Supporting transparent and accessible public works procurement

BidAmerica is a contractor plan room that helps expand awareness of public works opportunities across California while working in conjunction with agency procurement systems.

Have questions about contractor plan rooms? Contact us.

BidAmerica is a California-based contractor plan room founded in 1996 by Steve Doulames, P.E., a licensed civil engineer and former general engineering contractor. Our mission is to enhance access to public works opportunities throughout California by collecting and distributing project bidding documents to contractors in a centralized and easily navigable format.

We serve contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and small businesses by helping them discover public works opportunities efficiently—while respecting and supporting each agency's official procurement process.

Understanding the distinction between Agency Procurement Portals (APPs) and Contractor Plan Rooms (CPRs) is essential.

Agency procurement portals (APPs) are designed to manage and distribute bid opportunities for a single public entity, serving administrative, compliance, and official bidding functions.

Contractor plan rooms (CPRs), such as BidAmerica, aggregate and collect public works opportunities from multiple agencies into a single interface designed for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers to efficiently discover work across jurisdictions.

BidAmerica operates as a contractor plan room.

BidAmerica aggregates opportunities from multiple agencies

Illustrative Example

Why centralized discovery matters

Imagine a cast iron manhole cover supplier located in the City of Temecula. To identify opportunities statewide, that supplier would need to monitor more than 900 individual agency websites or portals. This process is time-consuming, inefficient, and often impractical—especially for smaller firms.

By contrast, a contractor platform like BidAmerica allows that same supplier to search and discover relevant public works opportunities across California through a single interface, improving efficiency, reducing barriers to entry, and expanding market access.

BidAmerica does not replace, bypass, or interfere with agency procurement portals. Contractors use BidAmerica to identify projects of interest and then proceed to the appropriate agency website or procurement portal to register, download official documents, receive addenda, and submit bids.

All official bidding activity remains under the control of the public agency.

BidAmerica supports discovery. Agencies retain full control of procurement.

BidAmerica works alongside agency systems

We work with all public works agencies in California

BidAmerica aggregates public works opportunities from all public agencies across California, regardless of size, location, or procurement platform.

Our goal is comprehensive visibility—ensuring contractors and suppliers can discover opportunities statewide while agencies benefit from broader awareness and participation.

Certified & Recognized

Projects are submitted directly to BidAmerica or sourced from official agency postings
Statewide approved electronic plan room and state-recognized CUPCCAA publication
Approved Trade and Focus Journal recognized by agencies statewide
Independent, contractor-focused plan room operating in conjunction with agency procurement systems
Currently focused on California, with plans to expand nationwide

Supporting competition, access, and transparency

By expanding awareness of public works opportunities, contractor-funded plan rooms like BidAmerica help:

Increase competition
Improve bid participation
Support small and disadvantaged businesses
Reduce informational barriers

Committed to supporting public procurement

BidAmerica exists to support the public procurement ecosystem by improving access to information while respecting agency authority and established processes. If your agency has questions about how contractor plan rooms operate, we welcome the opportunity to connect.

Contact us