Finding subcontracting work in public tenders

The work is often decided before the award

On a construction contract, the general contractor needs prices from its subcontractors before closing: excavation, electrical, mechanical, masonry, roofing. A specialized company that only learns about the project when work starts is too late.

For a subcontractor, there are two good moments to step in: while the tender is open, with the companies preparing a bid, and right after the award, with the winner who has to complete its team.

Spotting tenders where your trade is required

The title of a tender rarely tells the whole story. "Renovation of four classrooms" can include electrical, ventilation, doors and finishing work. The specifications say so, sometimes on page 300.

Discer identifies the trades required in each tender. When you have uploaded and analyzed the tender documents, the trade is confirmed by the analysis, along with whether subcontracting is allowed, allowed with approval, or not mentioned. Otherwise, Discer shows where the clue comes from: an RBQ licence subclass, a word in the title, the name of a document. The notice also mentions the BSDQ (the Quebec bid depository) when it applies, which changes how you submit your price.

Contacting the winner after the award

When a tender in your niche is awarded, Discer shows you the winner and the contact published by SEAO for that contract: name, email or phone number. That is when the winning company confirms its subcontractors.

These details are only for offering your services on that contract. Discer does not sell lists and never sends bulk emails; a company can ask for its contact to be removed.

Subcontracting offers between subscribers

This is the newest part of Discer. A company preparing a bid can post a subcontracting offer from the analysis of a tender: the project, the trades it is looking for and a short note, for example "Trench excavation for pipe replacement, May to August".

Subscribers whose trade matches receive the offer and can reply in one click with "Offer my services". The company that posted the offer sees the replies, with the contact details of each interested company. Nobody pays a commission on the contract: it simply connects companies that already work in the same markets.

What it changes on both sides

• For the contractor bidding, subcontractor prices received before closing, from companies that already know the type of work.
• For the subcontractor, projects it would not have seen, at the moment prices are being decided.

A contact book that stays yours

Any company you come across in Discer can be added to your contact book, with a private note: who you worked with, on which project, what went well. This contact book is private.

Where to start

1. Add your trades to your profile, including the ones you do as a subcontractor.
2. Watch the "Your trade appears to be required" section for two weeks to gauge the volume.
3. When a tender interests you, analyze its documents to confirm your trade, then contact the companies bidding on it.

Subcontracting is part of the Intelligence and Team plans; details are on the Product page. To find out which companies come back most often in your niche, read our article on what you gain from knowing your market. And to receive every morning the tenders where your trade is required, our article on tenders sorted by AI explains how to set up your profile.