> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trubuild.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create your first project and package

> Set up a project, configure a tender package with evaluation weights, currency, and bidders, and run one real evaluation to prove the operating model.

Use your first package to prove the operating model, not every edge case. Pick one live tender with a small evaluator group, real contractor documents, and a procurement manager who can make decisions quickly.

In TruBuild, a **project** represents the program or development, and a **package** represents one tender being procured within it (for example HVAC, facade, or enabling works). A package is the unit you evaluate and award, so almost everything that matters for evaluation lives at package level:

| Setting                               | Lives at | Why                                                                      |
| ------------------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Name and country                      | Project  | Groups packages and sets regional defaults, including suggested currency |
| Currency                              | Package  | Bids are leveled in one currency per tender                              |
| Technical and commercial weights      | Package  | The split is agreed per tender in the evaluation plan                    |
| Bidder list                           | Package  | Each tender has its own set of invited contractors                       |
| Evaluation rounds, documents, queries | Package  | Evidence stays scoped to the tender being awarded                        |

## Before you start

<Note>
  * Only organization **Owners** and **Admins** can create projects. Other users see "You do not have permission to create projects."
  * To create a package, you need full access on the project: Project Lead, or an organization Owner or Admin. Commercial and Technical Leads see "You need full access to this project to create a package here."
  * The **Commercial**, **Technical**, and **Queries** areas and AI chat appear only if the module is enabled for your organization. If a section you expect is missing, check [which modules are enabled](/get-started/setup-account#4-confirm-which-modules-are-enabled) before debugging roles.
</Note>

Have three things agreed before you open the app: the technical/commercial weight split from your tender strategy or evaluation plan, the tender currency, and the exact legal names of the invited bidders.

## 1. Create the project

Project creation is a short guided stepper: name, country, confirm.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the create page">
    In the sidebar, go to **All Projects** and click **Create Project**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name the project">
    Enter the name in the **Enter project name** field. Use the real program or development name: this is the name your team, and later your award committee, will recognize in exports and audit records.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the project country">
    Choose the country from the dropdown. It defaults to your organization's country and drives the default currency offered when you create packages, so set it correctly now.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click **Create Project**. TruBuild opens the new project page, where you can add packages.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 2. Create the package

Package creation has two steps: package details, then bidders.

### Step 1: package details

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add a package">
    From the project page, click **Add Package** and enter the package name. Match the name used in your tender strategy and award pack, for example "Package 04 - HVAC".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the currency">
    The currency defaults from the project country. If bidders will price in a different currency, set the package currency to the tender currency now rather than converting later: bid leveling compares like for like only when every submission is priced in the package currency.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the technical weight">
    Drag the technical weight slider (it moves in 5% steps). The commercial weight fills in automatically as the remainder, and the preview shows the split. Set the split your evaluation committee approved before bids are opened: changing weights after prices are known undermines the audit trail and invites challenge from bidders.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Typical splits: 30/70 technical/commercial for well-defined trade packages priced against a firm BOQ, 40/60 or higher where methodology, program, or design input carries real delivery risk. Whatever you choose, it should trace back to a documented evaluation plan, not to this screen.
</Tip>

### Step 2: bidders

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add each tendering contractor">
    Use **Search Existing** to pull a contractor from the vendor database, or **Add New** to type a name and click **Add**. Remove a contractor with the **X** next to its name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the package">
    Click **Create Package**. TruBuild opens the package page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Add at least two bidders so comparison and bid leveling have something to compare. Add every invited bidder now, even ones you expect to decline: a complete list is your record of the tender field, and you can note non-submissions later.

<Warning>
  Enter contractor names exactly as they appear on submissions, and reuse the same names in file names and query imports. Consistent naming is what keeps every document, score, and clarification linked to the right bidder. See [Document standards](/get-started/upload-documents).
</Warning>

## 3. Assign access

Open **Members** from the package or project header and assign roles before uploading anything sensitive:

* Procurement manager: **Project Lead** or **Package Lead**
* QS and commercial evaluators: **Commercial Team**
* Discipline and technical evaluators: **Technical Team**
* Owner reviewers and committee members: **Package Viewer** or **Project Viewer**

This separation keeps pricing invisible to technical scorers and vice versa, which matters for owner-led and regulated tenders. Package roles override project roles, so you can hold someone to a tighter role on a sensitive package. See [Roles and permissions](/get-started/roles-permissions) for the full model.

## 4. Choose the first workflow

Pick the workflow with the cleanest available documents. Each pilot below is a shallow first pass; the linked platform pages cover the full workflow.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Commercial-first pilot" icon="calculator" href="#commercial-first-pilot">
    Best when you have a clean Excel BOQ and contractor priced submissions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Technical-first pilot" icon="list-check" href="#technical-first-pilot">
    Best when the RFP criteria and contractor proposals are ready.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Queries-first pilot" icon="circle-question" href="#queries-first-pilot">
    Best when bidder questions are already arriving and the team needs control.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Chat-first pilot" icon="comment" href="#chat-first-pilot">
    Best when the team wants fast, grounded answers over package context.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Uploaded files show **Pending** while TruBuild processes them, then **Ingested** when ready. Wait for **Ingested** before running a comparison, scoring round, or chat session. A **Failed** status shows the reason so you can fix and re-upload the file. See [Document standards](/get-started/upload-documents) for file quality rules.
</Tip>

## Commercial-first pilot

Use this path when the commercial team has the reference BOQ or PTE and contractor priced submissions. Full workflow: [Commercial evaluation](/platform/commercial-eval).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Upload the reference basis">
    Upload the BOQ, PTE, or commercial template in the **Commercial** area. This is the baseline every bid is leveled against, so treat it as controlled evidence.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload contractor submissions">
    Upload each priced submission against the correct contractor. A submission uploaded at the wrong level will be missing from the comparison.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a commercial round">
    Click **Run New Round** on the commercial page and complete the evaluation wizard. Rounds default to "Round 1", "Round 2", and so on; rename the round afterward to something clear such as "Round 1 - initial pricing".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the comparison">
    Review totals, unpriced scope, exclusions, deviations, arithmetic checks, and high-spread areas. High spread on a line usually signals a scope-interpretation gap, not just aggressive pricing, so flag it for clarification rather than averaging it away.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare commercial PTCs">
    Edit the contractor-specific clarification rows and export the comparison for review.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Technical-first pilot

Use this path when the technical team has criteria or an RFP plus contractor technical submissions. Full workflow: [Technical evaluation](/platform/technical-eval).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Upload criteria or RFP">
    Use an existing criteria matrix where available. If not, use the RFP as the source of criteria.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload contractor proposals">
    Keep files linked to the correct contractor.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the first technical round">
    Create the round. Technical rounds are labelled automatically: the first is **Initial Submission**, and later PTC rounds become **Round 1**, **Round 2**, and so on. Organization admins can standardize custom round labels in [Settings](/get-started/settings).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run scoring">
    Let TruBuild prepare draft scores and justifications against each criterion.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and override">
    Evaluators inspect the AI draft, make judgment calls, and record changes. Treat the draft as evidence for the evaluator, never as the final score.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Queries-first pilot

Use this path when the immediate pain is managing bidder questions and response approvals. Full workflow: [Tender queries](/platform/tender-queries).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open package queries">
    Start from the **Queries** register on the package.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import questions">
    Upload the Excel, PDF, or Word query document you received, keeping the external query numbers intact.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Categorize and assign">
    Assign each query to Technical, Commercial, Contractual, or General owners.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Draft and approve">
    Use AI drafts, RFP context, and consistency checks where useful, then send responses through your approved channel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Close the loop">
    Mark sent and closed statuses, and capture any amendment requirement so it reaches all bidders, not just the one who asked.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Chat-first pilot

Use this path when the team wants to test AI assistance against real package context. Full workflow: [AI chat](/platform/chat).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Upload representative documents">
    Add an RFP, BOQ, technical submission, or query document and wait for **Ingested** status.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open chat">
    Ask scoped questions such as "Which package risks remain open?" or "Summarize Contractor A's commissioning approach."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify against the source">
    Use chat to find and summarize evidence, then verify important claims against the source documents or the structured evaluation screens.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Fix a setup mistake

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Wrong package name, currency, or weights">
    Users with full access (Project Lead, Package Lead, or an organization Owner or Admin) can edit the package from the **Settings** button in the package header. Owners and Admins can also edit it from **Settings** in the sidebar, under the Packages section. If bids have already been opened, do not change the weight split without a documented committee decision.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Package or project created by mistake">
    Archive it from **Settings**: projects under the Projects section, packages under the Packages section. Archived items move to a separate list and can be restored later, so no evaluation evidence is lost.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Missing or misspelled bidder">
    The contractor list is set during package creation. If a bidder is missing or misspelled, archive the package from **Settings** and recreate it with the correct contractor list, then re-upload any files against the correct contractor before running a comparison.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Pilot review

After the first package, review:

| Question                                  | Why it matters                                                  |
| ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Were roles scoped correctly?              | Prevents commercial/technical leakage and overbroad access      |
| Which documents caused extraction issues? | Improves bidder instructions before wider rollout               |
| Were round names and evidence clear?      | Makes committee and audit review easier                         |
| Did evaluators understand overrides?      | Confirms AI is being used as draft evidence, not final judgment |
| Are open queries blocking award?          | Keeps the package from moving ahead with unresolved risk        |

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Document standards" icon="file-lines" href="/get-started/upload-documents">
    Standardize BOQs, proposals, and query imports before wider rollout.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Roles and permissions" icon="user-shield" href="/get-started/roles-permissions">
    Map your full team to the three access layers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Evaluation governance" icon="scale-balanced" href="/platform/evaluation-governance">
    Turn the pilot into a repeatable control model.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Award readiness" icon="building-columns" href="/platform/award-readiness">
    Check whether the package evidence is committee-ready.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>