Bid tabulation, from bid opening to recommendation.
Record every bid, check addenda, bid security and the arithmetic, then level the scope and rank. Download the free Excel template, or upload the bids and let PROCAI line up the prices.
What is a bid tabulation?
A bid tabulation, or bid tab, is the record of every bid received for one contract, set side by side: bidder, base bid, alternates, unit prices and extended totals, addenda acknowledged, bid security, and any exclusions or qualifications. It is filled in at bid opening to record what each bidder submitted, then used to check each bid and find the lowest responsive bid. In public construction it is often the formal record of the opening.
This guide covers the construction and public bidding side of the bid tab. For the general comparison of supplier offers, see the comparative statement of quotations guide. PROCAI reads the bids themselves, in PDF, Excel, Word or photo form, and lines up their prices item by item, so you check a finished sheet instead of retyping every bid.
What a bid tab records, and what each column catches.
Seven columns that turn a list of prices into a record you can defend at award.
| What the bid tab records | What goes in it | What it catches |
|---|---|---|
| Bidder and time received | Company name, the time and date the bid arrived, and who opened it | Late bids, and firms outside the prequalified list where there is one |
| Addenda acknowledged | Each addendum number the bidder confirmed on the bid form | Bids priced on superseded drawings or specifications |
| Bid security | Bid bond or bank guarantee, its amount and its form | Missing or short security, which usually makes a public bid nonresponsive |
| Base bid | The total price for the scope as drawn and specified | The starting comparison, before alternates and corrections change it |
| Alternates | Each additive or deductive alternate, priced separately | Unpriced alternates, and a low base bid that loses once alternates are added |
| Unit prices and extended totals | Rate times quantity for each item, added up to the bid total | Arithmetic errors between unit rates, extensions and the stated total |
| Exclusions and qualifications | Scope the bidder left out and conditions it attached | Gaps that make a low bid look cheaper than it is |
Two templates, and a faster way to fill them.
Use the bid tab for contract and subcontract packages, the comparison matrix for goods.
The free bid tabulation template
- Four bidders, with the base bid as submitted and a row for arithmetic corrections
- Five alternates, each included or left out for every bidder at once
- 14 scope items marked Yes, No or Unclear, with an allowance for each gap
- Leveled total, difference to budget, rank from L1, and a sign off block
For goods: the vendor comparison matrix
- One row per item, so the same product from every supplier sits on one line
- Unit price and line total for five suppliers, with the lowest in each row in green
- Delivery charges, discount, VAT, currency and a total in US dollars
- Delivery time, payment terms, validity and warranty under the prices
What PROCAI does with the bids
- Reads bids as PDF, Excel, Word or photos, including Arabic
- Lines up unit prices item by item, and items only some bidders priced stay visible
- Works out the totals and checks each column against the total printed on the bid
- Up to five bids per sheet on Free and ten on paid plans, exported to Excel or PDF
How to prepare a bid tabulation in five steps.
From bid opening to a recommendation the approver can sign.
- 1
Open and record every bid
At the stated time, open the bids received and enter each bidder, the time its bid arrived and the price as read. Note any bid that arrived late. Follow the opening procedure in the bid documents. Public owners usually open bids in public and read the prices aloud.
- 2
Check that each bid is responsive
Confirm the bid form is signed, every addendum is acknowledged, the bid security is in the amount and form required, and every item is priced. Record why any bid fails a check. Your bid documents decide which failures can be waived.
- 3
Check the arithmetic
Multiply each unit price by its quantity, add the extensions and compare the sum with the stated total. Apply the correction rule in the instructions to bidders, often that the unit price governs, and record the corrected bid beside the original.
- 4
Add alternates and level the scope
Add the alternates the owner intends to accept, in the way the bid documents describe. List every exclusion and qualification. In private and subcontract bidding, price each gap with the same allowance for every bidder. In public bidding, a qualified bid may simply be nonresponsive.
- 5
Rank and recommend
Rank the bids on the corrected, leveled totals. Check that the lowest bidder is responsible: licence, experience, capacity and references. Clear open questions in writing, then write the recommendation and have the tab signed by the people your approval rules name.
What a bid tab does not decide.
The tab records and compares. The award still rests on rules and judgement.
- The lowest number is not automatically the lowest responsive bid. A missing addendum, short bid security or a qualified scope can take it out of the running.
- A bid tab does not evaluate qualifications by itself. Licence, experience, finances and past performance are a separate responsibility check.
- Public owners follow their own procurement rules. Opening, error correction, alternates and award follow the bid documents and the governing law, and PROCAI is not a sealed bidding or electronic tendering system.
- PROCAI does not choose the winner, and it can misread a poor scan, handwriting or an unusual layout. Check every figure against the original bids before you sign.
Free templates, ready to download
The bid tabulation template is built for subcontract bids: four bidders, base bid with arithmetic corrections, alternates, a 14 item scope checklist with allowances, a leveled total and rank, notes per bidder and sign off. The quote comparison template is for goods priced line by line. Both open in Excel, include a How to use sheet and come in Arabic.
Bid tabulation, answered.
What is the difference between a responsive and a responsible bidder?
A responsive bidder submitted a bid that meets the bid documents in every material respect, while a responsible bidder is a firm able to perform the contract. Responsiveness is checked on the bid itself: signed form, addenda acknowledged, bid security, all items priced, no material qualifications. Responsibility is checked on the company: licence, experience, finances, capacity and past performance. Many public contracts go to the lowest bidder that is both.
If a unit price and its extended total disagree, which one counts?
Usually the unit price, but your instructions to bidders decide. Many public bid documents state that the unit price governs and the extension is corrected, and that where words and figures differ, the words prevail. Apply the stated rule the same way to every bid, record the corrected total beside the original on the tab, and keep a note of each correction for the file.
How do alternates affect who is the low bidder?
They can change the order, so the bid documents should say in advance how alternates are counted. A common method is the base bid plus the alternates the owner decides to accept, often taken in the order listed. Fix that choice before you rank, apply it to every bidder, and check that each bidder priced the alternates you include.
What is the difference between a bid tabulation and bid leveling?
A bid tabulation records the bids as submitted and corrected, while bid leveling adjusts them so they cover the same scope. Leveling adds the accepted alternates and an allowance for each exclusion, giving a leveled total for each bidder. General contractors level subcontract bids routinely. Public sealed bidding leaves less room for it, because a bid that leaves out required scope is often nonresponsive. The free template does both.
When should I use a vendor comparison matrix instead of a bid tab?
Use a vendor comparison matrix when you are buying goods priced item by item, and a bid tab when you are awarding a contract or subcontract package. The matrix keeps one row per item with each supplier's unit price and line total, then delivery time, payment terms, validity and warranty. The free quote comparison template is set up that way for five suppliers.
Can PROCAI build a bid tabulation from the bids I received?
Yes, for the pricing side. Upload the bids as PDF, Excel, Word or photos and PROCAI lines up their prices item by item, works out the totals and checks each column against the total printed on the bid. A lump sum bid with no breakdown compares as one line. It costs 3 credits for two to five bids and 5 credits for six to ten, and new accounts get 8 free credits once. Addenda, bid security and bidder qualifications stay with you.
Bring the bids you received and see them side by side.
Upload them as they arrived and check the sheet against the originals. Free to start, no credit card.