Subcontracting preparation
How to compare subcontractor quotes before you build your bid
Use a scope comparison, a worked example, and a short decision record to spot missing costs and delivery gaps before choosing a subcontractor.
Compare the work before comparing the totals
Two subcontractor quotes can name the same service and still cover different work. One may include supplies and supervision; another may assume you provide both. The lower total is not useful until you know what it buys.
This is a suggested internal comparison workflow, not a government-required form or a substitute for procurement-specific cost or price analysis. It helps you identify differences, ask targeted follow-up questions, and keep the reasoning behind your selection.
Give each supplier the same scope baseline
Start with a dated scope package: the work, location, quantities, service frequency, performance period, and relevant technical requirements. Identify the document versions and amendments used. Share only information you are authorized to disclose.
Ask each supplier to identify inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, start availability, quote validity, payment terms, and the person authorized to clarify the offer. Separate a requested alternative from a quote for the baseline work.
If suppliers priced different versions, pause the ranking. Send the current scope and request a revision. A spreadsheet cannot repair an estimate based on the wrong requirement.
Build a comparison sheet with six fields
For each work item, record: source requirement; Supplier A coverage; Supplier B coverage; unresolved difference; cost or schedule effect; and the person responsible for clarification. Use Included, Excluded, and Unconfirmed instead of treating a blank as a yes.
Review labor coverage, materials, equipment, travel, supervision, quality checks, mobilization, and any specified insurance or credentials. Check which party supplies each item. Do not impose requirements that are not relevant to the actual work.
Keep the quoted total separate from your internal planning estimate. If you add an allowance for an exclusion, label the amount as your estimate and record its basis. It does not become the supplier's commitment until confirmed.
Illustrative example: the cheaper cleaning quote
These suppliers, prices, and requirements are invented for illustration, not market rates or an active opportunity. Suppose the common scope is one month of a defined cleaning service, including consumables and an opening deep clean.
Supplier A quotes $4,800 but excludes consumables and the opening deep clean. Supplier B quotes $5,600 and explicitly includes both. Your provisional estimates for A's exclusions are $600 and $900.
For the first month, A's planning total is $4,800 + $600 + $900 = $6,300, compared with B's stated $5,600. That reverses the apparent ranking, but only if the allowances are realistic and the remaining scope is equivalent. Ask A for a complete written revision before relying on that comparison.
Do not apply the one-time $900 deep-clean amount to every month. A provisional recurring comparison would be $5,400 for A, while B's later-month price still needs clarification. Compare the same period, quantities, and one-time costs before choosing either supplier.
This example does not establish price reasonableness, account for your own management costs, or determine the final price you should offer the government.
Check delivery and payment assumptions too
A complete price still needs a credible delivery plan. Ask who performs the work, whether the necessary capacity is available during the proposed period, and what evidence supports relevant experience. Do not mistake a general expression of interest for a confirmed staffing commitment.
Record when the supplier expects payment and when your business expects to incur other costs. Review those dates against the actual contract terms and your available cash. Do not assume a supplier will wait until the government pays you.
Keep a separate check for applicable subcontracting restrictions, required approvals, and contractual terms. A favorable quote does not establish that the proposed arrangement is permitted. Resolve material questions through the appropriate contracting or professional-advice channel.
Document the analysis required for your procurement
FAR 15.404-3 addresses subcontract pricing considerations, including appropriate cost or price analysis of proposed subcontract prices. Where applicable, a simple comparison of totals may not satisfy the analysis or supporting-data requirements. Check the solicitation, incorporated provisions, and relevant agency instructions.
In the subcontract-consent context, FAR 44.202-2 includes considerations such as price analysis, the basis for selecting a supplier, and whether prime-contract technical requirements have been translated into subcontract requirements. This is not a statement that every subcontract requires consent.
Your internal comparison should support the required review, not replace it. Keep current written quotes, scope versions, clarification responses, and the basis for any estimate together so another reviewer can follow the decision.
Close with a short selection record
Before carrying a supplier's number into your bid, write down: which quote and revision you used; what is included; what remains unresolved; why this supplier is suitable; who approved the decision; and when the quote expires. Mark a selection provisional if a material condition remains open.
If the government changes the scope or the supplier revises a term, reopen the affected comparison rather than copying the old total forward. Update both the estimate and the delivery plan.
Use BidGovAI to organize your company information and selected pursuits while keeping this comparison with your working files. Features depend on membership. The platform does not negotiate supplier commitments or establish subcontracting compliance for you.
Your next steps
- Send the same dated scope and document versions to each supplier.
- Mark each item Included, Excluded, or Unconfirmed.
- Separate quoted amounts from your provisional allowances.
- Compare the same quantities, periods, and one-time costs.
- Confirm availability, quote validity, and payment assumptions.
- Check the applicable analysis, approvals, and subcontracting requirements.
- Save the revised quote and a short, reviewable selection decision.