When only one firm bids on a public contract

Look through enough public bid results and you notice a pattern. Some tenders draw fifteen bids. Others, often in the same town and trade, draw one. That single bid is usually from the firm that already does the work.

For buyers, a single bid is a worry, because they cannot show they got a fair market price. For small firms, it is one of the clearest signs of opportunity in public work.

Why does it happen?

Nobody saw it. Public opportunities are spread across BC Bid, CanadaBuys, municipal websites and several commercial portals. A small town might post only on its own site. Plenty of capable firms simply never knew. See where BC tenders are posted.

Bad timing. A landscaping tender closing in May, when every landscaper is flat out. A snow tender in August, when nobody is thinking about snow. Public buyers do not always time things well.

It looks locked up. When the same firm has done the work for ten years, others assume the buyer will keep them, so they do not try. Sometimes the incumbent believes it too, and their price creeps up.

Odd scope. A bundle of unrelated work, a remote site, a short term that does not justify buying equipment, or a requirement only one firm meets.

Too much paperwork for the size. A $40,000 contract with a 60-page RFP scares off small firms who would do the work well.

What does the buyer do with one bid?

It depends on the buyer's policy and the tender's terms:

• Award it, if the bid is compliant and the price is reasonable. Many do.
• Negotiate, if the tender allows it and their policy permits. Some buyers can negotiate with a sole compliant bidder on price or scope.
• Cancel and reissue, perhaps with a longer posting period, a changed scope or better advertising. See why tenders get cancelled.

Many buyers track bids per competition, and some will quietly ask firms why they did not bid. If a buyer calls you after a single-bid tender, take the call. It is market research, and it puts you on their radar.

How do I find these contracts?

1. Read bid results. Many buyers publish who bid and at what price. A trade and area with one or two bidders on each result is a soft market. See reading award notices and bid results.
2. Watch the quiet portals. Town websites and small regional districts get less attention than BC Bid.
3. Track renewals. Single-bid contracts come back on the same cycle. CrewBid's renewals page shows contracts that are likely to come back.
4. Set alerts wide enough. Include neighbouring areas you could serve if the work was worth it.

How do I win one?

• Bid properly, even if small. A second compliant bid from a credible firm is often enough to change the result, especially if the incumbent's price has drifted up.
• Ask questions during the posting. It shows interest and sometimes fixes the odd scope that kept others away. See asking questions and reading addenda.
• Price from your own costs, not from what the incumbent got last time. Last time's price can be a useful ceiling but a poor guide.
• Show you can take over smoothly. Buyers worry about change. A clear start-up plan calms them.

A word on fairness

Buyers want competition. It protects them from audit findings and higher prices. Firms that show up for these overlooked contracts are doing the buyer a favour, and many buyers remember it. Bidding on the quiet ones is a fair, practical way for a small crew to win against bigger firms. Read why small crews beat big firms.