Create and manage a tender in AjourTender

Context #

AjourTender is a module in the web-based EG Ajour platform. The module is used to create, manage and approve tenders. The flow covers the entire process: creating a new tender, filling in data, selecting the tender type and form, setting deadlines, selecting criteria, creating contracts and inviting bidders, uploading tender materials, and finally approving the tender. The system is accessed through a browser and requires login.

Relevance #

This guide is relevant for a user who needs to create and set up a new tender from scratch, e.g. a tender administrator who needs to invite bidders to bid on one or more contracts in a project. Use the guide when you need to:

• Create a new tender linked to a project
• Define the tender’s terms, type, form, deadlines and criteria
• Create contracts and invite bidders
• Upload tender materials
• Approve and publish the tender so that bidders can participate

Prerequisites and requirements #

• The system must have a subscription to the AjourTender module.
• You must have the project permission “Tender administrator” in the system. If you do not have this permission, contact your system administrator.
• You must know the companies or users to be invited as bidders (or be able to create new users).
• A project must have been created on which the tender can be created.

Guide: Create a new tender #

Step 1: Click “AjourTender” in the top navigation menu.

Step 2: Click the “Create new tender” button in the top left corner of the overview to create a new tender.

Note: The button is only available if you have been created with permissions as tender administrator.

Step 3: Select the project to which the tender is to be linked in the “Select project” field. This links the tender to the project’s document archive and makes it possible to retrieve and save material from it later.

Step 4: Enter a name for the tender in the “Name” field. This name is subsequently shown in the overview of all tenders.

Step 5: Write a short description of what the tender is about in the “Short description” field.

Step 6: Indicate whether the offer/PQ material and prices are to be visible to the tender administrator during the tender process by selecting the checkbox.

Important: If the checkbox is selected, all material/offers uploaded by bidders become visible to the tender administrator immediately. Bidders cannot see each other’s material.

Note: The “Visible prices” function defines whether the “Contracts” tab of the tender can be edited after activation, including renaming existing contracts and adding new contracts. If the function is turned on, contracts can be edited while the tender is active; the opposite applies if the function is not turned on.

Note: The “Visible prices” function can no longer be selected or deselected once the tender has been activated.

Note: The “Visible prices” function is not available on all systems.

Step 7: Click “Create tender” to continue. The system opens the tender for further editing.

1 Name & Case #

Step 7: Fill in the remaining fields under the “Name & Case” tab:

• Tender name: The name from step 3. Can be edited.
• Tender number: Enter the project’s case number (optional).
• Short description: The description from step 4. Can be edited.
• Contracting entity: Enter the name of the company that is putting the task out to tender.
• External website: Enter a link to external publication, e.g. a tender portal link (optional).
• Contact person: Enter the name, company, email and phone number of the contact person for the tender.
• Currency: Select the currency in which offers are to be submitted.
• Quote/PQ material and prices: Indicate whether prices include VAT and whether the material is to be visible to the bidder.

Step 8: Upload an image for the tender by clicking the upload field and selecting a file.

Note: There is a file size limit of 10 MB, and common image formats such as .PNG, .JPG and .JPEG must be used.

Note: The image is shown for the tender in the overview of all tenders.

2 Type & Form #

Step 9: Select the tender type in the left column, e.g. the relevant legal framework for the tender. If the desired type is not in the list, you can create a new type by clicking “Add”, entering the name and clicking “Save”.

Step 10: Select the tender form in the right column. Existing forms can be edited by clicking “Edit” and then “Save”.

Important: If the tender is to be visible and accessible to everyone from the Ajour platform without a login (a requirement for public tenders), it is important that this option is checked under the tender form (marked with a “green eye” icon).

Note: Type and form can no longer be edited once the tender has been activated.

3 Deadlines #

Step 11: Fill in the three date fields by clicking the calendar icon and selecting the date and time:

• Tender starts (publication): The time at which the tender opens to bidders.
• Deadline for questions: The last time at which bidders can ask questions.
• Deadline: The last time for submitting offers/PQ material.

Note: The default time is 12:00. Click the clock icon to change the time.

Note: The tender can be started 30 minutes from the current time at the earliest.

Important: There must be at least one day between the three deadlines. It is the tender administrator’s responsibility to ensure that the deadlines comply with applicable legislation.

4 Criteria #

Step 12: Select the assignment criteria in the left column, e.g. lowest price or most economically advantageous tender.

Step 13: Select any selection criteria in the right column.

Step 14: Create a new assignment criterion by clicking “Add”, entering the criterion in the text field and clicking “Save”.

Step 15: Create a new selection criterion by clicking “Add” in the right column.

Step 16: Click the pencil icon next to the new criterion to open the edit field.

Step 17: Enter the text for the selection criterion. More criteria can be added as needed.

Step 18: Click “Save” to save the individual criterion.

Step 19: Select the checkbox next to the desired criterion to select it for the tender.

Step 20: Click the top “Save” button to add the selected selection criteria to the tender.

Note: Criteria can no longer be edited once the tender has been activated.

5 Contracts #

Step 21: Click “New contract” to create a contract that bidders are to bid on.

Step 22: Enter the name of the contract in the dialog box and click “Create a contract”.

Step 23: Select the contract you created and click “Invite bidder”.

Step 24: Select the company you want to invite a user from in the left column.

Step 25: Select the desired user from the company. The user is added to the list in the right column.

Note: Only one user per company can be invited as a bidder per contract. The same user can be invited to several contracts in the same tender. The invited user can invite colleagues or collaborators without further involvement from the tender administrator.

Step 26: Click “Add new user” if the desired user does not yet exist in the system.

Important: An invitation email is sent automatically as soon as a new user is created and added.

Step 27: Click “Close” to finish the invitation process.

6 Material #

Step 28: Build the desired folder structure for the tender materials in the left column. Right-click a folder to create subfolders.

Step 29: Upload files directly from your computer by clicking “Upload files”.

Step 30: Optionally, copy files or folders from AjourBox by clicking the relevant shortcut and dragging files or folders into the tender materials.

Tip: It is also possible to retrieve material from other projects or from the global document archive.

7: Result #

Step 31: Under “Participation” you see an overview of the number of participants, declined invitations and missing replies from invited bidders, as well as the total number of invitees.

Step 32: Under “Tender/PQ” you see an overview of how many bidders have submitted material.

Step 33: Under “Questions and answers” you see the number of questions and answers generated during the tender.

Step 34: Under “Deadlines” you see the previously specified dates for publication, question deadline and submission deadline.

Step 35: Click “Approve” when all information has been filled in and the tender is ready for publication.

Important: Invited bidders receive an email as soon as the tender is approved.

Note: If mandatory fields are missing, the “Approve” button is red. When you click the button, the system shows a dialog box with a list of the missing information, e.g. contracting entity, contact person, tender type or assignment criteria. These must be filled in before the tender can be approved. If the “Approve” button is green, the tender is ready to be approved.

Note: When the start time of the tender occurs, the tender’s status automatically changes from Approved to Active.

Note: Any invited bidders can only see and access the tender once the tender is active.

Overview of the tender #

Both while creating a tender and for a tender that is approved and active, the “Result” tab gives access to five subtabs where you can follow and manage the tender throughout its entire course.

Step 36: Click the “Tender/PQ” subtab to see the contracts created under the tender. Select a contract in the left column to see the incoming offers linked to it.

Note: At least one contract must have been created before offers can be received and shown here.

Step 37: Click the “Tender materials” subtab to view and manage the files and folders linked to the tender.

• Click “Download all tender material” to download all files in the folder structure together.
• Navigate the folder tree in the left column, e.g. between “Tender materials” and “Incoming offers”, to see the contents of the selected folder.
• Use the search field to search in the tender or in a specific folder.

Step 38: Click the “Questions” subtab to view and answer questions asked by bidders.

• Each question is shown with number, time and status, e.g. who asked the question.
• Click “Add reply” to answer a question.
• Click “Export” to download questions and answers as a file.
• Click “Print” to print the overview of questions and answers.

Tip: Answers given here become visible to all bidders, so everyone has access to the same information.

Step 39: Click the “Correction sheets” subtab to view and send out corrections to the tender materials.

• Each correction sheet is shown with number, text and publication time.
• Click “Send out correction sheet” to create and send a new correction sheet to all invited bidders.

Important: When a correction sheet is sent out, the bidders are notified and the associated material is made available under the tender materials in the corresponding folder.

Step 40: Click the “Tender details” subtab to see a complete overview of the tender’s master data and criteria, including:

• Project, contracting entity and tender number
• Tender type and tender form
• Price information, e.g. whether prices are excl. or incl. VAT, as well as currency
• Assignment criteria and selection criteria
• ESPD link, if relevant for the tender
• Link to the tender, which can be copied and shared with bidders by clicking “Copy”

Note: The information under this tab is read-only and reflects the choices made when the tender was created.

Next steps #

• Monitor incoming questions from bidders and answer them on an ongoing basis before the question deadline expires.
• Follow up on the status of incoming offers/PQ material under the “Summary” tab as the submission deadline approaches.
• Review and evaluate incoming offers based on the selected assignment and selection criteria once the tender is closed.