# Award or Decline Bids

## Summary

In BuilderPal, awarding a bid officially assigns one or more trades to a subcontractor and moves the project forward. There is **no formal “Decline” button** — this is intentional. Bids are declined implicitly by awarding a bidder or by letting un-awarded bids expire naturally. This mirrors real-world construction bidding practices, reduces unnecessary negative notifications to subcontractors, and keeps communication professional and focused on positive outcomes.

You can award from either the **Bid Conversation** or the **Bid Leveling** tab — both trigger the exact same award flow. Partial awards are fully supported (you can split scopes across multiple subcontractors), and you can un-award at any time without penalty if plans change.

Once awarded, the subcontractor receives a notification and must formally **Accept the Award** from their side before the assignment is locked in.


## Prerequisites

- You are an Admin (GC), Team Business Manager, or Team Project Manager on the project
- A bid package has been sent out
- At least one subcontractor has submitted a bid

## Steps

1. **Go to the Bidding section of your project** — Open the project and select the **Bidding** tab.

    ![](https://scribehow.com/shared/Award_Bid_Package__f8HfsGzURl2IiGSRVa4gnA?redirect=false&step=1)

2. **Select the trade you want to award** — Click the trade (e.g., Electrical, Plumbing, Framing, etc.) to open its bid overview.

    ![](https://scribehow.com/shared/Award_Bid_Package__f8HfsGzURl2IiGSRVa4gnA?redirect=false&step=2)

3. **Open the bidder’s Bid Conversation** — Click the subcontractor’s name or bid card to open the conversation panel.

    ![](https://scribehow.com/shared/Award_Bid_Package__f8HfsGzURl2IiGSRVa4gnA?redirect=false&step=3)

4. **Start the award process** — At the top of the Bid Conversation, click **Award Bid**.

    ![](https://scribehow.com/shared/Award_Bid_Package__f8HfsGzURl2IiGSRVa4gnA?redirect=false&step=4)

5. **Choose which trades to award** — In the Award Bid modal, toggle the specific trades or select all. You may award the entire package or split scopes across multiple subcontractors.

    ![](https://scribehow.com/shared/Award_Bid_Package__f8HfsGzURl2IiGSRVa4gnA?redirect=false&step=5)

6. **Assign the subcontractor to your directory** — For each awarded trade, either select an existing contact or create a new subcontractor record.

    ![](https://scribehow.com/shared/Award_Bid_Package__f8HfsGzURl2IiGSRVa4gnA?redirect=false&step=6)

7. **Finalize and send the award** — Review the summary, then click **AWARD BID**.

![](https://colony-recorder.s3.amazonaws.com/files/2025-11-21/5a7cc992-84e2-427a-b3b6-26d034ff8cec/stack_animation.webp)
 
## Confirmation

The Bid Conversation now shows the **AWARDED** badge and the button changes to **Unaward Job**. The subcontractor receives an Inbox notification and can accept the award from their side. In Bid Leveling, the awarded bidder is highlighted with an **AWARDED** label.



## FAQ

**Can I award only some trades to a subcontractor and the rest to another?**  
Yes. Use the toggles in the Award Bid modal to split scopes however you need.

**What happens to the other bidders when I award one?**  
They remain in “Submitted” status. You can let their bids expire naturally or manually un-award if you change your mind — no explicit decline notification is sent.

**Do I have to wait for the subcontractor to accept before proceeding?**  
No. You can continue assigning tasks, actions, schedule items, etc. immediately. Their acceptance simply confirms their commitment and locks the assignment.



**Is the award process the same on mobile?**  
Yes — the entire flow (review → award → assign → confirm) is fully available in the BuilderPal mobile app.

  

## Related Articles

- [Bid Conversations](https://docs.builderpal.com/books/hire-trades-manage-bids/page/bid-conversations)
- [Bid Leveling and Comparing Estimates](https://docs.builderpal.com/books/hire-trades-manage-bids/page/bid-levelling-and-comparing-estimates)
- [Communication with Actions](https://docs.builderpal.com/books/actions/page/communication-with-actions)
- [Send a Bid Package](https://docs.builderpal.com/books/hire-trades-manage-bids/page/send-a-bid-package)
- [Subcontractor View – Accepting an Award](https://docs.builderpal.com/books/bidding-as-a-subcontractor/page/bid-on-a-job)