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TIP! Engaging suppliers on bids, challenges and frameworks with Opportunities

  • Updated

One place where you can manage bids, challenges and frameworks.

Opportunities features support the different types of Opportunities you manage with your suppliers, from frameworks with multiple successful candidates, to mini tenders where one fixed-price candidate will win. Within an Opportunity you can send private messages, update all suppliers simultaneously and review submissions with an approvals workflow that creates an automatic audit trail.

To help you get started with Opportunities, we’ve included some tips on:

  • Using Opportunities for bids and mini-tenders

  • Using Opportunities for frameworks

  • Using Opportunities to set challenges

You can control who can view Opportunities and take actions through user permissions and changing privacy settings at both the portfolio and Opportunity level.

Bulb.png TIP! For details of how to set up and manage your Opportunities with suppliers, see this guide.

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Using Opportunities for bids and mini-tenders

Opportunities makes it easy to manage a bid from start to finish. Any live supplier in your Companies Index can be invited to join a bid / mini-tender. In Opportunities you can:

  • Prepare key bid/framework information and assemble a long list of suppliers.

  • Make your bid live and invite suppliers.

  • Set a deadline and monitor submissions.

  • Manage updates and clarifications.

  • Track submissions and award winners.

  • Send direct messages to an individual supplier.

Bulb.png TIP! You can use Opportunities for a single source proposal too. Simply invite one supplier to the Opportunity.

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Tips for success:

  • Keep your Opportunity title short but descriptive – this is included in notifications (i.e. the subject line of an email) to suppliers and is how you and your colleagues will view the bid on the Opportunity Index and supplier’s Company Profile.

  • Attach documents to the Opportunity with full details of the bid and keep the description short. Use it to summarise the project or to highlight key points about the bidding process.

  • Remember to include a deadline for submissions – you can edit this during the bidding period, if required.

  • Send your team private messages on platform to keep all of your bid information and communications in one place. Inform suppliers in your bidding document that they should submit clarifications and queries using direct messages.

  • You can use the direct message feature to privately issue the contract for signature to the winning supplier, creating a full audit trail.

Using Opportunities for frameworks

You can use Opportunities to manage the communication with suppliers on a framework, major project or category group. For example, you can:

  • Hold heads of terms, key commitments or code of conduct in one place and make them available to all suppliers on the framework.

  • Provide regular or ad hoc updates to all suppliers on a framework at the same time. For example, advertise a 'Meet the buyer' event.

  • Add new suppliers during the life of the framework and give them access to past updates.

  • Manage direct messages and clarifications.

Tips for success:

  • Keep your Opportunity title short but descriptive – this is included in notifications (i.e. the subject line of an email) to suppliers and is how you and your colleagues will view the bid on the Opportunity Index and supplier’s Company Profile.

  • Use the description to explain how you will be using this Opportunity functionality to provide regular updates and how this will benefit the suppliers. Attach key documents such as heads of terms or relevant code of conduct.

  • Don’t include a deadline if you plan to use the Opportunity for ongoing communications. Deadlines are not enforced, but they do trigger reminders and other notifications.

  • Flag that the suppliers can use direct messages to privately ask any questions about the framework, but you’re not expecting them to submit any proposals.

Using Opportunities for setting challenges

Opportunities can be used to set challenges to your suppliers, such as an open call for innovation or a competition.

Tips for success:

  • Make your title clear as to the nature of the challenge – use key words like “Open call” or “Competition”. Remember – this is included in emails to suppliers and is how you and your colleagues will view the bid on the Opportunity Index and supplier’s Profile.

  • Use the description to explain how you will be running the challenge. For example, is there a deadline? Can suppliers submit multiple proposals? Are proposals reviewed when they come in or is there a monthly review cycle?

  • Only use the deadline if there is one. Deadlines aren’t enforced but they do trigger reminders and other notifications.

  • Flag that the suppliers can use the private messaging to ask any questions.

  • Use updates to issue clarifications, and provide details of any successes or new information that can help your suppliers.

 

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