Plan Saves Contractors $800,000 Per Year; Eliminates Antiquated Paper System and Saves Time, Fuel and Paper
HANOVER, MD – The Hogan Administration today announced that the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) will use an electronic system for contractors to submit bids on transportation projects. Beginning in early 2017, MDOT will use Info Tech’s Bid Express, a web-based service for electronic bidding (e-bidding) which will save money for contractors and for the state.
“By bringing our highway project bidding into the 21st century, contractors can securely submit bids from any computer, download contract documents, immediately receive any addenda to the advertisement, and collectively save $800,000 every year,” said Governor Hogan. “The contracting industry has been asking for e-bidding for many years, and we are pleased this will allow them to spend more time being productive and less time navigating red tape.”
The Board of Public Works (BPW) today approved the state’s participation with Bid Express, the service already used by approximately 40 transportation departments and thousands of contractors. MDOT previously required contractors to deliver a hard copy bid package to MDOT’s State Highway Administration’s (SHA) offices in Hanover. Any minor error could result in disqualification of a bid. For the state, the new system is secure, bids include bond verifications, are instantly tabulated, results are ranked, and reports can be exported. By using Bid Express, SHA also saves five days in the process and $68,000 a year because they will no longer need to send documents to Maryland Correctional Enterprises for data entry.
“Thanks to Governor Hogan making e-bidding a reality in Maryland, the contracting community will benefit tremendously,” said Jim Russ, president of the Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association. “Time spent driving can now be productive. E-bidding saves time, gas and money.”
“Each bid costs my company between $750 and $1,000 for document assembly, printing, gas, travel expenses and associated wages to execute this archaic process,” said Todd Becker, Senior Vice President of Wagman Heavy Civil, Inc. “The savings using Bid Express are significant, and we are glad Maryland is moving forward.”
The Invitation for Bids and contract documents will still be available for free on eMaryland Marketplace (eMM). There are roughly 275 bids on SHA contracts annually. Of those, approximately 150 already subscribe to Bid Express in other states through Info Tech, Inc., an outside third-party company. Any contractor, subcontractor, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Small Business Enterprise (SBE), supplier or vendor will have access to Bid Express to review current contracts, contract numbers and descriptions and due dates at no cost. SHA will fully implement e-bidding by summer 2017.
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