The Blueprint
Public work is public record. We publish it like it should have been published all along — complete, in plain language, and free.The RFI Wire covers New York City construction — public bids and private development, the rules that govern both, and the people doing the work. We're independent of any agency, general contractor, or trade group. Nobody outside this newsroom sees a story before it runs; that call belongs to the publisher alone.
What we cover
Public bids and results, private development, policy and zoning, safety and enforcement, construction law and labor rules, market data, small projects, and the publisher's own opinion column — reported as separate, clearly labeled desks. Reporting and opinion never share a byline.
Editorial Standards & Corrections
When a fact in a published story turns out to be wrong — a date, an amount, a name — we correct it in the open. The correction runs prominently on the story itself and carries the date it was made, so the record shows what changed and when. Spotted an error? Tell the desk.
AI-Assisted Tools
The RFI Wire uses technology, including AI-assisted tools, to support research organization and production. Every published story, analysis, headline, factual claim, and source link remains subject to editorial review and accountability. AI does not replace source attribution, editorial judgment, or responsibility for accuracy.
Editorial integrity
Every story is fact-checked before it runs. Nothing publishes without the publisher's explicit approval. We apply the same verification standards to every piece: primary sources, original research, corrections made openly. Your time matters — we don't waste it on aggregated gossip or unverified rumor.
Government Agency Resources
Every portal, rate schedule, certification, and program that matters — with plain-English notes on what each one is for.Public work runs on paperwork most people learn the hard way. This is the shortcut: every portal, rate schedule, certification, and program that matters, with plain-English notes on what each one is for. Links verified by our newsroom; a wrong or dead link is a bug — tell us.
The Bid Playbook — screen before you spend. Five steps, in order: 1. Find the real opportunity — search City Record, PASSPort, the agency's own page, and the state portal; never rely on one source. 2. Check entry requirements first — prequalification, vendor registration, certifications, bonding, insurance, and 220-i registration, before a dollar of estimating time. 3. Read the labor package — the wage determination, classifications, supplements, PLA terms, and certified-payroll rules that control your price. 4. Build the pursuit list — due dates, walkthroughs, Q&A cutoffs, plan holders, apparent lows, awards, in one place (the The RFP Wire exists for exactly this). 5. Turn public data into action — DOB filings, Open Data, ACRIS, and bid results tell you who to call and which opportunity is actually moving.
Bid & Project Portals
Where the work is posted and the documents live. Register for the login-gated ones before you need them — approval can take days.
MWBE / DBE Certification & Small Business
Certifications unlock set-asides, mentor programs, and discretionary awards. City, State, Port Authority, and federal are separate certifications — get all that apply.
Prevailing Wage & Labor Law
Prevailing wage is the government-set minimum wage-plus-benefits package for each trade on public work — in NYC it generally tracks the union rate. City and state money triggers NY Labor Law 220: the NYC Comptroller sets and enforces schedules on City contracts; the NYS Department of Labor handles state and other public work. Federal money triggers Davis-Bacon: federal wage determinations (published on SAM.gov) plus WH-347 certified payroll. Many NYC jobs are covered by both — the higher applicable rate governs. The bid documents always control; never price off a generic web summary.
A PLA (project labor agreement) is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement negotiated for one specific project between the owner and the building trades — binding every contractor on the job, union or not, to uniform work rules, referral procedures, and no-strike clauses. Insider point most contractors get wrong: a PLA does not automatically bar a nonunion contractor from bidding — the specific agreement controls. Read the actual PLA before you price or sign.
The rates, in one table. The Rate Matrix carries the published schedules by county and classification — hourly rate, benefits, day rate, and every premium — with an optional field for your own labor burden.
Before you bid anything: NYS now requires contractor registration under Labor Law 220-i (in effect since Dec. 30, 2024 — $200, $100 for MWBEs) before bidding or working public projects, and the state's certified-payroll mandate went electronic at the end of 2025. Register before you spend a dollar on estimating.
Unions by Trade
Who supplies labor on union and PLA jobs, trade by trade. Even open-shop contractors need to know these names — they set the prevailing rates.
Agency Mentor & Development Programs
The single most underused way into public work: agencies that will literally teach you to be their contractor, with graduated contract sizes.
Bonding & Capital
Training & Associations
Regulators & Reference
Compiled and link-checked by The RFI Wire newsroom, August 2026. Programs and portals change — always confirm requirements on the official page. Nothing here is legal advice.