The Utility Contractors Association of Washington recently welcomed Seattle-area design firms and public works employees to the second annual Mock Bid event.

This event is a collaboration of UCAW and American Public Works Association. Its purpose is to provide designers and public employees the opportunity to experience what is going on in the contractors' minds and offices during a bidding process. The two-day event is an effort designed to de-mystify the procedures that a construction company goes through while bidding a project. The designers and public works employees who took part in the event gained valuable insights by participating in an exercise that simulated the actual steps a company takes when performing the bidding process.

The Mock Bid event physically took place in the offices of Gary Merlino Construction, SCI Infrastructure LLC, Dennis R. Craig Construction Co., Marshbank Construction Co., and Frank Coluccio Construction Co. Each contractor worked with a team of four or five participants composed of designers and APWA members.

The teams competed against each other by bidding on an actual road project from the city of Everett. This project was originally bid and constructed in 2003.

Participants experienced firsthand the pressures and stress that come in the form of time crunches and competition against other contractors. The simulation mirrored a real bidding process in every imaginable way, from the methods and tasks routinely utilized by the contractors to develop their pricing to the paperwork that must be completed to make the bid legal.

The Mock Bid participants also experienced the cruelties of the industry. One team put forward a highly competitive bid, but submitted it past the deadline and therefore was disqualified.

Mike Myette P.E., executive director of UCAW, purposely gave the teams incorrect information, late arriving quotes, addition and subtraction errors in the quotes, fuel surcharges from suppliers, scope differences from subcontractors, and quotes that indicated they would only be viable for a limited time period after the bid opening.

Participants found that even without added problems, the process as a whole is not easy.

"Going through this process really enlightened me on not just the procedures, but the amount of work that it takes to put a bid together and the risk of lowering the bid item prices to get the job, but still needing to maintain a net profit," said Katherine Claeys of the City of Seattle Department of Transportation.

Participant Tom Pulford of Seattle City Light said, "This was a great opportunity to witness the issues, concerns, strategies, and information needs of the bidders to tender a qualified bid."

The Mock Bid program has been so successful in Washington that it has generated interest in other states. Organizations in Oregon, Indiana and Iowa have expressed interest in beginning similar events, using UCAW as their model.

When he first came up with the idea of the Mock Bid event, Myette was hoping that communication between project providers and contractors would increase. Apparently, he succeeded.

"These are great opportunities to create a better partnership between 'owner' and 'contractor' — and the public benefits as we're both stewards of spending tax dollars," Claeys said. "This can also reduce costly claims by cooperation and understanding legitimate problems with the contract that need to be addressed early."

To learn more about the Mock Bid Event contact Mike Myette P.E. at mike@ucaw.org or call him at 206-510-0499. More information about The Utility Contractors Association of Washington can be found online at www.ucaw.org.