The Mission
Once a buyer invites you to bid on a request, you can easily view the request details and enter your bid. From the RFQ dashboard you will only see requests that you have been invited to bid on. Clicking on the Title takes you to the bidding page where the real magic happens.
How Do I Bid?
From the main requests dashboard page, click on the title for the request you would like to bid on.
This will take you to the detail page where you can see specifics about the request including:
- Time remaining to bid
- The items that are part of the bid
- Any documents added by the buyer
- Any FAQs added by the buyer
- Any questions from the buyer
Before bidding you will want to make sure that you understand and review the details of the request.
Once you are ready to bid, click on "Apply to Request" at the top of the page.
You will now be on the bidding page. You can:
- Bid on all items
- Bid on some items
- Choose to not bid
NOTE: The buyer will not be able to see your responses until you click Submit to Buyer
Understanding the Items Section
This section allows you, as the supplier, to review and update each item with the requested information needed to submit a bid. The item requirements and fields listed are created by your buyer.
- Fields the buyer has populated will be highlighted in Red
- Fields that need your input will be highlighted in Blue
- Required fields appear with a * on the column header
Export/Import Items
For requests with multiple items, suppliers can export the item list and import it with the completed item information. This can help on large requests where you need to gather information from multiple sources prior to bidding.
1) Click on the Export/Imports Items dropdown
2) Click the Export CSV or Export XLSX option
3) Enter item data into the spreadsheet outside of the RFQ platform
4) Click the Import option to upload the values back into the bidding page
No Quote
For requests with multiple items, suppliers can choose to No Quote any items listed that they cannot provide a quote for.
1) Click the checkbox under No Quote to grey out that item. This means you do not want to bid on this item
Partial Quantity/Minimum Quantity
The Quantity field allows you to input the quantity you can meet for the request. Review the Requested Qty field and then provide a partial quantity or minimum order quantity if needed. The Requested Qty will be automatically filled into the Quantity field. You cannot do split orders. If you want to split the total quantity we suggest you fill in the total quantity you can provide over time and then add an item note letting the buyer know when you can deliver each of the quantities.
Item Note
Suppliers can provide a note to the buyer on each item if more information about their bid for that item needs to be included.
Clear Form
Suppliers can click the Clear Form link to remove all entered data in the item fields.
Submission Summary
The Submission Summary section allows suppliers to set an expiration date for your bid as well as provide discounts and taxes that can apply to your bid. Discounts and taxes will automatically calculate your total for the entire bid.
Note To Buyer
The Note To Buyer section allows suppliers to add a note to their buyer for the entire bid if more information is needed.
Options During the Bidding Process
Save Values
Click the Save Values button to save your work and keep your bid in Draft status until you are ready to submit your bid. The buyer cannot see any of your values during this time period until you submit the bid to the buyer.
Submit To Buyer
Click the Submit to Buyer button when you are ready to submit your bid to your buyer.
Decline
Click the Decline button if you no longer want to apply to the request.
Pro-Tip: Once you click Submit to Buyer you will not be able to edit your submission. You will need to choose to Retract Proposal to update your bid and then Re-Submit To Buyer.
In This Series
- Overview
- Being Invited - What to Expect
- How to Bid on a Request - You are here
- Retracting and Resubmitting Bids
- Declining Bids
- Understanding the Request Dashboard
- Understanding Request Statuses