Public construction contracts: Submira for construction firms
Updated: 2026-09
On public construction work, much is decided before price: whether your reference projects match the type of build tendered, whether the lot structure matches your capacity, and whether the bill of quantities contains items that will later turn into variations.
Construction work makes up a substantial share of public procurement volume, and it is tendered on its own logic. A construction firm does not compete on a prose specification but on a detailed bill of quantities with hundreds of items — and on reference projects proving that this type of build has been delivered before.
Two mistakes recur. First the lot structure: a project is split into lots, and a firm bids for a lot whose capacity demand does not fit its own resources in the relevant window. Second the reference check: suitability criteria require projects of comparable type and scale, the right evidence exists inside the firm, but nobody finds it in time because it is scattered across project folders.
Then there is variation risk. Items described unclearly or incompletely in the bill of quantities decide the margin later. A firm that spots them while working through the documents can clarify them in the question round instead of carrying them through construction.
How it works
- 01
Cut the search profile by build type and region
Not by the word "construction" but by the build types you actually deliver — structural, civil, refurbishment, specific trades — and by the cantons where you realistically operate.
- 02
Check the lot structure before anything else
On first review, establish how the project is split into lots, which lots fit your capacity, and whether bidding for several lots is permitted.
- 03
Hold reference projects against the suitability criteria
Store your reference projects in the knowledge base — with build type, volume, client and year. Submira then checks per tender which criteria are covered and where a gap remains.
- 04
Work through the bill of quantities for variation risk
Identify items with unclear scope, open quantities or missing execution detail — with a page reference, so the question round can be specific.
- 05
Set programme and sequence against your own workload
Capture the execution window, phasing and interim milestones and test them against live projects before costing anything.
- 06
Decide go/no-go on your own award history
Check how you have fared on this build type, this awarding body and this contract size, rather than deciding on instinct.
Why it fits here
Reference projects are the most common stumbling block in construction suitability checks. Submira’s knowledge base holds them centrally and matches them against the criteria per tender, instead of somebody trawling project folders before the deadline.
AI analysis extracts requirements, deadlines and knock-out criteria from large tender document sets with a source reference — with bills of quantities running to hundreds of items, that is the difference between checking and reading.
Win/loss analytics by canton, build type and contract size show which segments repay the costing effort — with labour-intensive costing, that is the economically most important question.
FAQ
Can I bid for several lots at once?
The individual tender governs this. Some awarding bodies limit the number of lots per bidder or link awards. That condition is in the documents and belongs to the points settled before costing.
What counts as a comparable reference project?
The individual tender defines it — usually with requirements on build type, volume and period. That is why it pays to store references structured by those attributes rather than as a project list.
How do I handle unclear items in the bill of quantities?
Through the question round. The precondition is finding them early enough — which is why systematically working through the documents matters more than costing quickly.
Is this worth it for smaller contractors?
Especially there, because lot structures often contain cuts within reach of smaller firms. The bottleneck is usually not suitability but the capacity to work through the documents in time.
Does Submira replace costing?
No. Submira covers finding, analysing, evidence matching and bid text. Costing stays in your tools and in your responsibility.
Submira
Reference projects are the most common stumbling block in construction suitability checks. Submira’s knowledge base holds them centrally and matches them against the criteria per tender, instead of somebody trawling project folders before the deadline.
AI analysis extracts requirements, deadlines and knock-out criteria from large tender document sets with a source reference — with bills of quantities running to hundreds of items, that is the difference between checking and reading.
Win/loss analytics by canton, build type and contract size show which segments repay the costing effort — with labour-intensive costing, that is the economically most important question.