VICA Announces ‘Blind Tender’ Program — Lowest Bidder Wins, But Nobody Knows What They’re Building

Victoria, BC — April 1, 2025
In a bold move to “streamline procurement and spark creativity,” the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) has unveiled a brand-new initiative: the Blind Tender Program. Under the pilot, contractors will bid on projects with no specifications, no drawings, and no idea what the final deliverable will be. The only criteria? Be the lowest bidder — and bring your own tools.

“We realized that tendering had become too unpredictable anyway,” VICA CEO, Rory Kulmala. “This new model levels the playing field and truly tests a contractor’s adaptability, imagination, and blind optimism.”

Participants in the Blind Tender Program might receive only the site address, a vague description like “structure-ish”, and a Spotify playlist to inspire their design approach.

Key features of the program include:

• No scope, no problem: Let your inner architect shine.
• Budget? Timeline? We don’t know either.
• Bonus points for showing up with coffee for the inspector.

Industry response has been mixed, ranging from “This feels like my last three jobs” to “Honestly, it might be faster than going through the usual permitting process.”

One early adopter, a local contractor from Nanaimo, shared their enthusiasm: “I showed up, dug a hole, built a shed, and turns out it was supposed to be a school. Still got paid, though — I think.”

VICA officials stress that this is an April Fools’ initiative — unless it somehow works better than the current system, in which case it might become policy.