how buyers plan and spend, what the law says about tenders, why some bids win, and how crews that live on contracts run their business. For step-by-step how-tos, see the guides.
Latest
- Trends and changes BC's Construction Prompt Payment Act, and what changes when it starts BC passed a construction prompt payment law in 2025 that is not yet in force. Its payment timelines, adjudication, and how contractors can prepare now. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Running a crew that bids Build a bid library once, answer tenders in hours A bid library of reusable answers, documents and project write-ups turns a three-day tender into a one-day job. What to put in it and how to keep it current. 2 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Running a crew that bids Change orders and extra work on public contracts How extra work gets approved and paid on public contracts, why verbal requests are risky, and a simple process to price, confirm and invoice changes. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
How public buying works
Why buyers do what they do, from budgets to tender law.
- Contract A: the Canadian tender law every bidder should know Ron Engineering, M.J.B., Martel and Tercon: the Supreme Court of Canada cases behind public tendering, and what they mean for a small contractor's bid. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Direct awards, ACANs and notices of intent explained How public buyers in Canada award contracts without a full competition, what an ACAN or notice of intent is, and how a supplier can challenge one in time. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Inside the evaluation room: how public bids are scored Who evaluates public RFPs, how scoring sheets and consensus work, how price is turned into points, and what that means for how you write and price a bid. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- What a public buyer is actually worried about Behind every tender is a buyer managing risk: complaints, audits, council, safety and service failures. Understand their worries and your bid answers them. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Who's who in BC public buying, from cities to Crowns The many public buyers in BC, from municipalities and school districts to Crown corporations and federal departments, and what each buys from small firms. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Why BC tenders bunch up: the public budget calendar Municipal, school district, provincial and federal budget years shape when BC public service tenders are posted. Here's the calendar and how to plan around it. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Why public tenders get cancelled, and what to do about it The common reasons BC public buyers cancel tenders after bids come in, what your rights are, and how to protect your time when a competition falls apart. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Why the best public contracts come back every few years Most public service contracts run for a fixed term and are re-tendered. How to spot them, when they come back, and why the lost bid is your best lead. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
Winning more bids
What separates the bids that win from the ones that don’t.
- Does the lowest bid always win? Not quite When price alone decides a public contract, when it doesn't, how price is weighed against quality in RFPs, and why bidding too low is its own risk. 2 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- How public buyers check your references What happens when a public buyer calls your references, the questions they usually ask, how answers are scored, and how to make sure your references help you. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- How to read award notices and bid results What public bid results and award notices tell you, where to find them in BC and federally, and how to turn competitors' prices into better bids. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Mandatory site meetings, and why missing one ends your bid Why public buyers hold mandatory site meetings, what happens if you miss one, and how to use the visit to price better and learn about the competition. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Nine ways good bids get thrown out Late uploads, missing addenda, unsigned forms, wrong bid security and other avoidable mistakes that disqualify public bids before anyone reads the price. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- The one-page executive summary that wins proposals Why the first page of a public proposal matters so much, what a strong one-page summary includes, and a simple structure any small firm can reuse. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- The unit-rate trap in public tenders How estimated quantities and unit prices decide many public tenders, why a low headline price can still lose, and how to price unit rates safely. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- When only one firm bids on a public contract Why some BC public tenders get a single bid, what buyers do about it, and why those quiet contracts are some of the best chances a small crew gets. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Where small crews beat big firms on public contracts Small trade businesses have real advantages in public bidding: local presence, owner attention, flexibility and lower overhead. Here's how to use them. 2 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Your first public contract: what the first year really looks like From award letter to first invoice to year-one review: what changes when a small crew wins its first public contract, and how to make it lead to the next one. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
Running a crew that bids
Cash, people and systems for a business that lives on contracts.
- Build a bid library once, answer tenders in hours A bid library of reusable answers, documents and project write-ups turns a three-day tender into a one-day job. What to put in it and how to keep it current. 2 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Change orders and extra work on public contracts How extra work gets approved and paid on public contracts, why verbal requests are risky, and a simple process to price, confirm and invoice changes. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Getting paid on public contracts: cash flow, holdbacks and late invoices How public buyers pay contractors in BC: purchase orders, invoice approval, 30-day federal payment, Builders Lien Act holdbacks, and cash for a new contract. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Hiring for a contract you just won How small BC contractors staff up after winning a public contract, from timing and wages to successorship, screening, onboarding and keeping people. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- How to keep a public contract when it comes up for renewal How extension options and performance reviews work on public service contracts, what buyers weigh at renewal, and how incumbents keep the work. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Public versus private work: the honest trade-offs Public contracts offer steady multi-year work, reliable payment and open competition, but more paperwork, fixed prices and strict rules. How to decide your mix. 2 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Should you buy equipment to win a public contract? How to decide whether to buy, lease or rent equipment for a public contract, how to price it into a bid, and what happens if the contract ends early. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Stacking seasonal contracts into year-round work How BC trades pair summer and winter public contracts, like grounds and snow, to keep crews and equipment busy all year, and what to watch when they overlap. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- The records that protect you on a public contract What records to keep on a public contract, from daily logs and photos to emails and timesheets, and how good paperwork protects your pay and renewals. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- When you win a contract, do you inherit the workers? BC's retendering rules Since 2019, BC's Labour Relations Code can carry union rights over to a new contractor when cleaning, security and some other service contracts are retendered. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Working in more than one town? Mobile business licences in BC How BC mobile business licences let contractors work in several towns with one licence, which regions have them, and when you need a local one. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
Trends and changes
Social value, Indigenous procurement, AI and Alberta.
- BC's Construction Prompt Payment Act, and what changes when it starts BC passed a construction prompt payment law in 2025 that is not yet in force. Its payment timelines, adjudication, and how contractors can prepare now. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Green and low-carbon requirements in public tenders How climate goals show up in BC and Canadian public tenders, what buyers ask small contractors for, and how to answer without greenwashing. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Indigenous procurement: the federal 5 percent target and what it means in BC The federal government's 5 percent Indigenous procurement target, set-asides under PSIB, the Indigenous Business Directory, and what it means for BC trades. 2 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Social value in BC tenders: living wages, local hiring and community benefits More BC public buyers weigh social and environmental value alongside price. What social procurement is, how it shows up in tenders, and how small crews score. 2 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- The shift to e-bidding and open procurement data How public bidding moved from sealed envelopes to online portals and open data, what it changes for small contractors, and how to avoid e-bid mistakes. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Using AI to read tenders without getting burned AI tools can summarize long tenders and draft answers fast. How small crews can use them safely: confidentiality, checking facts, and a person in charge. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- What the federal Buy Canadian policy means for small contractors The federal Buy Canadian policy in force since December 2025: which contracts it covers, how it scores Canadian content, and what it means for small trades. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Why Alberta is open to BC crews: the New West Partnership The New West Partnership Trade Agreement lets BC suppliers bid on Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba public work on equal terms. What it covers and its limits. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
- Working for First Nations as buyers How First Nations governments and their organisations buy construction, maintenance and services in BC and Alberta, and how contractors can be good partners. 3 min read · Published October 24, 2026
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