Create and upload an ESPD (Tender administrator)

CONTEXT #

This guide describes how, as a tender administrator, you create a European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) via the EG Ajour ESPD service and then upload the downloaded ESPD file to the tender materials in AjourTender (web).

RELEVANCE #

You need this guide when you are preparing a tender where the economic operators (the bidders) must submit a self-declaration of their financial status, capability and suitability. By creating the ESPD and placing it in the tender materials, you enable the bidders to download, fill in and submit the document together with the rest of their offer.

PREREQUISITES AND REQUIREMENTS #

• You must have the permission AjourTender – Tender administrator to be able to edit the tender and upload files to the tender materials.
• The tender must already have been created in AjourTender.
• You must know the basic information about the tender procedure and the contracting authority or entity (e.g. official name, country, procedure type and a short description of the tender).
• You must be able to save files on your computer, as the ESPD file is downloaded from the ESPD service before it is uploaded to AjourTender.

GUIDE (step by step) #

Step 1: Open the desired tender in AjourTender. Click Menu and select ESPD, or go to the Tender details tab and click the link under ESPD. The ESPD service then opens in a new tab.

Step 2: On the front page of the ESPD service you can select the language at the top right. Danish is selected by default.

Step 3: In the Start step, under Who are you?, you select whether you are I am a contracting authority, I am a contracting entity or I am an economic operator. Under What would you like to do? you have three options: Create a new ESPD, Reuse an existing ESPD or Review ESPD. This guide is based on Create a new ESPD. If you instead select Reuse an existing ESPD or Review ESPD, the Upload document field is shown, where you can click Choose File and upload an existing ESPD request or ESPD response from your computer.

Step 4: Under Where is your authority located? you select the relevant country in the Select a country drop-down list. Then click Next.

Step 5: In the Procedure step, you fill in Information about publication (e.g. the notice number, if a contract notice exists), Identity of the procurer (official name and country) and Information about the procurement procedure (procedure type, title, short description and, if applicable, case number). Click Next.

Step 6: In the Exclusion step, you review the exclusion grounds that are relevant for the tender. The grounds are divided into sections with checkboxes for each individual ground. Click Next when you have reviewed the sections.

Step 7: In the Selection step, you review the selection criteria in the same way, which are also divided into sections, e.g. on quality assurance standards and environmental management standards. Click Next.

Step 8: In the Finish step, under Part VI: Concluding statements, you can see the concluding statements that accompany the ESPD. Then click Overview to see a complete review of the entire completed ESPD document.

Step 9: At the bottom of the overview, click Download and select the desired format: XML format, PDF format or Both formats. Use XML format if you want to allow bidders to import the file and fill it in directly in the ESPD service. The file is downloaded to your computer.

Note: The ESPD service has a time-limited session. If you do nothing in the service for a while, the session expires and you risk losing the information you have entered. Therefore, make sure to download your ESPD before time runs out.

Step 10: Go back to the tender in AjourTender. Click Menu and select Edit to open the tender in edit mode.

Step 11: Click the Material step in the edit guide to go to the tender materials.

Step 12: Click the folder in the folder tree under Tender materials where the ESPD file is to be placed, or right-click and select Create folder if you need a folder to upload to. Name the folder, e.g. “ESPD”, and click Create folder.

Step 13: Click the folder to open it, and then click Upload files.

Step 14: In the Upload files to AjourTender window, click Add files, find the downloaded ESPD file on your computer and select it.

Step 15: Click Start upload. The file is uploaded automatically and is then shown in the folder with name, size and update date.

Note: The file is saved automatically in the tender materials when the upload is complete. You do not need to do anything further to save the file itself.

NEXT STEPS #

• Share the link to the tender with the economic operators so that they can find and fill in the ESPD file from the tender materials.
• Follow incoming offers and PQs under the Tender/PQ tab.
• Update or add other tender materials if needed before the deadline for submitting offers.