A database supplies references; a bid requires decisions
ITeC’s information about BEDEC 2026 describes a database of reference prices and technical information. It is an input for estimating, not the agreed price for a specific project. This guide explains how to use a BC3 price database when preparing a bid. It does not announce a recent standard update or propose automatically replacing contract prices.
Identify the source of each reference
Record the database, edition, consultation date and options applied before exporting or importing. Retain the original file alongside the identifier of the bid using it. If sources are combined, record provenance per concept or through a linked register. Two concepts sharing a code are not necessarily equivalent: check unit, description, scope and composition before merging them.
Adapt the breakdown to the work being priced
Review materials, labour, equipment and resource quantities with the technical team. Check the work included and the project conditions affecting delivery. A reference per square metre may omit a finishing operation or include work already covered by another item. Distinguish the price of a resource unit from its consumption per unit of work; changing one is not equivalent to changing the other.
Fictional example: from resources to a bid price
One work unit uses 18 euros of material and 0.4 hours of labour valued at 30 euros per hour. The illustrative direct cost totals 30 euros. Adding 3 euros of other allocated costs produces 33 euros. A bid price of 40 euros leaves a difference of 7 euros over that planned cost. A markup on cost should not be confused with a percentage of sales. The amounts are fictional and exclude tax; this example does not prescribe a commercial margin.
Import into a copy and inspect the changed fields
Before applying a database to an active bid, test the operation on a copy. Check whether the application updates prices, descriptions, breakdowns or all those fields. Preserve project measurements and review project-specific concepts absent from the database. ITeC documents utilities for comparing information through BC3; their existence does not mean every application behaves identically. Validate the workflow with the versions your team uses.
Send an approved baseline to the ERP
Separate planned cost from selling price and link both to the item and approved bid revision. Define who can change each value and from which date it is used to compare against delivery. CADT can help review a BC3 sample, resolve concept mappings and prepare the transfer to your ERP. The aim is for every amount to have a source and a rationale understood by estimating, purchasing and site teams.