How to Find Public Construction Bids in New England

• Register early. Most portals let you browse for free but require registration to bid or receive alerts.
• Pick commodity or trade codes. Several portals email you only for the codes you choose.
• Check prequalification. Many public projects, usually above a dollar threshold, are open only to certified or prequalified contractors. Applications take time, so start early.
• Read each notice. Bonding, wage rates, filed sub-bid rules and bid-room access vary.

COMMBUYS is the state's procurement system. Vendors register for free, select UNSPSC codes, and receive bid notices; registration is needed to receive notifications, submit quotes and receive awards. Some municipalities post there too.

DCAMM handles state building projects. Its documents are available through its E-Bid Room, and some listings require a confidentiality or security acknowledgment before documents are released. Larger building projects under M.G.L. c. 149 use filed sub-bids, where trade subcontractors bid directly to the awarding authority.

DCAMM certification is required to bid as a prime contractor, or on a filed sub-bid, on covered public building projects. DCAMM certifies contractors by category (categories for bidders and filed sub-bids) and sets an aggregate project limit, and certification is renewed annually. The dollar threshold for c. 149 projects is set out in DCAMM's c. 149 building project guidance; confirm the current figure on mass.gov. Site-work-only projects under c. 30, section 39M are not covered.

MassDOT prequalifies firms for horizontal construction (roads, bridges) with an estimated value of $50,000 or more under 700 CMR 14.00. Cities and towns must require it on certain projects, such as those on state-numbered roads.

Cities and towns advertise on their own websites, in COMMBUYS, and in the Secretary of the Commonwealth's weekly Central Register, which covers public works and facilities bids (OIG procurement charts).

CTsource is the state's contracting portal for executive branch solicitations. Browsing is open, but only registered suppliers can respond. The DAS Construction Services Bid Board lists DAS construction solicitations, including open, awarded and canceled ones, with bid tabulations after closing.

DAS requires contractors to prequalify for state building and municipal public works projects above a dollar threshold, so check the "Bidding Limited To" section of each Invitation to Bid. CTDOT has a separate prequalification for prime contractors bidding on its projects, applied for online since April 1, 2022. Being prequalified with one does not qualify you with the other.

Connecticut has no county government, so most local bids are posted on each town's or school district's website.

The NH Procurement Portal, run by the Department of Administrative Services, is the current system for state bids; its older Statewide Bids and Proposals page remains for archive.

NHDOT posts its invitations for bid, addenda and results on its website. NH Division of Public Works Design and Construction projects are advertised through NHDOT's Finance and Contracts office, and DPW bid results are linked from the NHDOT contractors page (DAS Public Works).

NHDOT prequalification is governed by the Tra 400 series of rules. Self-certification on department forms is allowed for projects valued under $1,000,000; larger projects generally need a CPA-prepared statement. Routine, simple work may be exempt. Municipal bids are posted by each town or school district.

Ocean State Procures (OSP) is the state eProcurement system run by the Division of Purchases (OSP FAQ). The Bid Board is open to the public; you need at least a soft registration to respond and full registration (W-9 upload) before award. RIDOT bids have moved to OSP, with plan holder lists on its bidding page. Municipal bids are not posted on OSP. Some older state postings remain in RIVIP.

For non-DOT public works projects estimated at $1,000,000 or more, the Division of Purchases requires prequalification under regulation 220-RICR-30-00-4 (public works vendor prequalification).

VTBuys is the state's eProcurement system, where the Office of Purchasing and Contracting posts state bid opportunities. For buildings, the BGS Design and Construction page lists plan holders, bid tabulations and upcoming projects (BGS bid information). For roads and bridges, VTrans runs bidding, prequalification and contract execution through its iCX Web portal (VTrans prequalification, bid results and awards).

Bidders need annual prequalification (experience questionnaire and financial statement) plus project-specific approval for prime contractors, with the questionnaire due at least ten working days before bid opening. Many town and school bids are posted locally.

Commercial plan rooms and bid-notification services aggregate public and private bids, usually for a fee, and add coverage of towns that do not post centrally. Compare coverage for your trade and counties before paying. Also watch local newspapers' legal notices, trade association bid pages and your town's purchasing page.