The bid form fields that matter most are the bidder's name and complete address, and the submission office's name, address, room and building. Both fields appear in the schedule rule, according to Acquisition.gov, so check them before any other row.
Key takeaways
- bidder name and complete address, including ZIP code, is the first row to fill.
- submission office name, address, room and building belong on separate lines.
- block 9 applies when SF 1447 is the solicitation document.
- Preparation of Bids and minimum acceptance period rows change for construction work.
- mark each of the six fields present or missing before pricing starts.
The last four rows cover the Preparation of Bids clause, the place of performance clause, the minimum acceptance period and the construction contract award. They depend on the form in use and on whether the work is construction. The Preparation of Bids-Construction provision applies to construction work, and the minimum acceptance period excludes construction, according to Acquisition.gov.
Where the form fields come from
Start by identifying which rule set governs the solicitation, because the sources in this article cover different jurisdictions. Competitive solicitation processes, according to The Florida Senate, shall be used for procurement of commodities or contractual services in excess of the threshold amount provided for CATEGORY TWO. Check the solicitation number on the cover before you copy it into the worksheet.
Next, list each field in the order the solicitation presents it. Add a source column beside each field that names the section or page where the requirement appears. A field without a source line is hard to defend when the buyer asks why it is on the form. Use the same column layout for every solicitation so the sheets compare easily.
Read the public construction bid requirements rules article before you finalize the list. Mark each row with the publisher that issued its rule, so later reviewers can see which rule governs. Keep rules from different publishers on separate rows rather than merging their wording into one line. Separate rows also make the citations easier to check against their own pages.
Flag at intake whether the work is construction, because several of the fields in this article change for construction work. Write the flag as a yes or no line in the header of your worksheet. Tie the Preparation of Bids and acceptance period rows to that flag so the correct provision appears. Confirm the flag against the solicitation scope before you start pricing.
Keep a copy of each source sentence in a notes row under its field, rather than paraphrasing it from memory. Paste the exact wording from the rule page, and mark any paraphrase as your own. Exact wording makes each check easier during review. Review the notes again after any amendment, because a changed requirement needs a new source line.
Bidder identity and submission fields
The requirement, according to Acquisition.gov, is for the bidder to provide its name and complete address, including street, city, county, state, and ZIP code. Build the field as separate inputs for name, street, city, county, state and ZIP code. Separate inputs make it visible when a part is blank. Ask a second reviewer to confirm the ZIP code during the final pass before submission.
The second field covers the issuing activity, according to Acquisition.gov, which requires its name, address, and location, including the room and building where bids must be submitted. Copy these items from the solicitation itself rather than from an earlier bid. Record the solicitation page number beside the row so the source is easy to find.
Give the room and the building their own inputs instead of folding them into the street address. Copy the building name and room number exactly as printed in the solicitation. Separate inputs let a reviewer confirm the submission point at a glance. If the solicitation names an office that differs from another document in the file, stop and confirm with the issuer before finalizing the form.
Compare the bidder and submission rows with the sealed bid submission checklist before entering any price. Check that the bidder name matches the name you plan to sign with. Mark any blank row as an open item rather than an assumption. Clear open items before pricing begins.
Enter the bidder's legal name exactly as it should appear on the submission. Keep a separate row for any trade name the solicitation asks for. A reviewer comparing the form to the solicitation can then match each name line by line. Note the date you checked each row beside it.
Preparation, place and acceptance fields
The rule, according to Acquisition.gov, inserts the Preparation of Bids provision, 52.214-12, in invitations for bids to which the uniform contract format applies. Add a row for 52.214-12 when the solicitation uses the uniform contract format. Mark the row present once the clause text appears in the solicitation. Leave the row marked missing until the clause text is found.
For construction work, according to Acquisition.gov, the Preparation of Bids-Construction provision 52.214-18 is inserted in invitations for bids for construction work. Keep a separate row for 52.214-18 on construction forms. Leave the 52.214-12 row for invitations that use the uniform format. Keeping the two rows apart makes the form easy to audit.
The place of performance provision 52.214-14 is inserted, according to Acquisition.gov, in invitations for bids except those in which the place of performance is specified by the government. Add a place-of-performance row unless the solicitation states the place. If it does, record the stated place in that row instead. Note which of the two cases applied.
The minimum acceptance period provision, 52.214-16, is inserted, according to Acquisition.gov, in invitations for bids, except for construction, if the contracting officer determines that a minimum acceptance period must be specified. Add the acceptance row only after you find that determination in the solicitation. Write the location of that determination beside the row.
The Contract Award-Sealed Bidding-Construction provision, 52.214-19, is inserted, according to Acquisition.gov, in all invitations for bids for construction work. Add a construction award row beside the construction preparation row. Mark it present when 52.214-19 appears in the solicitation. Check that the row carries the provision number exactly as printed.
Form source and SF 1447 fields
The rule for block 9, according to Acquisition.gov, applies when SF 1447 is used as the solicitation document. Keep a block 9 row on every worksheet, and do not assume that every solicitation uses that form. Copy the (a)(2)(i) and (a)(2)(iv) information into that row from the form in hand. Mark the row not applicable when the solicitation uses another form, and record the form number in the notes column.
Check the cover of the solicitation for the form number before you map any block. Copy each entry from the form in hand rather than from memory. Keep the form number visible at the top of the sheet. A reviewer can then see which layout you used without opening the file.
The request for proposals, according to The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, shall provide for the separate submission of price and shall indicate when and how the offerors shall submit the price. Add a separate price row when the document is a request for proposals. Keep that row apart from invitation-for-bid rows, since the separate-price rule is stated for requests for proposals. Write the submission date and method beside the row.
The copies rule, according to The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, says the awarding authority shall make copies available to all persons on an equal basis. Keep the copy you receive with its issue date. Note whether it came from the awarding authority directly.
Before entering a price, compare the separate-price row with the public bid pricing wage provisions article if the work carries wage requirements. Write any wage requirement beside the price line it affects. Keep the wage note separate from the bidder and submission rows.
Bid form worksheet
Build the worksheet with one row for each of the six fields, using the three columns shown in the table below. Make a fresh sheet for each solicitation so older entries do not carry over. Keep field names as written in the solicitation, not shortened, so a reviewer can match them to the document. Use the solicitation's own page order for the rows.
Fill the Field column with the field name, the Source column with the sentence or section that requires it, and the Present or missing column with one word, or the phrase not applicable. Leave a row unfilled until you have checked the solicitation itself. Do not fill a row from notes alone. When you finish, save the sheet with the bid file so the source lines remain available.
Read the table row by row before prices go in. Count any row marked missing as an open question, and send that question to the issuer. Mark rows that do not apply as not applicable in the last column, so the sheet stays complete. Keep the finished sheet with the bid file.
Illustrative example of a finished sheet
A bid team copies 6 fields from a solicitation and checks each one against its page. 2 rows are marked present, 1 is marked missing, and 3 are marked not applicable because the work is not construction. The team sends the missing row to the issuer as an open question before any price goes in. This scenario is illustrative only.
Set the construction flag at the top of the sheet before you fill the preparation and acceptance rows. Use that flag to choose between the construction and uniform-format provisions. Record the date of the flag beside it so the choice can be traced later. A second estimator can then confirm the choice without rereading the entire file.
What each field prevents from going missing
Check the bidder name and address row against your own records before copying it onto the form. Compare the ZIP code and county line in particular, since the rule names both. A reviewer can then see each part of the address line by line. Mark a missing part as an open item rather than filling it from a guess. Record the check date beside the row.
Copy the issuing office's room and building onto their own lines, so a reviewer can confirm the submission point without reading the full address. Use the solicitation itself as the single source for these lines. Mark any conflict with the body text as an open question. Send that question to the issuer before pricing.
Map block 9 only after you have confirmed the solicitation form number. Keep the (a)(2)(i) and (a)(2)(iv) information in a notes line that cites the rule, so the entry can be traced later. Leave the block 9 row marked not applicable when the solicitation uses another form. Add the form number to the notes line too.
Record the Preparation of Bids provision number and the place of performance statement on separate lines. A reviewer can then see which clause governs the form and where the work is performed without searching the document. Write the provision number exactly as printed.
Record the minimum acceptance period only when the solicitation states the contracting officer's determination. For construction forms, mark the acceptance row not applicable rather than deleting it, so the omission stays visible to the next estimator. Keep the construction award row with the construction preparation row.
Next step: list the six fields in your bid form worksheet: the bidder's name and complete address, the submission office, Preparation of Bids, place of performance, minimum acceptance period and construction contract award. Mark each one present or missing before you start pricing. Work through the preparation, place and acceptance rows before you open any price line.
Related guides: Best value bid review: 6 checks before pricing work · Bid risk checklist: 7 checks on price, bonds and withdrawal · Buy America dates: 6 FHWA changes to check before a bid.
FAQ: bid form field questions
Who gives the complete address?
The bidder gives its name and complete address, according to Acquisition.gov. Those parts are listed in that rule, so check each one before submitting. Keep the ZIP code on its own line in the worksheet.
Does the acceptance period apply to construction?
No. The minimum acceptance period provision is inserted, according to Acquisition.gov, in invitations for bids, except for construction. It is inserted when the contracting officer determines that a minimum acceptance period must be specified. For construction forms, keep the acceptance row and mark it not applicable rather than deleting it.
Which block holds SF 1447 information?
Block 9, according to Acquisition.gov, holds the (a)(2)(i) and (a)(2)(iv) information when SF 1447 is used as the solicitation document. Confirm the form number on the cover before you map that block. Mark the block 9 row not applicable on forms that are not SF 1447, and record the form number in the notes column.
Who receives copies of a request for proposals?
Copies go to all persons on an equal basis, according to The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. That rule covers requests for proposals rather than invitations for bids. Keep the copy you receive with its date.
Does the Florida rule name a dollar threshold?
The rule sets the threshold by reference, according to The Florida Senate: it is the threshold amount provided for CATEGORY TWO. Look that amount up in the statute rather than guessing one. Enter the figure only after you confirm it in the statute text.
Which provision covers Preparation of Bids for construction?
The Preparation of Bids-Construction provision is 52.214-18, according to Acquisition.gov, and it is inserted in invitations for bids for construction work. Keep it on its own row, separate from the uniform-format preparation row. Check the solicitation scope before you pick the row.