How do I generate a Bill or Sub-Contract from a Bid?

Creating a Subcontract or Purchase Order from an Estimate

In Contractor Foreman, you can use an approved Estimate to set up the information needed for Procurement. A Vendor or Subcontractor must be assigned to the appropriate Estimate line item before the Project is created. Once the Project is created, the Procurement tab can be enabled when the Estimate’s Assigned To field is populated.

Method 1: Using the Bid Manager

If you received bids through a Bid Package, you can award the bid to the Vendor or Subcontractor you want to use.

1. Go to Estimates from the Main Menu.
2. Open the Estimate.
3. Select Bidding from the left panel.
4. Open the appropriate Bid Package.
5. Select Submissions.
6. Find the Vendor or Subcontractor you want to select.
7. Use the dropdown below the bidder’s name and select Awarded.
8. Click Save.

After saving, Contractor Foreman may ask whether you want to update the Estimate item prices based on the awarded bid. It may also ask whether you want to email the winning and unsuccessful bidders.

Method 2: Using the Assigned-To Field

You can also assign a Vendor or Subcontractor directly to an Estimate line item.

1. Open the Estimate.
2. Select Items from the left panel.
3. Open the appropriate Estimate line item.

4. In the Assigned To field, select the Vendor or Subcontractor responsible for the item.

5. Save the Estimate item.

The assigned Vendor or Subcontractor will appear in the Estimate’s Assigned To field. This assignment is important because Contractor Foreman uses it to determine whether the Procurement tab should be enabled when the Project is created.

Creating the Project and accessing the Procurement 

After the Estimate is finalized and the Vendor or Subcontractor has been assigned to the relevant Estimate line items, create the Project from the Estimate.

When the Project is created, Contractor Foreman checks the Assigned To information. If the appropriate line items have a Vendor or Subcontractor assigned, the Procurement tab can be enabled for the Project. If the Assigned To field is not populated, the Procurement tab will not be shown.

Key Takeaway

To move from an Estimate to Procurement:

Award a Bid or assign a Vendor/Subcontractor → Make sure the Estimate is finalized/approved → Create the Project → Use the Procurement tab.

This workflow helps carry Vendor and Subcontractor assignments from the estimating process into Project procurement.