Electronic Bidding Instructions -Rev April 2026.pdf

State of Connecticut Department of

Transportation

Electronic Bidding Instructions/Requirements for Bidders

Revised April 2026

1. The Department advertises projects/bid proposals on the CTSource State Contracting Portal. Bidders are required to access bid/project information (Bid Invitation, Plans, Specifications, Addenda, etc.)

through the CTSource State Contracting Portal, free of charge.

2. Bidders (prime contractors) are required to be prequalified to bid on CTDOT construction projects.

3. Bidders must submit the “Bid Proposal Request Form” (Part C) to be eligible to submit bids on specific projects.

4. Bidders that submit a Bid Proposal Request Form to bid on a specific project will receive an email response from the Department acknowledging that the bidder has been approved/not approved to bid on that specific project. Bids will not be accepted from bidders that have not been approved by the Department to bid on a specific project.

5. Bidders are required to submit bids on the “official” Bid Proposal Form issued by the Department.

Bids will be rejected if they are not submitted on the “official” Bid Proposal Form issued by the

Department.

6. Eligible/approved bidders will be allowed access to the official Bid Proposal Form and associated amendments from the Bid Express website (bidx.com), only after they have received the email response from the Department approving them to bid.

7. It is the bidder’s responsibility to ensure that they have completed the most current official Bid Proposal Form and incorporate any amendments associated with that specific Bid Proposal Form, from the latest letting date.

Amendments are posted to the Bid Express website when there is a change to the bid proposal form, including a letting date change. The Department is not liable for the bidder’s failure to ensure that they complete the official bidding documents from the Bid Express website.

8. Bidders must obtain a Digital ID encryption code key to submit a bid electronically. Bidders must complete all required bid documents and acknowledgements (folders) located in the Bid Proposal

Form , as applicable to the proposal.

9. Bidders must scan and submit the bid bond in PDF format, properly completed and signed, prior to the date and time of the bid opening, via a single email to dotbid@ct.gov. In the subject matter of the email please enter “Bid Bond – Project Number(s) xxxx-xxxx”. The original signed bid bond will be required of the low bidder within 7 days after the bid opening.

10. DOT encourages bidders to file an “Annual” Bid Bond with the Department so that the bidder does not have to submit a bid bond each time they bid on a specific project/proposal.

11. All bidders must file (upload) the following document to their CTSource Vendor Profile online, should they become the apparent low bidder:

Gift and Campaign Contribution Certification (OPM Form1)

This Form is required to be uploaded to your CTSource Vendor Profile prior to award and/or execution of any contract. Once the applicable “Form” is on file in the contractor’s CTSource

Vendor Profile system, the contractor’s obligation is complete. We ask that you update this OPM

Form 1 yearly to keep it current.

mailto:dotbid@ct.gov

12. Joint Venture Bidding

The Department must receive the Request for Bid Proposal Form and the letters from all parties related to the joint venture, explaining their intent to bid as a joint venture (per the Construction

Contract Bidding and Award Manual) at least 30 days prior to the bid opening date to allow the joint venture sufficient time to obtain a Digital ID in accordance to Bid Express policy.

The JV will receive an email confirmation from the Department that will approve/not approve the bidder (the joint venture) to bid on that specific project only. The JV must obtain a federal identification number (FEIN) which will be the JV’s vendor ID used to obtain a Digital ID with Bid

Express, for the joint venture.

IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS FOR BIDDERS

To participate in secure electronic internet submission of Bid Proposals, the bidding entity must:

(1) Be subscribed to the Bid Express ® Internet Bidding service.

(2) Have an approved Bid Express ® Digital ID (“Digital ID”) on file with Info Tech, Inc. that is enabled with sufficient time, in accordance to Bid Express ® policy, prior to the letting date; and

(3) Designate an authorized individual to sign all documents contained within the Bid

Proposal and to submit the Bid Proposal on behalf of the bidding entity. That individual must be authorized, pursuant to the effective legal documents of the bidding entity, to sign and submit binding legal documents on behalf of the bidding entity. The effective legal documents designating an authorized individual must be on file with the Department of

Transportation as part of the bidders Prequalification Statement.

(4) The authorized individual must:

a. in completing documents that require signature, type his/her name on the signature line on each document indicating his/her intent to sign the document;

and

b. upon submitting the Bid Proposal via the Bid Express ® Internet Bidding service, digitally sign the Bid Proposal with the bidding entity’s Digital ID.

Digitally signing the Bid Proposal with the Bid Express ® Digital ID is the legal equivalent of having placed a handwritten signature on the Bid Proposal and its constituent documents, effectively certifying as to the accuracy of the information contained in the Bid Proposal and agreeing to be bound by it. Effectively, each of the documents contained within the Bid Proposal will be deemed digitally signed and certified by the authorized individual on behalf of the bidding entity.

** If a conflict exists between this document and the Construction Contract Bidding and Award Manual, this document shall govern.