Open bidding vs. sealed bidding...

When posting a project as a Gold project you have the option of choosing between open bidding or sealed bidding. Standard projects are posted as open bidding only.

The difference between open bidding and sealed bidding is that open bidding allows service providers to view each others bids. This includes the bid amount as well as the bid proposal. The benefit to posting your project under open bidding is that it drives the cost of your project down. Service providers will typically base their bids on other bids that you have already received and often bid lower to be more competitive.

Sealed bidding, however, conceals the bid amount and bid proposal. This forces service providers to be more creative with their proposals and base their bids on the quality of their own craftsmanship.