Suppliers Viewing and Responding to Solicitations Quick Reference Guide

There are two ways to access a solicitation in NDBuys:

• To view all the publicly available NDBuys procurement opportunities with ND and NDUS without logging in or creating an account:
  • Navigate to Public NDBuys, click the link to the Public NDBuys Site then select “Open Opportunities”.
  • If requested, solve the captcha to continue.
• NDBuys sends email notifications to registered suppliers who have indicated they can provide the commodities requested in a solicitation. To view a solicitation, click the hyperlink provided in the email notification. It is essential that suppliers select the correct commodity codes during registration to ensure they receive relevant solicitation alerts.

Note: A user will not be able to respond to a solicitation without registering first.

The Public Solicitation Requests page is displayed. Here the user can search by Keywords and Commodities. Enter search terms in the appropriate field and click the Search button.

• Search results are displayed. To review a solicitation, click the Pencil icon next to the solicitation name.
• To review the details of the solicitation, the following tabs will be available on the left side of the page. The user may need to click the double arrow pointing right (>>) to view these options:
• The Overview tab displays high-level information about the solicitation, including the begin/end dates and times, downloadable RFx documents, and a summary that outlines the solicitation details.

Note: The user will not be able to complete the remaining tabs - Financial Questions, Technical Questions, or Items – unless the supplier is registered in NDBuys. For registration instructions, refer to the NDBuys Quick Reference Guide, available on the same webpage as this guide.

• To view and respond to public procurement opportunities with the State of North Dakota (ND) and the North Dakota University System (NDUS), click the Public NDBuys Site link, then select Supplier ND Login and enter your credentials. If the user hasn’t created an account yet, refer to the Supplier Registration, NDBuys Navigation, and Account Management guide on the same webpage.
• Once logged in, hover over the Solicitations menu in the Main-Menu Navigation bar at the top of the page and then click the Public Solicitation Requests to view all public solicitations.
• Here the user can search by Keywords and Commodities. Enter search terms in the appropriate field and click the Search button. Search results are displayed below. To view a solicitation, click the Pencil icon next to the solicitation name.
• To review the details of the solicitation, the following tabs will be available on the left side of the page. The user may need to click the double arrow pointing right (>>) to view these options.
  • The Overview tab displays key solicitation details, including the begin and end dates, associated RFx documents for download, and a summary of the solicitation. This tab may also include a Participate in RFx button. If the user intends to respond to the solicitation, click this button.
  • The Info tab displays the proposal’s general information, including the Label, Validity End Date, Description, and some additional fields that may change depending on the type solicitation being viewed (e.g., Supplier Documents, Technical Envelope and Financial Envelope for uploading documents).
  • If the solicitation is a Request for Proposal (RFP), the Financial and Technical Questionnaire tabs may be displayed. These tabs may be used by the procurement officer to gather information from the supplier for the solicitation.
  • If the solicitation is an Invitation for Bid (IFB), the Items tab may appear, allowing the user to enter pricing information directly. Note: Not all solicitations include an Items tab; some may require pricing to be submitted as an attachment.
  • The Discussions tab allows suppliers to submit questions to the procurement officer. The process for this is covered later in this quick reference guide.
  • The History tab allows suppliers to view any previously submitted responses.
  • The My Team tab allows suppliers to invite additional users from their organization to collaborate on the response. Team members can be selected from existing NDBuys users or invited as new contacts.
    • To invite an existing user, click Select Existing Contact and then choose the user from the drop-down menu. These are the Supplier Contacts that were added by the procurement officer during solicitation creation.
    • To invite a new user, click Create Contact, enter the user’s information, and click Save & Close. Click the Mail icon next to the user’s name and click Send Notification.

NDBuys solicitations allow potential suppliers to submit inquiries or clarifying questions. Follow the steps in this section to submit a question. Note: A supplier may also contact the solicitation’s procurement officer directly via email if needed.

• Ensure login to NDBuys is completed. If not logged in, go to the Public NDBuys Site, then select Supplier ND Login. Enter account credentials and click Login. For account creation instructions, refer to the Supplier Registration, NDBuys Navigation, and Account Management quick reference guide available on the same webpage.
• Once logged in, hover over the Solicitations menu in the Main-Menu Navigation bar at the top of the page and then click the Public Solicitation Requests to view all public solicitations.
• Search by Keywords and Commodities. Enter search terms in the appropriate field and click the Search button. To view a solicitation, click the Pencil icon next to the solicitation name.
• In the Overview tab, located on the left side of the screen, RFx documents associated with the solicitation can be downloaded and viewed. These documents typically include the deadline for submitting questions related to the solicitation.
• Navigate to the Discussions tab.
• The complete discussion history for the solicitation will be displayed. Responses to submitted questions are typically issued as a solicitation amendment, unless the question can be addressed by referencing a specific section of the RFP. To submit a new inquiry, select Compose.
  • To search for an existing inquiry, scroll through the message history or enter a keyword in the Search field, then click Search. Click on the desired item within the message history to view its details.
• Complete all required fields (marked with a red asterisk). In the Send To drop-down, select Responsible (Solicitation Project) to ensure the inquiry is directed to the appropriate procurement officer. Omitting this step may prevent the message from being sent correctly. Once finished, click Send to submit the inquiry to ND or NDUS.

Note: The Discussions tab can be revisited to check for responses to submitted messages. An email notification is also typically sent when a response is received.

To respond to a solicitation, login to the supplier profile must be completed.

• Login must be completed to access solicitation response features. If not logged in, navigate to the Public NDBuys Site, then click Supplier ND Login. Enter account credentials and select Login. To create a login, refer to the Supplier Registration, NDBuys Navigation, and Account Management quick reference guide available on the same webpage as this guide.
• Once logged in, hover over the Solicitations menu in the Main-Menu Navigation bar at the top of the page and then click the Public Solicitation Requests to view all public solicitations.
• Search by Keywords and Commodities. Enter search terms in the appropriate field and click the Search button. Search results are displayed. To review a solicitation, click the Pencil icon next to the solicitation name.
• To submit a response, all required fields (marked with a red asterisk (*)) must be completed on each tab. Navigate to the Info tab. In the General Information section, a response label can be entered by updating the Label field. A Validity End date may be provided if the offer has an expiration (leave blank if not applicable), and a brief description of the response may also be entered.
• Depending on the type of solicitation, the options for document uploads may change:
  • If responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP), the following options will be available:
    • In the Technical Envelope section - specifically under Supplier Technical Documents - upload the Technical Proposal by clicking or dragging the file from its saved location.
    • In the Financial Envelope section - under Supplier Financial Documents - the Cost Proposal must be uploaded by clicking or dragging the file from its saved location.
  • If responding to an Invitation for Bid (IFB) the following option will display:
    • In the Supplier Documents section, located near the middle of the screen, completed bid response documents must be uploaded by clicking or dragging the file from its saved location.
• In addition to uploading proposal documents in the previous steps, NDBuys may require suppliers to respond to solicitation questions and requirements via the Questionnaire tabs on the left side of the screen.
• Questionnaire tabs are used to submit responses to various types of questions. The specific tabs included may vary depending on the solicitation type.
  • For Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitations, the following questionnaire types may be available (these tabs are only viewable if the procurement officer activated them) Financial Questionnaire tab and Technical Questionnaire tab:
  • For Invitation for Bid (IFB) solicitations, the following Questionnaire tab may be available (this tab is only viewable if the procurement officer activated it):
• Each questionnaire is displayed as a tab on the lefthand side. Click each questionnaire tab to open it, then click Access Questionnaire to view the contents on each tab.
• Enter responses to each question on the tab, paying special attention to the mandatory fields denoted with a red (*) asterisk. (It’s best practice to answer all questions even if not denoted with an asterisk.) Click Next at the bottom or click the tab name to navigate to the next tab.
• After completing the information on each tab, click Save. 
  • Note: Some questionnaire tabs may contain only a few sections or questions, while certain solicitations may not include any questionnaire tabs at all.
• If submitting a response to an Invitation for Bid (IFB) solicitation, an Items tab may be listed on the left side of the screen. Click the Items tab to view the list of goods and/or services requested for this solicitation.
• Items associated with the solicitation are displayed in a grid format. To submit a response, values must be entered for each listed field. Field requirements may vary depending on the solicitation. All mandatory fields, indicated by a red asterisk (*), must be completed. After entering the required information, select Save to finalize the item grid.
  • Note the Type column, which will indicate whether an item is required.
  • Some item grids will allow the user to add a line to separate line items or propose an alternative item. Grids that allow the user to add a line will display a plus (+) icon on the top left corner of the grid. Complete the mandatory and optional fields in the pop-up window that appears and then click Save.
  • NDBuys optionally allows bid submission using an Excel version of the item grid. To download the grid, select the Download in Excel 2007–2010 format link at the top of the Export/Import section. Complete the Excel file according to the provided instructions. To import the completed bid, use the Click or Drag to add a file button in the Export/Import section of the Items tab.
• Once all the necessary information has been entered, click Validate Submit Proposal at the top of the screen.
• A pop-up box will appear to confirm completion of all required information. Verify that the correct number of documents are attached and that responses have been provided for all required questions. Once confirmed, select Submit My Proposal.
  • Once a response has been submitted, email notifications will be sent regarding any updates to the solicitation. If an amendment (i.e., a new round) is issued, a resubmission - or a new submission reflecting any desired changes based on the amendment - is required to remain under consideration.
• After submitting a response, users should check the History tab and confirm that their proposal has a status of Submitted. To view previously submitted responses, navigate to the History tab of the solicitation on the left side of the screen.

This guide provides instructions for amending a previously submitted response in connection with a solicitation amendment.

• Navigate to the History tab within the solicitation.
• A summary of the supplier’s previously submitted responses for the solicitation are displayed. To view the full details of a response, click the associated Proposal hyperlink.
• Once review is complete, select the Close button.
  • To begin submitting a response for an amendment, use the Copy functionality if a response was previously submitted to an earlier round of the solicitation.
• Select Copy last submitted proposal from the Other Actions drop-down menu.
• Click OK. The selected response will be copied into a new draft. Make the necessary updates, then click Validate & Submit Proposal at the top of the screen to submit.