As is stated in CHOP, the bid period is the time when the construction documents undergo a detailed analysis by the contractors, trades/sub-contractors, and suppliers. This may reveal ambiguities, missing information or inconsistencies that require clarification.

Bid period inquiries need to follow a formalized process and must be submitted in writing. A “Bid Period Inquiry” form included as part of the bid documents is one way of formalizing this process. However the bid inquiry process is intended to be formalized for a project, it should be stipulated in the Instructions to Bidders, emphasizing that all inquiries must be received in writing using a stipulated method in order to be accepted. Likewise, all responses to bid period inquiries must be provided in writing through the issuance of addenda. Some inquiries may result in the need to issue supplemental information such as drawings or specifications, or to issue revisions to previously issued specifications or drawings.

In the Instructions to Bidders it is important to spell out the requirements and procedures for acceptable bid period inquiries, including but not limited:

• only written inquiries will be accepted, any other form of inquiry will not be responded to;
  
• the method for submitting bid period inquiries (bid period inquiry form, email, etc.);
  
• the date and time when the question period ends (this is typically 4 working days prior to the bid closing date and time, to allow ample time to prepare a written response by addendum);
  
• the method for dealing with requests for substitutions.

The use of a bid period inquiry form of a prescribed format is useful in assuring the appropriate information is provided by the bidder for the consulting team to appropriately assess the inquiry. This would include specification sections, product references, drawing or detail number references, and cost or time savings to the owner. The prescribed format can be included in the Instructions to Bidders and may include a sample bid period inquiry form template with the prescribed information that is to be filled out.

Gone are the days of the facsimile machine which used to be a method of obtaining a record of bid period inquiries, requiring that the inquiries be submitted in writing by facsimile. Replacing the facsimile machine for submission of bid period inquiries is the use of email or the use of online procurement platforms that incorporate a process for bidders inquires with tracking features.

Online platforms such as Biddingo or MERX provide a means for bidders to submit bid inquiries which may then be responded to through the formal issuance of addenda. These online procurement platforms are beneficial with respect to receiving bid inquiries because the bid inquiries are recorded and there is less chance of an oversight or misplacing of an email that could result in a bidders inquiry not being addressed during the bid period.
Whichever method is being used it is imperative that a system of tracking all bid inquiries is in place so that none are overlooked when it comes time to respond to the inquiries through the issuance of an addendum. Failure to address a bid inquiry could result in an issue coming to light during construction that could result in additional costs or delays to a project.

Note that contractors do not always address issues discovered during the bid period. Some contractors will keep silent about issues in the expectation that they will result in significant extras during construction. Holders should not anticipate contractor review during the bid period to be a final quality control step. The need for a lot of questions to be answered or a lot of additional information to be prepared and issued during the bid period may be indicative of the need to improve the construction document and quality control processes in a practice.

CHOP includes a fairly simple sample addendum template and the OAA web content also has a sample addendum template that can be used for creating an addendum. Whether one utilizes these templates as they are or modifies them for before use, addenda are typically organized to include the following information;

• Project Name and Number
  
• Date of Issuance of the Addendum
  
• Numbering of the Addendum (in sequence)
  
• Intent
  
• General Inquiries
  
• Bidding Information
  
• Drawings (listed by discipline)
  
• Specifications (listed by discipline)
  
• Requests for Alternates, Equals or Substitutions
  
• Attachments

The issuance of addenda is an important part of the bid phase. Processes and measures need to be in place to ensure that addenda are available to or distributed to all registered or eligible bidders. It is common and a good practice to only distribute the addenda to eligible general contractors who in turn distribute them to subtrades, suppliers or manufacturers. It is also good practice to provide the local construction association with a copy of addenda so that they can advise their members on projects during the bid process. Other recipients of addenda would be the owner and authorities having jurisdiction such as the local building department who may be undertaking their plans review as part of the building permit process.

Following the bidding phase it is common to compile changes, corrections and additions to drawings and specifications and to re-issue the drawings and specifications as an “Issued for Construction” (IFC) package so that the information issued during the bidding phase is organized into a cohesive document package. Content related to IFC documents can be found in the article on the OAA Website titled “Issued for Construction Documents.”
Refer also to the article titled “Bid Period Inquiries” for further discussion on this topic.