Vendor Training Courses

The goal of the Training Team is to assist vendors in doing business with the Commonwealth. For vendors already on a contract, there are training available to help assist with making the most of the contract(s).

Whether you are a seasoned Statewide Contractor who needs a refresher, someone just starting to think about conducting business with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or somewhere in between, the Operational Services Division's (OSD) Training team is here to help with a catalog of free courses designed to get you on the road to success.  Peruse the list of classes below and register for those that best meets your needs.

Register for Vendor Training

OSD Business training is designed to inform and educate the business community about the procurement process, OSD Programs, and Services, as well as COMMBUYS, the Commonwealth's electronic procurement system. For vendors not on a contract, there are training opportunities available such as "Connecting Your Business with the Commonwealth." Classes designed for current statewide contractors are also available. 

Registration and On-Site Training Information
Access the vendor training schedule to select and register for classes. In addition to scheduled courses, the Training Team is available to conduct on-site training as well as participate in your association's meeting or event. If you are interested, please send an email to [e-mail].

Vendor Training Schedule

Classroom Based Courses

Connecting Your Business to the Commonwealth (2 Hours)

Designed for vendors who are new to state procurement and interested in learning how to do business with the State, this workshop includes a summary of the State's goods and services procurement process; and overview of OSD programs and services, including  Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP); a live demonstration of where to find bidding opportunities in COMMBUYS; and suggestions for marketing participants' businesses to various public buyers.

Prerequisite(s):             N/A

COMMBUYS: Essentials for the Seller Role (3 Hours)

Participants may expect a comprehensive class learning the tools needed to use COMMBUYS.  Hands-on practice includes navigation, advanced searching for bids and contracts, and submitting responses to bid solicitations in the COMMBUYS training region.

Prerequisite(s):                  N/A

COMMBUYS for Awarded Statewide Contract Vendors (Available Only to Current Statewide Contractors) (2 Hours)

Vendors may learn key COMMBUYS tools necessary to effectively manage their contracts.  Topics include vendor account management, catalog types and setup, Master Blanket Purchase Order (MBPO) structure, and Purchase Order acknowledgment.  Demonstration of how buyers search for goods and services on contract in COMMBUYS also will be included.

Prerequisite(s):  You must be a vendor that has been awarded a Statewide Contract and has a valid written agreement for said Contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Demystifying the RFR: Understanding the Importance of the Request For Response (3 Hours)

This class reviews and explains the Request For Response (the main document of a Bid Solicitation) and its link to goods and services procurement opportunities.  In addition to gaining experience with relevant terminology, required forms, and RFR format, participants will review sample proposals from different procurement types.

Suggested Prerequisite(s):  Connecting Your Business to the Commonwealth

Selling to the State - Marketing Your Business to Public Purchasers (Available Only to Current Statewide Contractors) (2 Hours)

This workshop is designed to help Statewide Contract vendors promote and sell their goods and services to state agencies and other public entities by providing information and tools to support their marketing efforts.

Prerequisite(s):  You must be a vendor that has been awarded a Statewide Contract and has a valid written agreement for said Contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Live Webinars

COMMBUYS: Organizational Design and Maintenance for the Seller Administrator (1 Hour)

Participants are guided along the steps to update their COMMBUYS vendor accounts to best reflect the organization, business practices, and goods and services offered.

Prerequisite(s):                  N/A

How to Locate and Respond to Bids in COMMBUYS (1 Hour)

This webinar takes participants through the process of locating and replying to Bids (Solicitations) in COMMBUYS.

Prerequisite(s):                  N/A

Webcasts

Learning opportunities are a click away and available on your schedule by accessing our library of webcasts. These eLearning modules, accessible on your computer, include topics such as OSD Programs and Services for the business community and COMMBUYS, the Commonwealth's Market Center where you can find and respond to bidding opportunities.

COMMBUYS

The following webcasts contains detailed information and instructions on COMMBUYS, the Commonwealth's Market Center where you can find an respond to bidding opportunities.

COMMBUYS Vendor Registration
Are you interested in doing business with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?  Take a few minutes to register for a COMMBUYS business account! This webcast guides you through the steps to register for a COMMBUYS Supplier Account.

Basic COMMBUYS Navigation for the Seller Role
This webcast is useful for vendors with the Seller role in COMMBUYS. The webcast focuses on Basic Navigation, including the identification and use of icons, options in the Advanced Search tool, the Documents Navigation List, and Control Center tabs used to locate Bid Solicitations, Quotes, and Purchase Orders.

All Audiences: How to Search for Contracts in COMMBUYS
This course is intended to instruct COMMBUYS users on how to search for Statewide Contracts. Users will be brought through the step-by-step process for searching, first from the Pubic View and then from a Buyer logged-in perspective. The Public View searching section is relevant to all users.

How to Locate and Respond to Bid Solicitations

This interactive E-learning module includes an introduction and focuses on 4 topics: 

• How to Locate a Bid Solicitation - Learn how to use COMMBUYS search tools to locate Bid Solicitations in your areas of interest, both from the Public View and from the Seller home page. Also covered are relevant terms to know and various notifications that alert vendors to COMMBUYS opportunities.
• How to Access Bid Q & A - Learn how to access the Bid Q&A tab and review answers to questions within the Q&A tab of a bid via the Bids tab, as well as, electronically submit questions to a buyer who has posted a bid.
• How to Create a Quote Response - Learn how to locate a bid solicitation and create and submit a response in COMMBUYS. To submit quotes, users must be logged in to a COMMBUYS business account.
• How to Withdraw, Re-Open, and Resubmit a Quote Response - Vendors learn how to withdraw or amend and resubmit a quote that has already been submitted.

CONTRACTORS: How to Locate a Purchase Order (PO)
This webcast is for vendors who have been awarded a contract and have the Seller role in COMMBUYS. It focuses on accessing and acknowledging Purchase Orders, highlighting the difference between the contract’s Master Blanket Purchase Order and PO requests from buyers.

Managing a Vendor Profile in COMMBUYS (for Seller Administrators)
As the Seller Administrator, this webcast will help you update and maintain your business profile in COMMBUYS.

Selecting Commodity Codes in COMMBUYS
COMMBUYS uses United Nations Standard Products & Services Codes (UNSPSC) to classify goods and services. Selecting appropriate UNSPSCs is essential to ensure you are notified about relevant bid solicitations when they are posted in COMMBUYS. Learn how to identify and add relevant UNSPSCs to your COMMBUYS profile.

 

OSD Programs and Services

The following webcasts contain detailed information and instructions on OSD's Programs and Services.

All Audiences: Overview of Statewide Contracts
What are Statewide Contracts? Who can purchase from them? How do businesses become Statewide Contractors? This short webcast answers these questions and more. Learn some of the benefits for buyers and contractors, what types of goods and services are covered under these agreements, and where to find additional information.

Small Business Purchasing Program Overview
The goals of the Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) are to increase state spending with enrolled Massachusetts-based small businesses and to provide simple and easy access to information and resources that will assist the small business community. This webcast provides an Overview of SBPP, including how it applies to Executive Agency goods and services procurements, what the business qualifications include, and where to find SBPP bid solicitations.

 

Inclement Weather - Cancellation Policy
In-person training will be canceled if any of the following occur:

1. Non-essential government workers have been advised to stay home or if the State Office Buildings are closed due to inclement weather.
2. If the public schools are closed in the city where the session is being conducted due to inclement weather.

If you are registered for in-person training on a stormy day, please check your local weather forecasts and the mass.gov website for Weather Alerts. The Massachusetts Alerts app is currently available for iOS (Apple) and Android platforms.  Download it today by searching for "Massachusetts Alerts" on the App Store or Android Market.

Webinars will be canceled only in the event of widespread power outages.