# How to win government contracts in BC as a small trade business > Public buyers in BC post service contracts on BC Bid, CanadaBuys and their own portals. To win one, register on the portals your buyers use, have WorkSafeBC coverage and liability insurance in place, read every mandatory requirement, price the whole term, and submit before the closing time. Most small-crew wins are local, multi-year maintenance contracts. By James DeGreef. Updated 2026-10-24. Facts checked 2026-10-24. Source page: https://crewbid.tech/guides/win-government-contracts-bc Cities, regional districts, school districts, health authorities, BC Housing, universities and federal sites all hire outside crews for cleaning, grounds, snow, building maintenance and repairs. A lot of that work is on contracts of two to five years, which is steady work if you win it. The bidding process looks intimidating from outside, but it follows the same pattern almost every time. ## Where are BC public contracts posted? There isn't one site. The main places are: - **BC Bid**, the provincial portal. Ministries and many other public bodies post here, and anyone can browse without an account. See [how to register on BC Bid](https://crewbid.tech/guides/register-on-bc-bid). - **CanadaBuys**, for federal buyers: RCMP detachments, ports, parks, military bases and federal offices in BC. - **Bonfire, bids&tenders and MERX**, which many municipalities, school districts and health authorities use for their own postings. - **Buyers' own websites**, especially smaller towns and regional districts, which often post a PDF on a "bids and tenders" page. Smaller jobs often never get posted publicly. Buyers can invite a few quotes instead, which is why it pays to be known to the buyers near you. [When BC buyers have to post a tender](https://crewbid.tech/guides/public-tender-thresholds-bc) explains where that line is. CrewBid reads these sources every day and emails you the ones that match your trade and area, so you don't have to check each portal. [See what we read](https://crewbid.tech/sources). _Live bid numbers for this topic are on the web page: https://crewbid.tech/guides/win-government-contracts-bc_ ## What do I need before I can bid? Sort these out before you find the perfect contract, because some take weeks: 1. **A registered business** with its legal name, the name you will put on every bid. 2. **WorkSafeBC coverage.** Almost every BC service contract asks for proof that you are registered and in good standing, usually as a clearance letter. 3. **Commercial general liability insurance.** Buyers name the amount in each tender, and $2 million to $5 million is often asked for on municipal service work. 4. **Accounts on the portals your buyers use**, starting with BC Bid (it needs a Business BCeID) and CanadaBuys if you want federal work. 5. **References**: two or three past clients who will vouch for similar work. Private-sector clients count. [The paperwork buyers ask for](https://crewbid.tech/guides/paperwork-public-contracts-bc) covers each of these in detail, plus safety certification and bonds. ## How do public buyers choose a winner? It depends on the type of call: - **Request for quotation (RFQ) or invitation to tender (ITT):** the lowest price that meets every mandatory requirement usually wins. Price is almost everything, but one missed form can disqualify you. - **Request for proposals (RFP):** proposals are scored against published criteria, such as experience, method, staffing, safety and price. Price is only part of the score, and the document says how much it counts, so a well-written proposal can beat a cheaper one. The tender document always says which it is and how it will be evaluated. Read the evaluation section before you write a word. [Tender words in plain English](https://crewbid.tech/guides/tender-terms-glossary) explains the terms you will see. ## How do I read a tender without missing something? Read it once end to end, then go back and list: - **The closing date and time.** Late bids are rejected, even by a minute. Note the time zone and whether it closes on a portal or by email. - **Mandatory requirements.** Anything marked "must" or "mandatory": forms, signatures, certificates, a site meeting. Missing one means your bid isn't scored. - **The scope and the term.** What exactly you would do, how often, for how long, and whether the buyer can extend. - **Questions deadline and addenda.** Buyers answer questions in addenda, which can change the scope or the closing date. Check for new addenda right up to closing. CrewBid's summary of each bid pulls out the requirements that commonly trip people up, but the official document is always the source of truth. ## How should I price a multi-year contract? Price the whole term, not the first year. Allow for wage increases, fuel and materials over three or five years, and check whether the contract allows a yearly price adjustment. If it doesn't, build the increase into your rates. Cost the mandatory extras too: insurance at the stated limit, travel to every site, supervision, and any reporting the buyer wants. Then sanity-check against history. Many buyers publish award results or supplier payments, and CrewBid shows who held similar contracts before where we know it. ## What happens after I submit? The buyer evaluates, may ask questions, and announces an award. If you win, expect a contract to sign, proof of insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage, and a start-up meeting. If you lose, ask for a debrief. Most public buyers will tell you how your bid scored, and that is the fastest way to win the next one. Many contracts come back out to tender every few years. CrewBid's [renewal calendar](https://crewbid.tech/renewals) estimates when the ones you missed will be posted again. ## Where should a small crew start? Start close to home and in your own trade. A municipal or school district maintenance contract within your normal driving area, with a term of two to three years, is the most common first win. Set up free alerts for your trade and area, read a few tenders before you bid on one, and bid on the ones where you can meet every requirement. ## Sources - [BC Bid for suppliers (Province of BC)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/bc-procurement-resources/bc-bid-resources/bc-bid-for-suppliers) - [How the government buys (Government of Canada)](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-services-procurement/services/acquisitions/support-for-businesses/understand-procurement-process/how-government-buys.html) - [Get a clearance letter (WorkSafeBC)](https://www.worksafebc.com/en/insurance/why-clearance-letter/get-clearance-letter) - [New West Partnership Trade Agreement: MASH sector](https://www.newwestpartnershiptrade.ca/government_mash_sector.HTM)