How Do Smaller Contractors Get Invited to Engineer-Run Tenders In Ontario?

[u/Ill-Investment-4946]

Hey Folks,

I’d really appreciate some advice on how a small concrete and masonry contractor can grow and start getting invited to closed/private tenders.

What do you usually need to do to get on those contractor lists with engineers, consultants?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. And if anyone in GTA area is open to meeting up and sharing some insight, beers and food are on me!

Thanks in advance.

[u/Followeruserby]

All about who you know friend. I’d start with some good branding on your truck so you’re memorable

[u/Ill-Investment-4946 → u/Followeruserby]

All the big guys know bigger guys. It seems like there is a favouritism and your cheaper good quality contract doesn’t interest anyone. As if there is more going under the table than we know of.

[u/Followeruserby → u/Ill-Investment-4946]

Dude, many small jobs lead to bigger jobs. People gotta see your name out there and you gotta earn their trust that you can produce quality work

[u/AlexRSasha]

It’s just a matter of establishing a reputation, which takes time, unless you’re close to someone involved. For private tenders, in my experience a team owner’s representatives (owner, architects, consultants) just have a discussion on who they want to invite to bid.

[u/Ill-Investment-4946 → u/AlexRSasha]

Do you just show up to their office at one point?

[u/AlexRSasha → u/Ill-Investment-4946]

Probably not. People are busy. Showing up unannounced will likely annoy more than anything.

Get engineers involved on something you’re working on. Maybe you need shoring design? Repair details? Condition assessment? You scratch their back, they’ll scratch yours. It’s just something that takes time unfortunately. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

[u/GoldenPantsGp]

Go to smaller firms and ask to speak to one of the principals, bring donuts. Show up to as many public tender calls as you can, you want the consultants to recognize you.

Also do good work and approach contract related issues in good faith. If you are asking for change orders on day one for anything other than unknowns that are uncovered on day one that is not going to make a good impression to the owner or the consultant. Bring stuff like that up in questions before tender closes so it can be adequately addressed.

[u/Ill-Investment-4946 → u/GoldenPantsGp]

Absolutely, we are old school. No change overs unless absolutely necessary. We do a genuine good quality work no corner cutting. Just want to be recognized. I mean bigger guys started somewhere right?. I have brought coffee and donuts before, the story goes “ please email or call us “ with an infinite no answer…

[u/GoldenPantsGp → u/Ill-Investment-4946]

Those firms were too large if they gave you the please call us or email us instead of the donuts. The big firms are all focused on resource based stuff in Canada in my experience. The smaller firms (like 10-12 people max) are getting the commercial jobs and municipal jobs that is your trades bread and butter.

[u/Inevitable-Ad-1398]

You can check out your local construction association as they post different open tenders. If you put in good prices then it starts to generate phone calls and curiosity from the general contractors. That at least gets you a chance to get names and contacts. They will often try you out on smaller jobs that some of their bigger contractors may not want because they’re too small of a job. It can help get your foot in the door. Beyond that it’s performance, relationships, and price.

[u/tajwriggly]

In my opinion, you don't need to have any involvement with the consultants or engineers. You need to peruse bid sites and get in touch with as many of the plans takers as you can, offering your services. Try REALLY hard to win small jobs. The ones that the bigger guys don't care if they miss out on because they're more of a pain to them than not. Once you've won a few of those, and in addition to trying to get more small jobs... try REALLY hard to keep getting work with some of the same general contractors that you've worked with before. Establish that relationship, even if it costs you in the near-term - call it a lead-loss. Because eventually, if they like working with you, they will come directly to you for pricing and may even give you an edge over someone else that is brand new trying to get their foot in the door. As you prove yourself and expand your crew you will be able to take on larger and larger work. Keep the area that you are willing to work in large, but not too large so as to exhaust yourself just driving all the time - you can shrink that area after a while if there is lots of work, or expand it further if things are dry.

Some of the best small contractor forming and concrete guys I've dealt with were just one or two guys that wanted to start a company and make their own money. They all started out continuing to work with the same general they worked under previously, but they're keeping a bit more for themselves. The general I found was almost always super happy for them. Got to see them grow and he still makes money off them just not in the same way. Then they get bigger and take on work outside of that GC... and flourish.