Standard components – Bid Express®

For Bid Express owner-agencies

In this article:

add a component
delete a component
attachments
bid bonds
build your own
envelope
item list
preferences
required documents
table

Components are the different parts owner-agencies use to build solicitations. You can add an item list or bid bond information, attachments, or additional text. You can also build your own component to add lists or give information, among others. Build Your Own components include the ability for vendors to duplicate a group of fields.

Be careful if you're creating a solicitation without a template. It's a good idea to contact customer support before getting started.

You can lock the components slider so it appears on your screen regardless of how far down you scroll in your solicitation. This also works for the Build Your Own slider. Click the Lock icon next to the More button at the top right of your solicitation. The Bid Express service moves the slider to the top of your screen until you unlock it by clicking the icon again.

Add a component

With the solicitation open, click on a component in the slider and drag it to the solicitation. Use the arrow keys if needed to find the component in the slider.

Format the paragraph component (used with the bid bond, build your own, and envelope components) by using the buttons at the top of the field. Rest your mouse cursor over each button to see its function.

You can add more than one of all standard components.

Delete a component

If you delete a component after a solicitation has been advertised, you'll have to issue an addendum.

To delete the entire component:

With your solicitation open, click the More button for the component.
Select Delete.
Click OK in the delete confirmation window.

Attachments

Attachments can be any type of file containing anything the owner-agency wishes the vendor to have that does not already have a designated location on the Bid Express service. Once you create an attachment, you can copy it to a component template to use in other solicitations.

Add or edit attachments

If you add or edit the attachment after the solicitation has been advertised, you'll have to issue an addendum. Editing the attachment information doesn't change the attachment's contents or any copy made of the attachment.

To add an attachment, click Attachment List in the Components slider of your solicitation and drag it to the General Info section.
Click Edit. The Attachment List component expands to allow you to add a file or a location of a file to your solicitation or to change the information.
If you wish, you can change the Attachment List name by clicking in the Title field and entering the new name.
If you are adding an attachment to the solicitation instead of a link, click Upload Attachments. Navigate to the attachment and click Open. The Bid Express service uploads the attachment.
You can change the name of the attachment. Changing the name of an attachment does not change the attachment's contents. Enter a description of the attachment in the Description field.
If you are adding a link for the location of the attachment instead of an actual attachment, click Link to Attachment. Enter a name and description for the attachment. Enter the link of the attachment in the field designated by the http://.
To reorder an attachment in the list, enter the proper order number for the selected attachment. For example, if you want the attachment to appear second in the list, enter a 2 in the Order field for that attachment. Click elsewhere in the list or press the Tab key. The Bid Express service moves that attachment to the specified location and shifts the attachments afterward down in the list.
Add or edit another attachment or link by selecting the appropriate option. When you are finished, click Save.

You can add more than one Attachment List to your solicitation.

Delete an attachment

If you delete an attachment after the solicitation has been advertised by the owner-agency, you'll have to issue an addendum.

To delete a specific attachment, click Edit on the Attachment List component.
Click the X for the attachment you wish to delete.
Click Save to remove the attachment or Cancel to return to the solicitation window.

View attachment downloads

The owner-agency can see which vendors downloaded a solicitation attachment.

With your solicitation open, click More in the Attachments component and select View Downloads.

The Bid Express service opens a window with the attachments and vendors listed. The Bid Express service tracks only if the attachment was downloaded. It does not track if the file was saved, opened, or read.

Click the X in the upper right corner to close the window.

Bid bonds

Owner-agencies can customize the Bid Bond form in a solicitation to collect information from the vendor. You can set the bond percentage, add fields for additional information needed for the bond, and designate some fields as required or optional.

You can format the paragraph component using the buttons at the top of the field. Rest your mouse cursor over each button to see its function.

Once you advertise your solicitation, you will have to issue an addendum if you make any changes to the bid bond form.

The bid bond displays with some elements already added. Use the Bid Bond slider to add more.

Add or edit bid bond

Once the bid bond component has been added to your solicitation, you can delete any unwanted elements, add more elements, and edit the elements that were already added.

Click Bid Bond in the Components slider of your solicitation and drag it to the General Info section.
Click Edit. The Bid Bond component opens, including the Bid Bond slider.
Select the Optional or Alternate check box if the Bid Bond is optional or an alternate.
If you are creating an RFP, enter the component weight in the Weight field.
To delete a bid bond element, rest your mouse cursor on any group or any element in a group that you wish to delete, then click the red X for that element or group. Click OK to delete it or click Cancel to return to the component.
To add an element from the Bid Bond slider, click the element and drag it into the body of the bid bond. Once you place an element, it cannot be moved.
To change the content of a group or element, rest your mouse cursor on that group or element and click the Settings wheel. Update the information and press the Enter key.
When you are finished with your changes, click Save.

Build your own

The Build Your Own feature allows you to create a component unique to your agency with fields that you name for the vendor to fill out. You can group fields together into sections or create lists with different answers for the vendor to choose. You can format the paragraph component using the buttons at the top of the field. Rest your mouse cursor over each button to see its function.

See more information in the build your own component article.

Envelope

Use the envelope component to see information after the bid deadline has passed but before the bid is opened. This is helpful in cases of multiple bids to categorize and identify what the vendor is bidding upon. The envelope is customized by using components from the Build Your Own slider.

You will be able to sort the bids using the vendor's response to the first field listed in the envelope. This will help ensure the bids are opened in the order of your agency’s requirements for electronic bid submissions and can be sorted when you export the submissions. It is recommended you use an input component, such as a Selection List, so the information can be sorted. For example, if your Selection List component has the options of Concrete, Drywall, or Cement Board, you will be able to sort the bids based upon the vendors’ responses.

With your solicitation open, click Envelope in the Components slider and drag it below the General Info section. The Bid Express service adds it as part of the solicitation.
Click Edit. The component expands to allow you to add a label, or mark it as optional or as an alternate.
Drag the components from the Build Your Own slider to your envelope.
When you are finished, click Save.

Item list

You can import or add items to the item list of your solicitation.

Customize your item list, like setting decimal places, making the table vendor-entry, or adding columns, using the advanced options.

Go to Tables and item lists for more information.

Preferences

The preferences component allows you to include a discount on the total bid amount to implement preference policies regarding different business types, such as minority or locally owned. The preference is customized by using components from the Build Your Own slider. You can save the component as a template so you do not need to reenter the information for each solicitation.

With your solicitation open, click Preference from the components slider of your open solicitation and drag it into your solicitation.
Click Edit. The Bid Express service opens the Preference build your own slider.
Mark it as optional if you wish.
The Preference Input component on the Preferences slider contains the fields for the type of business preferences. Select the Preference Input component and drag it to the Preference section.
Select the Settings wheel of the Preference Input component.
Enter the business type in the Text field.
Set the decimal places in the Decimal Places field. For example, if the preference discount is 4.25 percent, set the decimal places to 2.
Enter the percent of the discount in the Percent field. If no decimal places are set, the number entered will be rounded to the nearest whole number.
Press Enter to leave the settings.
Select any other components for the preference section.
Once all the components are added to the preferences, click Save.

Select the solicitation name in the navigation trail to return to the solicitation.

Required documents list

Owner-agencies can post documents for vendors to include as part of their bid submission. You can also list vendor omission terms for the document.

Use the Envelope check box in a Required Documents List component to preview documents prior to opening the bids. You can have more than one required document list, though you can select the check box for one list only.

Add a required document

With your solicitation open, click Required Document List in the Component slider and drag it to the General Info section. The Bid Express service adds it as part of the solicitation.
Click Edit. The Required Document List component expands to allow you to add a document name and description to your solicitation.
If you wish, you can change the Required Document List name by clicking in the Title field and entering the new name.
Select the Optional check box if this is not a required bidding component.
Select the Envelope check box if you want to preview the documents before opening the bids.
Click Add Required Document.
Enter the name and description of the document.
Use the Omission Terms field to describe any conditions under which the document is not required.
When you are finished, click Save.

You can add more than one Required Document List to your solicitation.

Edit a required document

Click Edit in the Required Documents List box. The Required Document component opens to allow you to make changes.
Change the incorrect entry by clicking and highlighting the entry and typing in the new information.
When you are finished, click Save.

Delete a required document

If you wish to delete all the required documents, click More in the component. Click Delete and click OK in the delete confirmation window.
If you wish to delete a specific document, click Edit on the Required Document List component.
Click the X for the required document you wish to delete.
Click Save to remove the document.

Table

You can modify your tables for your solicitation. Go to Tables and item lists for more information.