Recording offers from companies outside BuildColab

What a self-managed subcontractor is

A self-managed subcontractor is a real company record in BuildColab, so offers, contracts and payment applications can point to it as a party. But it has no employees, no plan and no login. It is owned by your company, and you do everything it would normally do: record its offer, sign its contract and record its payment applications. That is why the actions say "on their behalf" (от негово име).

Do not confuse a self-managed subcontractor with a self-serve request. A self-managed subcontractor is a subcontractor without login that answers your request. A self-serve request is the reverse: a tender you received from a client outside BuildColab. See Incoming offer requests (subcontractor side).

How to add a self-managed subcontractor to a request

1. Open the request panel next to the BoQ: Related (Свързани) → Outgoing bid requests (Изходящи запитвания) → the request.
2. In a draft request click Self-managed contractor (Самоуправляван изпълнител) in the action bar. In a sent request click Add a participant (Добави участник) → Self-managed contractor. A closed request accepts no new participants.
3. In the dialog Create self-managed contractor (Създай самоуправляван изпълнител), enter Company name (Име на компания). Company email (Имейл на компания) and Company phone (Телефон на компания) are optional.
4. Click Add (Добави).

BuildColab does three things at once: it creates the company without login, adds it to your company's Partners (Партньори) list, and attaches it to this request. Its card in Request results/offer status carries the badge Self-managed (Самоуправляван). If the request was a draft, it becomes Sent. Nobody is e-mailed.

To reuse a self-managed subcontractor you created before, pick it in Send to partner (Изпрати към партньор); it shows the Self-managed badge in the list. You can also create one without any request, from the BoQ's "Contract with a contractor" flow. See Self-managed subcontractors and self-contracts.

1. The Add a participant (Добави участник) menu holds Send to partner and Self-managed contractor after the request is sent.
2. The contractor's card with the Self-managed (Самоуправляван) badge.
3. The hint "No offer has been recorded yet for this self-managed contractor."
4. Enter offer on their behalf (Въведи оферта от негово име) starts its offer.

How to enter an offer on their behalf

1. In the request panel, expand the self-managed subcontractor's card. While it has no offer it shows "No offer has been recorded yet for this self-managed contractor."
2. Click Enter offer on their behalf (Въведи оферта от негово име).
3. In Offer name (Име на офертата) type a name, for example the date of the contractor's e-mail, and click Create (Създай).
4. The offer opens in the BoQ editor in on-behalf mode, with the requested positions and no prices. The version button reads Save offer (Запиши офертата). The request, schedule and compare buttons are hidden in this mode.
5. Enter the contractor's unit prices row by row. Or import its priced Excel file through Exchange (Обмен) → import. See Importing a BoQ from Excel.
6. Click Save offer (Запиши офертата).

Saving records the offer as the contractor's answer, "Response #N" on its card, and locks that version. From now on it appears in comparison and award with the Self-managed badge. Until you click Save offer, the offer is a row marked Draft (Чернова) on the card and is not part of the comparison.

Saving on their behalf sends no e-mail and no notification to anyone.

1. The offer name of the on-behalf offer.
2. Exchange (Обмен) holds the import of the contractor's Excel file.
3. Save offer (Запиши офертата) records the offer as the contractor's answer and locks the version.
4. The unit price column where you type the contractor's prices.

Editing, variants and deleting

• Rename: click the offer name on the contractor's card.
• Edit offer on their behalf (Редактирай офертата от негово име): opens the offer again. You can keep editing and saving it, including importing a newer file, until a contract on it has been accepted. Each new save is recorded as an updated answer, which you see as a new response in the comparison.
• Create another offer (Създай нова оферта): adds another named draft for the same contractor, for example an alternative price.
• Delete (Изтрий): asks "Delete offer — Are you sure you want to delete this offer? This action cannot be undone." It is disabled once a contract on that offer was accepted.

There is no Request update button for a self-managed subcontractor's offer, because nobody would answer. You make the change yourself with Edit offer on their behalf.

Comparing, awarding and contracting

• Recorded offers appear in Compare offers and in award mode with the Self-managed (Самоуправляван) badge. See Comparing offers and Awarding (whole or by line items).
• To contract the contractor, open its offer from the card with Review (Разгледай). When your project is in the Execution phase, the header shows Create contract on their behalf (Създай договор от негово име). The contract panel asks for contract type, payment method, deadline, advance payment and warranty retention. Create contract (Създай договор) creates the contract and signs it for both sides at once.
• The contract then appears under Contracts with contractors (Договори с изпълнители) like any other signed contract. Change orders and payment applications for it are also made on their behalf. See Self-managed subcontractors and self-contracts.

With BORO

BORO can do the same steps when you ask, each after an approval card: add a self-managed subcontractor to a request, create an on-behalf offer, record it as the contractor's answer, record that the contractor declined, or delete a draft offer. See What BORO can do.

Permissions and plan

The whole flow needs a paid plan or trial, because Outgoing bid requests and Partners are not in the Free plan.

Common questions

Related

• Self-managed subcontractors and self-contracts
• Creating and sending an offer request
• Comparing offers
• Awarding (whole or by line items)
• Partners