To prepare for bidding on construction contracts being let by the South Dakota Department of Transportation please follow these steps:

1. Prequalification of Bidders

In accordance with current bidding procedures, Administrative Rules 70:07:02, a bidder must be prequalified prior to bidding on state highway construction contracts, unless the amount being bid is less than $250,000. Prospective bidders may apply for prequalification by completing and executing a prequalification statement on a form furnished by the Department. The prequalification statement must be received by the Classification and Rating Committee at the Becker-Hansen Building, 700 East Broadway, Pierre, SD 57501 at least 14 days prior to the day of the letting.

Requests to add work types are considered a new questionnaire submission and must meet the 14 day requirement.

A line of credit submitted to increase bidding capacity must be received by the committee before 11:00 a.m. of the last working day of the week preceding the letting. If the Legislature or the Governor declares any part of the last working day of the week preceding the letting to be a holiday, the request must be received before 11:00 a.m. of the preceding day.

For further specific prequalification information please refer to the South Dakota Administrative Rules, Article 70:07 “Highway Construction Contracts.” For questions regarding the prequalification application, please contact:

Classification and Rating Committee
Division of Finance and Management
South Dakota Department of Transportation
700 East Broadway
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone: (605) 773-3284

Please note: This step only prequalifies a prime contractor to perform construction work being bid by the South Dakota Department of Transportation. Steps required by other agencies for conducting business in South Dakota still need to be followed. All the information and forms you need to start and run a business can be found at South Dakota's Online Forms Site.

2. Obtain Company and Bidder ID's

Prime contractors, subcontractors and suppliers intending to quote or bid on a project are required to obtain a Company ID and password. The Company ID and password enable a company to access necessary bidding files and sign into the plan holders list for any project advertised for letting. A Company ID & password may be obtained by submitting the necessary information at: http://apps.sd.gov/hc65bidletting/userregistration.aspx

In addition to a Company ID, a prime contractor must obtain Bidder ID(s) and password(s) for individuals intending to submit bids on behalf of the company. Bidder ID(s) & password(s) can be obtained by completing and mailing or hand delivering the following Bidding Authorization Form. Please be certain the correct email addresses are listed on this form as they will be used to communicate the successful submission or withdrawal of a bid. Once this form is successfully completed and submitted, the Department will issue Bidder ID(s) and Password(s) via email to the individual bidder(s). The form must be received, by the Department, a minimum of 48 hours prior to a designated bid opening time in order for Bidder ID(s) and password(s) to be assigned in advance of the letting.

The Bidder ID and Password, together with the Company ID, is required to access the Department's secure bid submittal site, which is the only means of submitting bids to the Department.

3. Download Bidding Software

All bids must be prepared utilizing the latest version of the South Dakota Electronic Bidding System (SDEBS) which is downloadable from the Instructions and Download webpage. Please follow the instructions closely. Download questions should be directed to the Bid Letting Staff. Bids shall be completed in their entirety utilizing the SDEBS.

4. Select Projects and View Bidding Documents

Projects are typically advertised for letting three weeks prior to the Friday before a Wednesday bid opening. Projects being let by the Department are advertised on the Lettings webpage. After entering one of the available lettings, the Notice of Highway Bid Letting, plan sets, special provisions (proposal document), addenda, and the Project Q&A Forum will be readily available for viewing to all interested parties. Prospective bidders must “log in” with their assigned company id and password to access electronic bid files for use in the SDEBS and to sign into the plan holders list.

5. Bid Preparation

Bidders are advised that any questions they may have prior to a letting concerning bid items and quantities, potential plan errors or omissions, interpretation of plans and specifications, or other similar matters be directed to the Project Question and Answer Forum.

Bids shall be completed in their entirety utilizing the latest version of the SDEBS. Once a bid is prepared and ready for submission the contractor shall submit their bid via the Department's secure bid submittal website. The Bidder ID and password, together with the Company ID, will be needed to access the secure bid submission site. Please refer to the SDEBS user manual for specific instructions on operating the software and submitting bids.

Bidders may withdraw their bids from the Department's secure bid submittal website, prior to the date and time of letting. After that time, the contractor will no longer be allowed to remove bidding files from the secure bid submission website. Bidders may provide limitations of work to the Bid Letting Engineer prior to the time and date of bid opening. The bidder may state the total dollar volume of work or number of projects he will accept for a particular letting and the Department will determine which project or projects shall be awarded to the bidder within the limits set by the bidder.

The proposal guaranty required and which must accompany each proposal is a certified check, cashier's check or bank draft issued upon a National or State Bank, or a Bid Bond issued in accordance with the laws of South Dakota. Such guaranty shall be payable at sight to the SDDOT for the amount of NOT LESS THAN FIVE (5) PERCENT OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT BID. Bid bonds provided electronically in the SDEBS by utilizing Surety 2000 or SurePath, electronic bid bond holding companies is the preferred method for proposal guaranty. Registration can be performed online at: www.surety2000.com for Surety 2000 customers or http://web.insurevision.com/south-dakota-dot/ for SurePath. Paper copies of bonds will be accepted provided they are received by the Bid Letting office prior to the time and date of bid opening. Annual bonds issued by Surety 2000 or Surepath are acceptable. Renewal of annual bid bonds is the contractor's responsibility. Bidders utilizing certified checks, cashier's check, or bank drafts, must indicate the project number to which the guaranty applies. All Bid Bonds submitted with Joint Ventures must be made out in the name of all parties to the Joint Venture.