How to BID an SDDOT Project
To prepare for bidding on construction projects let by the South Dakota Department of Transportation please follow these steps:
1. Prequalification of Bidders
In accordance with current bidding procedures, Administrative Rules 70:07:02, a bidder must be prequalified prior to bidding on state highway construction projects, unless his bid is less than $100,000. Contractors may apply for prequalification by fully completing and executing a Prequalification Statement on forms furnished by the Department. Such application must be sent to the Classification and Rating Committee at the Becker-Hansen Building, 700 East Broadway, Pierre, SD 57501 at least fourteen (14) days prior to the day of the letting. Contractor's Prequalification Form DOT-144.
Requests to add work types are considered a new questionnaire submission, and must meet the 14-day requirement.
A line of credit submitted to increase bidding capacity must be received by the committee before 4:00 p.m. of the last working day of the week preceding the letting. If the Legislature or the Governor declares the afternoon of the last working day of the week preceding the letting to be a holiday, the request must be received before 11:00 a.m. of the last working day. Line of Credit for Pre-Qualification Form EForm - 0944
Upon approval by the Committee, said Qualification shall be in force for not more than eighteen (18) months from the date of the balance sheet submitted.
For questions regarding the prequalification application, please contact:
Classification and Rating Committee
Division of Finance and Management
South Dakota Department of Transportation
700 East Broadway
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3284
Please note: This step only prequalifies a prime contractor to perform construction work being bid by the South Dakota Department of Transportation. Steps required by other agencies for conducting business in South Dakota still need to be followed. All the information and forms you need to start and run a business can be found at South Dakota's Online Forms page.
2. Obtain Company and Bidder ID's
Prime contractors, subcontractors and suppliers intending to quote or bid on a project are required to obtain a Company ID and password. The Company ID and password enable a company to access necessary bidding files, view addenda and sign in to a plan holders list for any project of interest. A Company ID & password can be obtained by submitting the necessary information at: http://apps.sd.gov/applications/hc65c2c/BidLettingNET/userregistration.aspx
In addition to a Company ID, a prime contractor must obtain Bidder ID(s) and password(s) for individuals intending to submit bids on behalf of the company. Bidder ID(s) & password(s) can be obtained by completing and mailing or hand delivering the following Bidding Authorization Form. Please be certain the correct email addresses are listed on this form as they will be used to communicate the successful submission or withdrawal of a bid. Once this form is successfully completed and submitted, the Department will issue Bidder ID(s) and Password(s) via email to the individual bidder(s). The form must be received, by the Department, a minimum of 48 hours prior to a designated bid opening time in order for Bidder ID(s) and password(s) to be assigned in advance of the letting.
The Bidder ID and Password, together with the Company ID, is required to access the Department's secure bid submittal site, which is the only means of submitting bids to the Department.
3. Download Bidding Software
All bids must be prepared utilizing the latest version of the South Dakota Electronic Bidding System (SDEBS) which is downloadable from the Bid Letting website. Please follow the instructions closely. Download questions should be directed to Bid Letting at 773-3268. Bids shall be completed in their entirety utilizing the SDEBS.
4. Select Projects and View Bidding Documents
Projects being let by the Department are advertised on the lettings page of the Bid Letting website. While on this web page, select a letting date under the heading Lettings Available for Bids to view the documents available for that letting. The Notice of Highway Bid Letting, Plan Sets and Special Provisions (proposal document) are available for download from the web page to all interested parties. Letting documents are released on the SDDOT Bid Letting website three weeks prior to the Friday before letting. For a list of projects expected to be let in the coming month(s), please refer to the Projects Anticipated for Letting found through the same link.
After downloading the documents for the project of interest, it is the bidder's responsibility to read and understand all requirements within the plans, proposal and standard specifications. The Special Provision for Electronic Bidding Requirements and Special Provision for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, located within the proposals, should be thoroughly reviewed by prospective bidders.
To sign in to the Plan Holders List, for an advertised project, click Log In on the letting page and enter the Department assigned Company ID and password. Once logged in, the company is to select Edit and indicate their Bid Type from the drop down list, complete the contact information and then click Confirm. Now click Save at the bottom of the screen which will display the SDEBS bid item files and any addenda that have been issued to date.
There is no cost for downloading plans, proposals, Standard Specifications, or bid item files.
5. Bid Preparation
Bidders are advised that any questions they may have prior to a letting concerning bid quantities, measurement and payment provisions, interpretation of plans and specifications, or other similar matters, should be directed to the Bid Letting Engineer. Early notification of errors will permit the Department to issue addenda prior to the letting clarifying any errors.
Bids shall be completed in their entirety utilizing the latest version of the SDEBS. Once a bid is prepared and ready for submission the contractor shall submit their bid via the Department's secure bid submittal website. The Bidder ID and password, together with the Company ID, will be needed to access the secure submission site. Please refer to the SDEBS user manual for specific instructions on operating the software and submitting bids.
Bidders may withdraw their bids from the Department's secure bid submittal website, prior to the date and time of letting. After that time, the contractor will no longer be allowed to remove bidding files from the secure bid submission website. Bidders may provide limitations of work to the Bid Letting Engineer prior to the time and date of bid opening. The bidder may state the total dollar volume of work or number of projects he will accept at this letting and the Department will determine which project or projects shall be awarded to the bidder within the limits set by the bidder.
The proposal guaranty required and which must accompany each proposal is a certified check, cashier's check or bank draft issued upon a National or State Bank, or a Bid Bond issued in accordance with the laws of South Dakota. Such guaranty shall be payable at sight to the SDDOT for the amount of NOT LESS THAN FIVE (5) PERCENT OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT BID. Bid bonds provided electronically in the SDEBS by utilizing Surety 2000 or SurePath, electronic bid bond holding companies is the preferred method for proposal guaranty. Registration can be performed online at: www.surety2000.com for Surety 2000 customers or http://web.insurevision.com/south-dakota-dot/ for SurePath. Paper copies of bonds will be accepted provided they are received by the Bid Letting office prior to the time and date of bid opening. Annual bonds issued by Surety 2000 or Surepath are acceptable. Renewal of annual bid bonds is the contractor's responsibility. Bidders utilizing certified checks, cashier's check, or bank drafts, must indicate the project number to which the guaranty applies. All Bid Bonds submitted with Joint Ventures must be made out in the name of all parties to the Joint Venture.