Operational Notice – Updates to the BidCentral Platform
April 30th 2020 - Webinar
April 30th 2020 – [WEBINAR] – In case you missed the previous webinars, you can register for the next one that is scheduled for April 30th at 3:00pm PST.Click here to register for the webinar
March 23rd 2020 - Second Operation Email Sent Out
March 23rd 2020 – Second Operational email sent out to all BidCentral registered users (Free & Premium Accounts)
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March 20th 2020 - Webinar
March 20th 2020 – [WEBINAR] – Take a first look at the new BidCentral platform with the first webinar scheduled for March 20th at 3:00pm PST.
March 16th 2020 - First Operational Email Sent Out
March 16th 2020 – Operational email sent out to all BidCentral registered users (Free & Premium Accounts)
Dear Adam,
In our ongoing commitment to providing you with the best service and project opportunities, we’re moving over to a new BidCentral technology platform on March 31, 2020.
The purpose is to update our infrastructure and improve the user experience, clearing the way for more enhancements over the coming months.
Please watch your inbox. You will receive an email before March 31 which will include instructions on how to update your BidCentral account in the new platform.
The BidCentral team will be in place to assist should you have any questions. You can also check our FAQ page for updates. We suggest you bookmark this page as we will be adding live updates and additional FAQ’s over the next few weeks and months.
We will do our best to complete this task efficiently and avoid any inconvenience to your business. As one of the first and biggest procurement platforms in Canada, we are keen to undertake this renovation and serve you even better in the future.
March 9th 2020 - BCCA Launches Press Release
March 9th 2020 – BCCA launches press release announcing the signing of agreement with eSolutions Group to power the new BidCentral Platform.
How To - Login Page
Q: How do I log in?
A: Head over to https://secure.bidcentral.ca and log in using the email address that you used before. You will need to reset your password to get started. Here’s the link to reset your password: https://secure.bidcentral.ca/forgotpassword
For more information on how to log in, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykdwhAcrrFI
Q: The link that I saved in my favourites / bookmarks doesn’t work anymore. What’s happened?
A: If you have saved a link in your favourites / bookmarks that points to the old platform (anything with the words infinitesource in them), it will no longer work. Delete the shortcut / favourite link and bookmark the new link to log in: https://secure.bidcentral.ca
For more information on how to update your bookmarks, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZxV-5Ud-N8
Q: I’ve forgotten my username / password!
A: No problem! if you don’t remember your password, simply click the “Forgot Password” link on the login page and you will be emailed a link to go to so you can reset your password.
If you do not remember your username, Contact Us and we can help get you setup.
Q: I don’t have an account. How do I create one?
A: Go to http://bidcentral.ca/register/ and setup an account. Once you have registered, your account will be activated once you receive a welcome email from BidCentral.
Q: I’m having troubles getting logged in
A: If you are entering the correct password and userid, and there is no response or error message when logging in, it could be that your browser is the issue. If you are using Internet Explorer, try Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
How To - Dashboard
Q: What is “My Project Calendar”?
A: My Project Calendar is a calendar view of projects that you have followed / subscribed to. The calendar will show when projects are closing and any site visits that are currently scheduled. To follow / subscribe to a project, watch this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojps_xcUgeQ
Q: A project I am interested in is not in the calendar.
A: Make sure that when you find a project you like you click on the Follow button in the top right hand corner of the project. Then it will appear in your calendar, any updates will appear in the My Project Updates section, and will also appear in the Projects I am Following section. To follow / subscribe to a project, watch this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojps_xcUgeQ
Q: What is My Project Updates?
A: My Project Updates is an area on the dashboard that displays updates to projects that you are Following (previously known as Subscribed to). Such updates include addendas, changes in close dates, notifications of site visits, and general updates to the project details.
Q: What is “Projects I Am Following”?
A: This section of the dashboard displays a list of all the projects that you have selected to Follow. (Previously known as Favourites) This is a handy feature if you are interested in multiple projects and want to access them easily. Simply click on the “View” button to access that project.
If you are no longer interested in the project, you can Unfollow the project and it will be removed from the list and you will no longer receive notifications or updates on that project.
Q: What is “Opportunity Matching” on the Dashboard
A: A new feature that we have rolled out is the ability to view your opportunity matching results through the dashboard. When you updated your company account, you may have specified various keywords that relate to your business or keywords for projects that you would like to find. The Opportunity Matching section of the dashboard displays that for you in addition to the nightly emails that go out regarding those opportunities.
Once you’ve checked out the project, if it’s not a fit you can select “Dismiss” to remove it from your dashboard.
For more information about Opportunity Matching, go to “Opportunity & Product Matching”.
Q: What is “Product Matching” on the Dashboard
A: Product Matching is a new feature for manufacturers and suppliers and is only enabled if you have selected Manufacturer/Supplier under Business Category in your Company Profile. Much like Opportunity Matching, this feature enables you to add keywords of brands, makes, or models of products that are relevant to your business. We will notify you via email and through the dashboard if there are projects that match those keywords.
Once you’ve checked out the project, if it’s not a fit you can select “Dismiss” to remove it from your dashboard.
For more information about Opportunity Matching, go to “Opportunity & Product Matching”.
Q: What is “Bid Results” on the Dashboard?
A: The Bid Results section of the dashboard will display a list of projects that you are following that have been Closed. If Awarded or Bid Results are available, they will appear here.
Q: Does Bid Results on the dashboard show ALL bid results?
A: No, the Bid Results section on the dashboard will only show bid results for projects that you are following. To Follow a project (previously Subscribe in the old platform), click on the project and then click on the green button that says “Follow” in the top right hand corner.
If you want to see all Bid Results, use the Project Search page.
How To - Project Search
Q: How do I find projects on BidCentral?
A: To find projects on BidCentral, click on Projects -> Project Search. Once there, on the left hand side you have a number of search options:
My Searches: This is where it will show your Saved Searches. These are your searches that you have saved for future quick reference. For more information on Saved Searches, check out Saved Searches.
Keyword: Enter the word or phrase that you would like to search. Note that this is NOT case sensitive so you can enter uppercase and lowercase.
City: Enter the name of the city you wish to search. You can also leave this blank to search all cities.
Zones: Formerly known as “Hosts” in the previous platform. Select the geographic region you wish to search. Select BC or leave blank to search the entire province.
My Projects / All Projects: You can search for projects you posted versus projects that have been posted on to BidCentral. This is applicable if you are posting projects up on to the platform for companies to bid on. NOTE: I believe this is for your Follow projects as well
Dates: There are several options you can select here.
Date Created: Search by the creation date of the project.
Closing Date: Search for projects by their closing date.
Site Meeting: Search for projects by the date of their site meetings
Last Updated: Search for projects by the date they were last updated
Alternatively, you can leave this blank to search all dates.
Classification of Work: This is an optional field that lets you select whether to search for ICI (Industrial / Commercial / Institutional) projects, Civil projects, or both.
Owner Type: This is an optional field that lets you select what type of project owners you would like to search for. (Residential, College/University, Commercial/Office/Retail, Federal Government, Healthcare Facility, Municipal Government, Schools, Provincial Government).
Stage: Known as the “Status” in the previous platform. The default Stage is set to Open. This is a required field that lets you select which stages you would like to search. Options include: All, PreBid, Open, Closed, Unofficial Results, Awarded, Cancelled. Please note: In Phase 2 of our launch, you will once again have the ability to select more than one Stage at a time.
Procurement Type: This field allows you to search by different types of project procurement stages. The default option is set to ALL, but other options include: Request for Information, Request for Standing Offer, Pre Qualification, Expression of Interest, Notice of Proposed Procurement, Request for Tender, Request for Proposal, Request for Quote.
For more information on how to search for projects, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt3Wh_EblAc
Q: What is “My Searches”?
A: Formerly Saved Searches in the old platform, My Searches is a list of your saved search configurations that you can select. The goal of My Searches is to save you time by not having to re-enter the same search parameters over and over.
To setup a saved search, go into the project search screen and perform a search. Once you have searched, click on Save Search. It will then ask you to enter a name for the search…Give it a name that you will remember “Drywall on Vancouver Island” for example. Then hit Save.
The next time you go into the search projects screen, “Drywall on Vancouver Island” will be an option in the drop-down under My Searches. Select that option and click the magnify glass icon to perform the search.
You can setup as many saved searches as you like and it will save you a lot of time!
For more information on how to setup saved searches, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMvcOVzEG54
Q: What is the VIEW MAP button on the search page?
A: The View Map button is a new feature that has been added to the new platform. It allows you to perform a search and then view the results on a geographical Google map. As with Google maps, you can zoom in / out for more details, change terrains, do a street view and click on the red icons to view the specific projects. For more information on how to use the map view, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN84EEUX0FI
Once you’re finished with the map view you can click the “Go back to Results” link in the top right hand corner to return back to your search.
Q: How do I change the columns that are in the search results?
A: You can add or remove columns from the search result by clicking on the gear icon and selecting or de-selecting items. Remember to click Apply and it will add / remove the columns. Here is a list of all of the available columns you can add into your searches:
Project Number, Project Title, Closing Date, Owner, Addenda, Site Meeting, Project Location Zone, City, Tender Stage, Funding, Owner Number, Bidders, Project Contact(s), Addenda Notes
For more information on how to add / remove columns in your search results, check out this useful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npi6Nr1QNd8
Q: How do I sort my search results?
A: Once you have completed your search, you can sort by column by selecting the arrows on the header of the column to sort by this column. This will allow you to sort by newest to oldest (or oldest to newest), by closing date, and other columns alphabetically or numerically.
How To - Project View
Q: Once I’ve found a project I like, how do I access it?
After you have completed your search, you can access the project by double-clicking on the row or by clicking on the eye symbol on the right.
Q: How can I access the project documents?
A: Once you have loaded the project, you will see a tab across the top called Documents & Addendas. If your account has Premium or Enterprise access, or if you have purchased a one-time access to the project, you will be able to download and view the documents for the project.
Once you select that tab, you’ll see a list of the files and folders for that project.
You can download the files individually or click on the Download All button to download all the files at once. Please note: In Phase 2, you will once again have the option to View documents before downloading plus select specific documents to download at once.
For more information on how to access projects documents, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqV7ifPssek
Q: What is the “Bidders & Contacts” list?
On the Bidders & Contacts section of a project, we will display a list of all the relevant contacts that are pertaining to the project. These include architects, consultants, known plan holders, confirmed bidders, and more.
Q: How can I share a project quickly with someone?
A: This is another new feature we’ve added. When you’re in a project, you’ll see a blue button in the top right hand corner of the screen that says “Share Project”. When you click on this button, it will automatically copy the link to the project onto your computer’s clipboard. From there, you can paste the link wherever you like (email, social media, instant messenger). Tip: Control-V will ‘paste’ the link to your email/message.
For more information on how to share a project, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBPgLfBP8Cg
Q: How do I know where to submit my bid?
A: Depending on the project, it will vary. Some projects will have a web-based online bidding platform. In those cases, there will be a link to click on that is located under Project Details -> Submit Bids To
If there is not a link listed there, most likely the instructions on how to submit your bid will be located in the tender documents located under Documents & Addendas
Q: Where do I go to view addendas?
A: Once you have loaded the project up, look at the Documents and Addendas tab. Typically you will find a folder called Addendas and you’ll be able to see the date that the file was uploaded.
Q: What does the Follow button do?
A: Formerly the Subscribe button in the previous platform. The green Follow button in the top right-hand corner of each project allows you to receive notifications for any updates that happen. It also adds the project on your dashboard so you can access it easier.
For more information on how to follow a project, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojps_xcUgeQ
Q: How can I order prints of a project?
A: When you load a project up on the BidCentral site, in the top right-hand corner of the screen you’ll see a link that says “Order Prints”. When you click on that link a box will appear and ask you to confirm. Once you click “Yes, order prints” it will notify the corresponding regional construction association and they will reach out to you to make arrangements for the prints.
How To - My Account
Q: How do I access my account settings?
A: Click on your name in the very top right-hand corner and select “Account”. This will take you to your own personal account page. From here you can edit your name or reset your password. You can also opt out of receiving opportunity and product matching emails by selecting the Email Opt Out box.
For more information on how to access your company and user profile, check out this helpful video:
Also, from here you can edit your company profile.
Q: How do I edit my company profile?
A: To edit your company profile, first you need to go into your account profile. Click on your name in the very top right-hand corner and select “Account”. This will take you to your own personal account page.
Once in your account select the “Edit Company Profile” button.
All of the information in Section 1 – Company Information cannot be edited. If you need anything corrected here, please contact us.
The rest of the sections here can be edited.
Q: How do I add a new user?
A: We’ve made this process a lot simpler in the new platform. Go to your company profile and under section 2 (User Information) you will see a button Add New User.
Click on that box and then enter the users First Name, Last Name, and Email Address and click on Save.
The email address that you entered will receive an email with a link to click on to complete the creation of their account. It will ask the user to setup a secure password.
How To - Opportunity & Product Matching
Q: What is Opportunity and Product Matching?
A: Opportunity and Product matching is a service that automatically searches through projects and finds relevant projects for you based on keywords that you have entered.
For more information on how to set up opportunity matching, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypw2ZxvfLiE
Q: What’s the difference between Opportunity Matching and Product Matching?
A: They are both similar in that they search through projects based on keywords that you entered.
Opportunity matching searches for project related keywords such as “drywall” or “excavator”.
Product matching is geared more towards manufacturers and suppliers so that they can enter in makes and models of products that are relevant to them. Once they are notified of projects that specify these makes or models, they can sell their products to the project owner or GCs that are bidding on the project.
Q: How do I setup Opportunity or Product Matching?
A: To setup your opportunity matching, click on your name in the top right-hand corner of the screen and go into your account settings. Once in your account settings, click on “Edit Company Profile”. Under section 7 – Categories, you can enter in keywords into the “Matching keywords” for opportunity matching and “Product Matching Keywords” for product matching.
Once you have setup your keywords, you will start receiving emails every night for relevant projects that match your keywords and they will also appear in your dashboard too.
For more information on how to set up opportunity matching, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypw2ZxvfLiE
Q: I’m not getting Opportunity or Product matching emails
A: The first thing to check is that you’re not set as ‘opt-out’ for emails. To do this, click on your name in the top right hand corner, then click on “Account”. Once your account loads, make sure that “Email Opt Out” IS NOT checked!.
If that’s unchecked and you’re still not receiving emails, check to see if those emails are in your spam / junk folder. If they aren’t you’ll want to contact your email provider and make sure that bidcentral.ca is whitelisted in your spam filter settings.
For more information on opting in / out of opportunity matching emails, check out this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYiSbqcq2TI
Q: I don’t have the option to set up Product Matching keywords
A: This is because your company is not setup as a manufacturer/supplier in your company profile. To set this, click on your name in the top right-hand corner of the screen and go into your account settings. Once in your account settings, click on “Edit Company Profile”. Under section 3 – Business Category, make sure that Manufacturer/Supplier is checked. Once Manufacturer/Supplier is checked, the “Product Matching Keyword” will be available.
Q: Where does Opportunity and Product Matching search?
A: Each evening, the system will automatically search through the project info along with all of the tender documents, addendas, and plans for your keywords. If any keywords are matched, it will display the results in an email and also display on your dashboard.
Q: If I unsubscribe from Opportunity / Product Matching, will the rest of my team still receive them?
A: Yes – If you opt out of receiving Opportunity and Product Matching emails, anyone else on your team that has not opted out will still receive them. If you unsubscribe from emails, you will still see matched projects on your dashboard.
Q: I had Opportunity Matching setup in the old system…Will that copy over to the new system?
A: Your opportunity matching settings will not be copied over, but it is a good excuse to go in and add any new keywords since your business might have changed over the years. We’ve also introduced a new feature called Product Matching that lets you specify brands / makes and models if you are a manufacturer and supplier.
General FAQs
Q: What is the new BidCentral?
A: Also known as the “new platform,” BidCentral has been redesigned from the ground up, using newer technology that wasn’t available to us when BidCentral originally started 20 years ago.
Q: Why did you redesign BidCentral?
A: Through direct feedback from BidCentral clients, and subsequent extensive research, it became clear to us that this change was our best option to, not only deliver the best quality product and service we could, but to position us strongly for future product enhancement and evolution.
Q: When will the new BidCentral be available?
A: The new platform will be live to some of our customers on March 23rd, 2020, and available to all customers by April 1, 2020. You will receive an operational email from BidCentral with instructions on how to access the new BidCentral.
Q: Who is eSolutionsGroup?
A: During its 20 years in business, eSolutionsGroup has specialized in providing integrated technologies and advanced mobile applications, including their flagship product bids&tenders, to more than 300 public sector clients across North America. In the past year, the Ontario Construction Alliance Association and its seven regional construction associations also developed their procurement platform, LINK2BUILD, using a digital procurement platform by eSolutionsGroup.
Q: Will my account change?
A: No, your account, subscription, pricing and expiry date will all remain the same. When you log into the new platform for the first time, you will be asked to update your Company Profile which will include:
Business Category
Classification of Work
Owner Type you Work For
And you will also have the option to add in Matching Keyworks for Opportunity Matching, as well as selecting their Categories from the master list.
Q: Will there be any training or preview to the new system?
A: We will be offering webinars leading up to and after the new platform is launched on April 1, 2020. You can find our webinar schedule at www.bidcentral.ca/webinars
Q: What about BidCentral Online Bidding for Subcontractors (BOBS)?
A: The BidCentral Online Bidding for Subcontractors service will remain a part of BidCentral. More information will be provided in the coming weeks.
Q: How do I get support?
A: Support will be available through the Live Chat on www.bidcentral.ca as well as directly contacting [email protected]. Members of the Regional Construction Associations can contact the Project Coordinator staff at their local associations.
BOBS
Please check back for updates on BOBS.
If you have questions and would like to reach us:
Phone: (250) 475-1077
Live Chat: Click on the Live Chat icon 
in the bottom left hand corner to initiate a live chat with us.
Email Us: Please complete the form below to email us and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Table of Contents:
> Getting Started With The New Platform <
#1 – How to Log Into BidCentral
#2 – How to update your bookmarks
#3 – How to Follow a Project
#4 – How to Search for Projects
#5 – How to Use Saved Searches
#6 – How to Use the Map View
#7 – How to Add / Remove Search Columns
#8 – How to Access Project Documents
#9 – How to Share a Project
#10 – How to Set Up Opportunity Matching
#11 – How to Opt In / Out of Opportunity Matching Emails
> Getting Started With The New Platform <
#1 – How to Log Into BidCentral
#2 – How to update your bookmarks
#4 – How to Search for Projects
#5 – How to Use Saved Searches
#7 – How to Add / Remove Search Columns
#8 – How to Access Project Documents
#10 – How to Set Up Opportunity Matching
