Design assist and design build solicitations ask the MEP subcontractor to carry design responsibility, a different pursuit from a hard bid, and a sub that does not classify the delivery method misjudges the effort and the risk.
What design assist and design build set
On a design assist or design build MEP solicitation, the subcontractor engages early and carries part or all of the system design, not just the install. The solicitation sets the design responsibility, the deliverables, the qualifications, and the fee structure, which differ sharply from a hard bid to complete drawings.
Why the delivery method is easy to misread
Whether a solicitation is hard bid, design assist, or design build, and the design responsibility that comes with it, sits in the instructions and the scope, not always the title. A sub that misreads it bids the wrong effort and the wrong risk.
How an AI bid agent classifies MEP delivery
An AI bid agent reads each MEP solicitation, classifies the delivery method, and surfaces the design responsibility, the deliverables, and the qualifications that drive the pursuit. The sub bids the actual model.
You can see how the agent classifies a solicitation in our AI bid agent demo for MEP subcontractors. It identifies design assist and design build delivery and the design responsibility that comes with it.