Creating a Bid from Scratch

This Job Aid shows how to create a Bid Solicitation using the Create a Bid from Scratch option in COMMBUYS without a Requisition.

Overview of Enrollment Types

There are two Enrollment Types:

• Open Enrollment: Allows the Strategic Sourcing Team (SST) to re-open the contract at any time (or at set intervals) to add new Vendors.
• Rolling Enrollment: Allows you to accept Bids and review them as they are received. The purchaser may award Vendors at any time.

COMMBUYS is a tab-based system. We will work our way through the tabs from left to right.  

Launching COMMBUYS

1. Launch COMMBUYS
2. Select Sign In
3. Type User ID and Password
4. Select Sign In

Creating a New Bid

1. Select Add Documents
2. Choose Bid Solicitation from the dropdown
3. Confirm Create a bid from scratch is selected
4. Select Continue 

Completing the General Tab 

1. Complete the following fields in the New Bid General tab
   1. Fields with an asterisk are required. The fields with the dropdown arrows may be changed. Some of the fields will auto-populate based on your login status: 

Field Name	Action Needed
Description*	Type a short description of the transaction
Type Code	Select the dropdown arrow. Then choose one of the following: NS: Bid for a Non-Statewide Solicitation (departmental or cooperative) SS: Bid for a Statewide Solicitation – for OSD use only
Department*	Choose the Department from the dropdown. If the default Department is correct, no action needed.
Location*	Choose the Location from the dropdown. If the default Location is correct, no action needed.
Available Date*	Select the calendar icon to set the desired month, day, and time for when the Bid Solicitation is published
Bid Opening Date*	Select the calendar icon to set the desired month, day, and time for the submission deadline when vendors may no longer submit responses/quotes. Select the desired year before selecting the month, day, and time.
Purchase Method*	The following options display in the dropdown menu: Open Market: Select if a one-time purchase/award Blanket: Select if the Bid will result in a Blanket contract award Select the OK and complete the Blanket Begin Date and Blanket End Date fields
Info Contact	Type the name, email address, and phone number of the Bid Solicitation contact
Pre-Bid Conference	Type Bid Conference information, if applicable
Bulletin Description	Type a brief description of the Bid
Quote Notification	Select the checkbox to receive an email notification when a quote is received

2. Select Save and Continue
   1. A General Item Information Validation Errors message displays to remind you that items have not yet been added to the Bid Solicitation

Completing the Items Tab

1. Select the Items tab
2. Select Add Item
3. Type a description of the item in the 'Description'field (4000-character capacity)
4. Type a desired quantity in the 'Quantity'field. Type "1" if the desired item is a service or if the items will be described in an attachment.
5. Choose the UOM (Unit of Measure) from the dropdown
6. Type the first four characters of the Commodity Code in the 'UNSPSC Segment-Family' field
   1. Commodity Codes may be found using the dropdowns next to each field or by using the NIGP Code Browse tool in COMMBUYS
      1. Select the Magnifying Glass and type a keyword to search
7. Type the next two characters of the Commodity Code in the 'UNSPSC Class' field
8. Select Save and Add New and repeat the process to add more items
9. Select Save and Exit 

Completing the Address Tab 

1. Select the Address tab to display theShip-to andBill-to Address associated with your profile  
   1. If needed, select the Magnifying Glass to choose alternative addresses
2.   Select Save and Continue   

Completing the Attachments Tab 

Attachments may include all elements of a Bid Solicitation, including the solicitation (RFR, etc.), terms and conditions, a list of the items, and so on.

1. Select the Attachments tab. Attachments may explain the good or service.

To add documents

1. Select Add File
2. Select Browse or Choose File
3. Choose the file from your computer and select Open
4. Select Save and Continue
5. Repeat this process for additional file attachments 

Attachments that require a vendor response are identified by selecting Add Required Quote Attachment and completing the 'Desired Attachment Name' and 'Description'fields

Completing the Notes Tab 

This step is optional. 

1. Select the Notes tab
2. Type an internal note
   1. This is not viewable by the Vendor but will be part of the procurement record. This information may be made public through the Massachusetts Public Records Law.
3. Select Save and Continue 

Completing the Bidders Tab 

1. Select the Bidders tab
2. Select Lookup and Add Vendors
3. A Lookup and Add Reference Vendors pop-up window appears with a Vendor advanced search page
   1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Find Vendors for All Commodity-EPP on the Req (commonly used for Blanket Bid Solicitations)
   2. Type Vendor search criteria and select Find It (commonly used for one-time only Open Market Bids)
   3. Select Notify Unregistered Vendors to send email notices to Vendors who are not registered in COMMBUYS
      1. Results are displayed based on the criteria selected
4. Select the top checkbox in the Select column to include all listed Bidders, or select the checkbox associated with the desired Bidders
5. Select Save and Exit to return to the Bidders tab
6. Review list of Bidders. Add additional Bidders by selecting Lookup and Add Vendors.  

Completing the Questions Tab 

1. Select the Questions tab
2. Select the Required checkbox if a response is mandatory
3. Type the question in the 'Question'field
4. Choose a value from the Response Type dropdown to establish a format for the Vendor response
5. Select Save and Continue 

The next tab is the Amendmentstab which has no functionality until after the Bid is sent. 

Completing the Q&A Tab

1. Select the Q&A tab
2. Select the Allow vendor to submit questions checkbox
3. Select the Send notification when vendor submitting question checkbox if you would like COMMBUYS to notify you by email when a Bidder submits a question
4. Select the date you would like the Q&A to close in the ‘Close Q&A For Vendor Date’ field
5. Select Save and Continue  

Responding to Vendor Questions

1. Select the Vendor question
2. Type the answer 
3. Select Show All on Web 
4. Unselect Show Original Vendor Only
   1. Questions and answers will be viewable by all Bidders and are public records unless an exemption exists under the Massachusetts Public Records Law

Completing the Reminders Tab 

This step is optional.

1. If you want to send a reminder to yourself or another person within your organization, complete the following actions:
   1. Select the Reminders tab
   2. Select the date of the reminder in the ‘Due Date’ field
   3. Type your reminder text in the Comment field
   4. Select the recipient from the Remind Whom dropdown
   5. Type a number in the ‘Days Prior to Remind’ field to set an advanced reminder
   6. Select the Send Email checkbox
   7. Select Save and Continue 

Completing the Summary Tab 

1. Select the Summary tab
2. Select Submit for Approval to submit the requisition
   1. No Approval Path Appears
      1. Select Automatic Approval
      2. Select Save and Continue
      3. The status updates to Ready to Send
   2. Automatic Approval Path Appears
      1. The default Approval Path displays, or the purchaser is given the option to select an alternate Approval Path
      2. Select Save and Continue
      3. COMMBUYS generates an email to the Purchaser when the approval is complete. You may log into COMMBUYS to view the status update of Ready to Send or continue with the next step.
3. Following approval, select Send Bid at the bottom of the Summary tab
4. Review the Bidders selected on the Vendor Notification Result page and select OK.
   1. The Bid status is changed to Sent and Bidders are notified based on the Available Date entered on the General tab