Partners
On this page
| Where | Company sidebar → Partners (Партньори): /companies/{company}/partners |
|---|---|
| Who can | Partners (Партньори) at View to open the list; at Edit to add, open and edit partners. Paid plans only. |
| Related | Creating and sending an offer request, Self-managed subcontractors and self-contracts, Recording offers from companies outside BuildColab |
What a partner is
A partner is an entry in your company's partner list with a company name, a company e-mail and, optionally, a phone. Behind it there is one of two kinds of company:
| Kind | How you recognize it | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| A company that uses BuildColab | No badge next to the name | The partner's own people receive your offer requests, answer them with their offers, sign contracts and submit payment applications in their own BuildColab account. The link between your company and theirs (a partnership) is created when you pick their registered company while adding the partner, or later, when one of their people opens your offer request and chooses which of their companies answers it. |
| A self-managed subcontractor | Badge Self-managed (Самоуправляван), tooltip "Self-managed contractor" | A company without its own BuildColab access. You enter its offers, sign its contracts and record its payment applications on its behalf. You create self-managed subcontractors from the offer-request panel or the bill of quantities (BoQ) subcontract dialog, not from the Partners page; their e-mail is optional. |
The Self-managed badge appears everywhere partners are listed or picked: in the Partners table, when adding recipients to an offer request, in partner search when sharing files, and in the list of partners eligible for an offer request.
The Partners page
Open Partners (Партньори) in the company sidebar. The page shows a search field, the Add partner button and the table of all partners.
- The search field filters the table by name or e-mail.
- Add partner opens the dialog for adding a partner.
- The Self-managed badge marks partners without their own BuildColab access.
- The open icon in the Actions column opens the partner's side panel.
| Column | Bulgarian label | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Partner | Партньор | Initials, company name and the Self-managed badge where it applies. |
| Company email | Имейл на компания | The partner's e-mail. |
| Company phone | Телефон на компания | The phone, or a dash. |
| Actions | Действия | Open (Отвори) icon; clicking the row does the same. |
The search field "Search by name or email" (Търси по име или имейл) filters the list as you type; the cross clears it. All partners are loaded at once; there is no paging or sorting.
How to add a partner
- On the Partners page, click Add partner (Добави партньор).
- In the dialog, type at least 3 characters of the company's name in Search company (Търси компания). Matching companies registered in BuildColab appear with their name and e-mail.
- If the company is in the list, select it and click Add partner. The partner is added with that company's name and e-mail, and your two companies are linked at once.
- If the company is not in the list, click Create partner (Създай партньор) at the bottom of the results. The form Create partner (Създаване на партньор) opens.
- Fill in Company name, Company email and, if you want, Company phone, then click Add (Добави).
- The dialog "Partner added successfully" (Успешно добавяне на партньор) confirms it. Click Close (Затвори). The partner appears in the table.
- Search company searches companies registered in BuildColab after 3 characters.
- Create partner opens the form for a company that is not in BuildColab.
- A result shows the company name and e-mail.
| Field | Bulgarian label | Required | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company name | Име на компания | Yes | "Required field" if empty. |
| Company email | Имейл на компания | Yes | A valid e-mail; otherwise "Invalid email". The e-mail identifies the partner and cannot be changed later. |
| Company phone | Телефон на компания | No | Digits only, 7 to 12 digits: "The phone number must be 7 to 12 digits". |
Adding a partner does not send them any e-mail. They hear from you when you send them an offer request: on the first send of a given request, every partner with an e-mail gets one e-mail; later changes, revisions and withdrawals reach them only as in-app notifications. Self-managed subcontractors get no e-mails. Every BuildColab e-mail is in Bulgarian or English: the recipient's saved profile language when the address belongs to a BuildColab account that has one, otherwise the language of the person who sent the request, otherwise Bulgarian. If adding fails, the message "An error occurred while creating the partner" or "Error creating partner: {error}" explains why. The same search-or-create dialog is used when you add recipients to an offer request.
How to view and edit a partner
- On the Partners page, click the partner's row or its open icon. A side panel titled with the partner's name opens on the right.
- Change Company name or Company phone. Company email is read-only.
- Click Edit (Редактирай) to save, or Back (Назад) to close without saving. The toast "Partner updated successfully" confirms the change.
- Company name can be changed.
- Company email is read-only.
- Company phone can be changed (7 to 12 digits).
- Edit saves the changes.
The panel also has the fields Specialty (Специалност) and Shared projects (Общи проекти); they are read-only and currently show a dash. Opening a partner needs Partners at Edit; with View only you see the list but clicking a row shows "You do not have permission to access this feature. Contact an administrator."
How a partner connects to your offer request
When you send an offer request to a partner that is not yet linked to a BuildColab company, the person at the partner's e-mail opens the link and chooses the company that will answer:
- The page Select an organization (Изберете организация) lists the companies they belong to: "Continue to review the bid request through the organization you belong to."
- They pick a company and confirm "Confirm opening partnership" with Yes (Да). Your two companies are linked and the received offer request opens, ready to be answered.
- If they have no suitable company, Choose another organization offers Create a new organization (pre-filled with the details you entered for the partner) or Join an organization through Invites.
The partner's side is described in Incoming offer requests (subcontractor side).
Where partners are used
- Offer requests: you choose recipients from your partners and can withdraw a partner from a request.
- Contracts, change orders and payment applications: the other party is always a partner.
- Subcontracting part of a BoQ: the subcontract dialog offers your self-managed subcontractors; creating a new self-managed subcontractor needs Partners at Edit.
- Files: you can share files with partners.
Common questions
Why can't I find a company when adding a partner?
Search starts after 3 characters and only finds companies registered in BuildColab. If the company is not registered, click Create partner and enter its name and e-mail.
How do I change a partner's e-mail?
You cannot; the e-mail identifies the partner. If the partner uses a different e-mail now, add them again as a new partner with the right e-mail.
How do I delete a partner?
Partners cannot be deleted or archived in BuildColab. Unused partners simply stay in the list.
Does the partner get an e-mail when I add them?
No. BuildColab e-mails the partner only when you first send them an offer request.
What does the "Self-managed" badge mean?
The partner has no BuildColab access of its own. You record its offers, contracts and payment applications yourself. See Self-managed subcontractors and self-contracts.
Why is the Partners entry locked?
Either your role lacks the Partners permission ("You don't have access to this section"), or your company is on the Free plan ("This feature is in a higher plan").