Click here to view [GENERAL][ELECTRONIC BIDDING] (FAQ's)
- How do I Bid on Mn/DOT highway construction and maintenance projects?
- How do I find out about future work in my area?
- Can we purchase Plan and Proposals directly on the Web?
- Who do I call if my company's phone and/or fax numbers are incorrect on the Vendor list and/or the Planholder's list?
- What projects can we Bid using the Expedite BID program?
- When are projects for a specific Letting awarded and when are the Abstracts for these projects posted on the Web?
- Who should I Contact if I want to sell materials and/or supplies to Mn/DOT?
- Where can I get information about what Pay Items are on specific projects?
- Are Addenda available on the Web Site?
- Why are some projects identified with an S. P. number that does not reflect location of the majority of the project work?
- How often do you post the Planholder's list?
- Where can I find the Bid Bond percentage required on a specific project?
- What is the difference between State Aid projects and Mn/DOT's major Construction and Maintenance projects?
- Where can I find out which past projects used Pay Items I am interested in and what other contractors Bid on these Items?
- Where can I find the estimate cost of a project before it is Let?
- Does Mn/Dot publish an Average Bid Prices list?
- Does Mn/Dot have Electronic Plan Sheets available for their projects?
- Is there any way of obtaining a live Web Cast of Mn/Dot's Bid opening?
[Back to Top] [Back to Electronic Bidding]
-
How do I Bid on Mn/DOT Highway Construction and Maintenance projects?
The two documents "Ways To Bid" and "A Guide To Bidding" discuss this topic. Links to both can be found on the Bid Letting Home Page. Questions remaining after reading these documents can be addressed to Nancy Boeve of the Office of Construction and Innovative Contracting, at (651)366-4243.
[Back to General]
- How do I find out about future work in my area?
The Six-month Tentative Schedule indicates projects we anticipate opening bids for in the near future. The State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) shows projects programmed for the next three years. The STIP is located on the Home Page for the Office of Investment Management at http://www.oim.dot.state.mn.us. The eight District Home Pages may have additional information on major projects.
[Back to General]
- Who do I call if my company's phone and/or FAX numbers are incorrect on the Vendor list and/or the Planholder's list?
Contact QuestCDN
[Back to General]
Am I required to use Two Way Electronic Bidding?
Unless noted in the proposal, prior to January 1, 2009, bids with a value of over $150,000.00 MUST utilize the "Two way electronic bidding" method described above. After January 1, 2010, all bids with a value of over $150,000.00 MUST utilize the "Two way electronic bidding" method.
[Back to General]
When are projects for a specific letting awarded and when are the abstracts for these projects posted on the Web?They are awarded sporadically as Contract Administration completes its process. It may take several days or weeks for this to happen. The abstracts are posted when the contract has been awarded.
[Back to General]
- Who should I Contact if I want to sell materials and/or supplies to Mn/DOT?
If you want to sell directly to the State you should call the Department of Administration-Materials Management Division's Help Line at (651)296-2600 for more information. Or check out their website at: http://mmd.admin.state.mn.us
If you want to act as a sub-contractor or sell supplies to a prime contractor doing one of our projects you should contact them directly. It is best if you do this prior to the letting. Contractors and Suppliers who have purchased, our plans and Proposal are listed on the project's Planholder's list. To get an idea of which contractors may bid as primes, read the Bid Results from past projects.
[Back to General]
- Where can I get information about what Pay Items are on specific projects?
The best place to find a list of all pay items for a project is in the Trns*PORT items used for current letting project files on Bid Letting page.. Major items of work are listed in the Advertisement for Bids but this does not include all the items on a project.
[Back to General]
- Are Addenda available on the Web Site?
This Bid Letting Site has a list of addenda issued for projects in upcoming lettings located on the current letting addenda list page but does not have the text of the Addenda. The actual addenda are sent out to the Planholder's list when they are issued.
[Back to General]
- Why are some projects identified with an S. P. number that does not reflect location of the majority of the project work?
Mn/DOT identified projects by the lowest S.P. number. This means that if a project crosses a county line for Hennepin (County 27) in Ramsey (county 62) it will be identified by the S.P.27##-### number even if the majority of the work is in Ramsey County.
[Back to General]
- How often do you post the Planholder's list?
Planholders list on Mn/DOT's Bid Letting Site are a real time data.
[Back to General]
- Where can I find the Bid Bond percentage required on a specific project?
This percentage can be found in the Proposal for the Project. For Mn/DOT projects, this percentage is 5%.
[Back to General]
- What is the difference between State Aid projects and Mn/DOT's major Construction and Maintenance projects?
State Aid projects are let by the cities and counties. The office of State Aid for Local Transportation processes these projects. We do not have data on these projects.
[Back to General]
- Where can I find out which past projects used Pay Items I am interested in and what other contractors Bid on these Items?
Items Used for Past Projects on the Bid Letting Page has list of pay items used in specific calendar year (2005-current year) and state projects they were used on. The Web address is : http://bidlet.dot.state.mn.us/propSearch.aspx
[Back to General]
- Where can I find the estimate cost of a project before it is let?
The only estimate cost we can legally publish can be found in the "Preliminary Estimate" column on the right side of the"6 Month Tentative Schedule of Lettings" on this site.
[Back to General]
- Does Mn/DOT publish an Average Bid Prices List?
No, we do not publish such a list.
[Back to General]
- Does Mn/DOT have Electronic Plans available for their projects?
Mn/DOT does have Electronic Plans available for our projects that are on sale. These can be viewed in the Electronic Plan Room, or the entire package can be downloaded.
[Back to General]
- Is there any way of obtaining a live Web Cast of Mn/DOT's Bid Opening letting?
There is no live web cast of our bid letting, however, the results are posted on the Bid Express Web Site as the bids for each project are read. Mn/DOT provides a link to the Bid Express site using the "Bid Result" option.
[Back to General]
-
ELECTRONIC BIDDING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
GENERAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
-
What kind of computer and software do I need?
Any computer that can access the Internet either via a modem or a network connection can connect to the Bid Express web service. However, Bid Express only offers full support for computers running Microsoft Windows 2000® or Windows XP®.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- Do I need an account with an Internet Service Provider?
You need to subscribe to Bid Express. This secure site holds your bid until bid opening. One account with Bid Express allows you to access projects and bid history nationwide. More information can be found on their site: https://www.bidx.com/main/index.html
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- What if I want to submit a bid?
You must obtain a digital ID for each state in which you want to bid.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- How do I sign bids to ensure they are secure?
Obtain a security code (electronic signature) to ensure the bid is submitted by you. This means the bid can't be changed without your knowledge.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- Can multiple people at my company share a security code?
Don't share your security code with others. Each person with authority to sign for your company should have a personal security code.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- Who can read my bid?
It stays on your PC until you submit your bid to the service provider (Bid Express). The software program uses an encryption code and other security methods that prohibit anyone from reading your bid prior to bid opening. Mn/DOT can read the bid amount at the letting but can not alter the bid in any way. Line items remain confidential until the contract is awarded.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- an I submit a bid more than once? Can I withdraw a bid?
Yes to both questions. If you submit a bid multiple times before the deadline, only the most recent submission will be retained and sent to Mn/DOT. If you request that your bid be withdrawn before the bid-opening deadline, your
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- Could my bid be lost?
BidX.com has designed the system to avoid this happening, including keeping multiple copies of submitted files and keeping data on read-only media. In addition, you will receive electronic bid receipts whenever you submit a bid, which can be used to prove when the bid was submitted. These bid receipts will be digitally signed by Bidx.com, using the same technology you use to sign your bid.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- Is the system reliable?
Mn/DOT requires that the bid submittal system is always accessible. The service provider has redundant server locations, access lines, tape backups and backup sources to accomplish this.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
- Will support for the electronic bid system be available?
Yes. The system is available 24 hours / seven days a week. The provider offers user support (telephone, e-mail and fax) between 8 A.M. and 8 P.M.
- Am I required to use Electronic Bidding?
Unless noted in the proposal, prior to January 1, 2009, bids with a value of over $5,000,000.00 (five million dollars) MUST utilize the "Two way electronic bidding" method described above. After January 1, 2009, all bids with a value of over $1,000,000.00 (one million dollars) MUST utilize the "Two way electronic bidding" method.
[Back to Electronic Bidding]
[Back to Electronic Bidding] [Back to General] [Back to Top]
Bid Letting Links
- Bid Letting-Site Search
- Current / Future Letting Date
- Downloads
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Glossary
- Minnesota Statutes
Quick Links