Why the best public contracts come back every few years

Most of the public work a small crew wants isn't new. The city has needed its rec centre cleaned for decades. The school district plows the same parking lots every winter. The contract for that work has a start date, an end date, and maybe a couple of optional extensions, and when it runs out, the buyer generally has to compete it again. That cycle is the most predictable thing in public procurement.

Why do buyers re-tender instead of just renewing?

Trade agreements and purchasing policies require buyers to compete contracts above certain values openly, and a contract can't be extended forever without going back to market. Contracts typically run two to five years, often written as "three years plus two optional one-year extensions". When the last option is used up, the work goes back out to tender.

Buyers also re-tender to check they're still getting a good price, to change the scope, or because they weren't happy with the current contractor.

The share of recurring or multi-year bids above is from CrewBid's own data for BC over the last 12 months.

Why is this good for a small crew?

Because you can see it coming. A brand-new tender gives you two or three weeks to read, price and write. A contract you've been tracking gives you months to:

• Get your paperwork in order: COR, insurance limits, the equipment the last tender asked for.
• Learn the work: visit the sites (where the public can), read the last tender's scope and pricing form, and read the award report to council.
• Learn the price: award notices, council reports and contract histories often show what the work went for.
• Get known: introduce yourself to the department in the quiet months, not during the tender when contact is restricted.

How do I find out when a contract ends?

• Read the old tender. It states the term and extension options. Add them to the start date.
• Read award notices and council or board reports, which often state the value and term.
• Ask. Purchasing departments will often tell you when a contract expires; it's not a secret.
• Use CrewBid's renewal calendar. It estimates when contracts we've seen before are likely to come back out, by trade and area. How renewals work explains the estimate.

When will it come back?

Usually a few months before the current contract ends, and often at the same time of year as last time, because the same budget and season drive it. Snow contracts come back before winter; grounds contracts before spring. Why BC tenders bunch up explains the timing.

What about the incumbent?

The current contractor knows the sites and the buyer. That's an advantage, but not a lock. Buyers have to evaluate every compliant bid by the published criteria, and incumbents sometimes get comfortable on price or service. A newcomer with a sharp price and a specific plan can beat them. Your debrief from last time, if you bid, tells you how close you were.

One BC-specific wrinkle: for some retendered services, such as building cleaning and security, union rights can transfer to the new contractor. See do you inherit the workers?

Lost a bid? Put it in the calendar

The contract you lost this year is the best lead you'll get for the next round. Note the term, the winner, the price if published, and what the debrief said. Then set a reminder for six months before it ends.