> ## 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.

# Upload tender and bid documents

> Supported file types, size limits, upload steps, ingestion statuses, and how to organize BOQs, RFPs, proposals, and query documents for reliable evaluation.

Document quality is the biggest driver of evaluation quality. TruBuild works with the documents your team already receives, but you get the best results when you upload clean files, place each file in the right workflow, and link every bid submission to the correct contractor. This page covers what you can upload, where, and how to organize files so bid leveling, technical scoring, and query responses run cleanly.

## Supported file types and limits

TruBuild reads content from the formats evaluation teams actually receive: priced Excel workbooks, native and scanned PDFs, Word proposals, and image-based drawings or stamped pages.

| Category      | Extensions                              |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Documents     | `.pdf`, `.docx`, `.doc`, `.txt`         |
| Spreadsheets  | `.xlsx`, `.xls`                         |
| Presentations | `.pptx`                                 |
| Images        | `.png`, `.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.gif`, `.bmp` |
| Archives      | `.zip`, `.7z`                           |

* **Maximum file size**: 5 GB per file. Large files take longer to upload and process.
* **Archives**: `.zip` and `.7z` files are extracted automatically and each inner file is processed on its own. This is the fastest way to upload a full bid submission folder in one drop.
* **Unsupported extensions**: files outside this list are rejected at upload or fail ingestion with an unsupported type reason, so convert them before uploading (for example, export a `.csv` register to `.xlsx`).

<Tip>
  Bidder submissions often arrive as a single ZIP per contractor. Upload the archive as received: you keep the bidder's folder evidence intact and TruBuild still processes every file inside it.
</Tip>

## How to upload

Upload zones appear in package settings, project settings, and directly on the commercial and technical evaluation pages. Empty zones show "No documents uploaded yet. Drag and drop files or click to select."

<Note>
  The **Commercial**, **Technical**, and **Queries** areas appear only if the module is enabled for your organization. If a section you expect is missing, your organization admin can confirm what is enabled; to change it, contact TruBuild support.
</Note>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the package">
    From **All Projects**, open the project, then the tender package you are evaluating.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to the right workflow">
    Open the **Commercial** or **Technical** area for evaluation documents, or the package **Settings** for package-level files. Where you upload determines how the file is used, so keep commercial and technical documents in their own areas.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add files">
    Drag and drop files into the upload zone, or click it to select files. You can add multiple files at once, or drop a single archive containing a full submission.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Link bid documents to the contractor">
    Upload each contractor's submission against that contractor, not only at package level. Commercial comparison and technical scoring both rely on this link.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Watch the ingestion status">
    Each file shows a status badge as it is processed. Wait for **Ingested** before running an evaluation that depends on the file.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Ingestion statuses

Every uploaded file shows one of three status badges.

| Status       | Meaning                                      | What to do                                             |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Pending**  | Uploaded and awaiting processing             | Wait; large files and archives take longer             |
| **Ingested** | Parsed successfully and ready for evaluation | Nothing; the file is usable                            |
| **Failed**   | The file could not be processed              | Check the reason shown on the file, fix, and re-upload |

Common failure causes:

* **Unsupported type**: the extension is not in the supported list. Convert the file (for example, export a `.csv` register to `.xlsx`).
* **Unreadable content**: the file is corrupt, password protected, or a scanned image with no extractable text. OCR scanned PDFs before uploading.
* **Name-only record**: the file was recorded as a filename without content, so there is nothing to parse. Upload the actual file.

## What to upload by workflow

| Workflow              | Required documents                              | Optional documents                                     | Best formats                       |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- |
| Commercial evaluation | Reference BOQ or PTE, contractor priced BOQs    | Commercial PTC responses, revised rounds               | `.xlsx`, `.xls`, text-based `.pdf` |
| Technical evaluation  | RFP or criteria, contractor technical proposals | Issued technical PTCs, contractor responses            | `.pdf`, `.docx`, `.xlsx`           |
| Tender queries        | Query register or tender documents              | RFP context, prior response history, response template | `.xlsx`, `.pdf`, `.docx`, `.doc`   |
| Chat                  | Project or package context files                | Evaluation artifacts and uploaded documents            | Any supported upload               |

<Note>
  Organization-level template documents, such as PTC style documents, are uploaded in **Settings** rather than inside a package. Use them to standardize formats across all projects.
</Note>

## Commercial document standards

### Reference BOQ or PTE

The reference BOQ or PTE is the commercial baseline that every priced submission is leveled against. Upload it once and treat it as controlled evidence: if the baseline changes mid-tender, bid leveling and variance analysis lose their anchor.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Preferred Excel structure">
    * Keep the BOQ in Excel whenever possible.
    * Use clear headers such as item number, description, unit, quantity, rate, and amount.
    * Avoid merged header cells, hidden rows, and decorative title blocks above the real table.
    * Keep units consistent across the file.
    * Keep subtotal, provisional sum, and prime cost rows distinct from priced line items so they are not double counted.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Package and asset splits">
    * Use a package for the tender package being awarded.
    * Use assets when commercial scope needs separate comparisons, such as towers, plots, zones, or workstreams.
    * Keep asset naming consistent with the tender strategy and award pack.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Contractor priced submissions

Upload each contractor's commercial submission against that contractor. TruBuild uses a contractor-specific file layout when running commercial comparisons, so a priced BOQ sitting only at package level will not appear in the leveling.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Best bidder instruction">
    Require bidders to return the issued Excel template. This is the single highest-impact instruction for extraction quality: identical line structures level cleanly, while restructured BOQs force manual alignment review of unit rates and scope gaps.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What to check before running">
    * Every expected contractor has at least one priced submission file showing **Ingested**.
    * Currency matches the package currency, or the commercial team has noted the mismatch.
    * Revised submissions are uploaded to the right round or response stage.
    * Scanned-only PDFs have been OCR processed before upload.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Technical document standards

Technical evaluation depends on clear criteria and contractor proposal structure. Evaluators typically check methodology, program, resources, HSE, and quality systems, and the AI draft is only as specific as the criteria and proposals allow.

| Document            | Standard                                                                         |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| RFP                 | Native PDF or Word with headings, criteria, appendices, and page numbers intact  |
| Criteria matrix     | Excel or Word with criterion title, description, weight, and scoring guidance    |
| Contractor proposal | One or more PDF or Word files linked to the correct contractor                   |
| PTC responses       | Uploaded as round responses and linked to the affected contractor where possible |

For post-tender clarification rounds, keep issued questions and contractor responses separate from the original proposal. That separation makes it easier to decide which criteria should be rerun and which scores should carry forward.

## Tender query document standards

Tender queries support register imports and controlled response generation. Two upload habits matter most:

* **Match tenderer organization names to package contractor names.** Consistent naming is what links each query to the right bidder and keeps duplicate detection accurate.
* **Preserve external query numbers and references** (RFP section, drawing, circular) when importing a register, so responses trace back to the source documents.

For query fields, statuses, and the full import walkthrough, see [Tender queries](/platform/tender-queries).

## File quality checks

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Text-based PDF check">
    Open the PDF and try to select a sentence. If you cannot select text, OCR the file before upload.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Excel quality check">
    Open the workbook and confirm the actual table starts near the top, headers are visible, and prices are not hidden behind formulas or merged blocks.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Contractor naming check">
    Use the same contractor name across package setup, file names, tender query imports, and PTC response documents.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Round control check">
    Do not overwrite Round 1 evidence with Round 2 evidence. Upload revisions as round responses or create a new round. Auditors and award committees expect to see how pricing and scores moved between rounds.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Naming conventions

Pick a convention before the first large tender. A simple pattern works well:

```text theme={null}
<package>-<contractor>-<workflow>-<round>-<date>.<ext>
```

Examples:

```text theme={null}
hvac-contractor-a-commercial-r1-2026-04-20.xlsx
hvac-contractor-a-technical-r1-2026-04-20.pdf
hvac-issued-ptc-r2-2026-05-02.xlsx
hvac-query-responses-circular-03-2026-05-08.docx
```

## Access and data handling

Uploaded files are filed against the package, asset, contractor, and round they belong to. Who can see a file follows your project and package roles: commercial documents are visible to commercial and full-access roles, technical documents to technical and full-access roles, and viewers get read-only access to both. Organization Owners and Admins always have full access. See [Roles and permissions](/get-started/roles-permissions) for the full mapping.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="A file stays on Pending">
    Large files and archives take longer to process. If a file does not move to **Ingested** after an extended wait, re-upload it or contact TruBuild support.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A file shows Failed">
    Check the reason shown on the file. Convert unsupported formats to a supported extension, remove password protection, and OCR scanned PDFs, then re-upload.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Commercial extraction missed prices">
    Check whether the price columns were hidden, merged, split across multiple sheets, or supplied as a scanned PDF. Re-upload a clean Excel file where possible.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A contractor is missing from comparison">
    Confirm the contractor exists on the package and the file is uploaded against that contractor, not only at package level.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Technical scoring seems thin">
    Check proposal structure and criteria quality. Vague criteria and poorly sectioned proposals produce weaker justifications.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Query duplicates are noisy">
    Normalize tenderer organization names and preserve prior response history. Duplicate detection improves when historical responses are consistently categorized.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Commercial evaluation" icon="calculator" href="/platform/commercial-eval">
    Run a commercial comparison after files are ready.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Technical evaluation" icon="clipboard-check" href="/platform/technical-eval">
    Score contractor proposals against your criteria.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tender queries" icon="circle-question" href="/platform/tender-queries">
    Manage query imports, approvals, and circulars.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create your first project" icon="folder-plus" href="/get-started/first-project">
    Set up the project, package, and bidder list files attach to.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>