What is Changing?
- Effective July 31st, 2023, certain data that is currently publicly posted by our agencies will be protected and only accessible behind a login wall.
- This includes project documents, addenda, plan takers, and any additional information not provided in the bid details section.
- However, please note that the information behind the login will still be available for free access.
Reasons for the Change
The decision to implement this change is driven by several factors.
- We have been experiencing performance issues due to data scraping by competitors who are stealing our posted bids. This has forced us to scale up our hosting, incurring additional costs without any return.
- Suppliers have expressed frustration when applying for bids on competitor sites, only to find out that they are redirected to our platform and are required to pay for a second supplier subscription. (*Contingent to the bids&tenders Client and/ or to provincial guidelines where suppliers may be required to pay)
- Confusion amongst our clients as well, as they were unaware that their projects on our platform were being posted on other bidding platforms.
- Due to the public nature of the bids, we have no legal recourse to trace who is taking the bids, especially with data scrapers operating globally.
How it is Changing (Free with a Login)
With the release of bids&tenders 5.1.6 on July 31st, 2023, certain data will be hidden behind a login as prescribed above. However, we want to emphasize that this information will remain FREE to access, ensuring a seamless experience for our users. Suppliers will simply need to create a login or an account (if not created previously) to preview the documents for free. (*Contingent to the bids&tenders Client and/ or to provincial guidelines where suppliers may be required to pay)
We trust that this update clarifies the upcoming changes regarding accessing project documents. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the Support Team directly. Alternatively, you can visit our user guide for self-help. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
From your bids&tenders Team