A Contract Proposal (Bid Proposal) is a detailed document that outlines the terms and conditions of a potential contract, including the proposed scope of work, pricing, and timeline. The Contract Proposal can be broken into two parts:
- Part One – Contractual and Administrative Specifications
These are generally found in Division 1 of the NCDOT Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures and cover procedures such as opening bids, bid evaluation, bonding and qualification of contractors. - Part Two – Technical Specifications
This is where the detailed information about how to construct the project is located. The NCDOT Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures may be supplemented using Special Provisions that allow for unique or non-traditional elements of a project.
Prior to requesting
Construction Funding Authorization, NCDOT shall have received, reviewed and approved the final plans, specifications, and associated Bid Documents. Bid Documents include all the necessary information for a bidder to prepare their proposal, including project drawings, technical specifications, and instructions to bidders.
Modifications and special provisions should be limited to work activities that are clearly not covered by the NCDOT specifications. All Bid Documents must comply with this requirement. Any change the Local Government Agency (LGA) chooses to make shall not negate the NCDOT specifications or federal requirements. All changes made by the LGA, whether approved by NCDOT or not, are subject to audit both during construction and after construction projects are complete. The result of those audits may have an impact on the funding amount received by the LGA.
IMPORTANT: NCDOT uses the Contract Proposal as the basis for the Contract that the LGA and the successful Contractor will sign. There should not be a separate Contract that includes information/details not already included in the proposal.
Procedure
The LGA prepares their Contract Proposal in accordance with NCDOT requirements:
- Allowable changes are referenced in Division One Allowable Changes
- Follow the Provisions Checklist for Municipal Projects and use the Explanation of Provisions Sheet for more guidance
Submit the proposal through the Enterprise Business Services (EBS) Portal for review:
- Projects estimated to be $2.5 million or greater will be reviewed by the Contract Standards Unit (Raleigh)
- Projects estimated to be less than $2.5 million may be reviewed by the appropriate NCDOT Division Office
- Revise based on comments received and resubmit through the EBS Portal until a final copy is accepted
IMPORTANT: The project cannot be advertised until the Contract Proposal is approved by the NCDOT Division Project Manager (DPM). Construction Funding Authorization does not constitute approval for Advertising.
