BidNet Direct Electronic Submission Instructions 4.17.25.pdf

EXHIBIT 1- BIDNET DIRECT ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

It is the sole responsibility of the vendor to ensure that the response, including all necessary attachments, is received prior to the indicated closing date and time, Mountain Standard Time.

Be aware that submitting a password in the e-procurement platform acts as an electronic signature which is just as legal and binding as an original signature (see Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act for more information).

Vendors must be registered in BidNet Direct to the Arizona Purchasing Group in order to participate in the bidding process for this solicitation.

Vendors can register for a free account at www.bidnetdirect.com. Registered users will be able to search for bids, access bid information and documents, receive notifications about bids, and submit bids via BidNet Direct (www.bidnetdirect.com)for all open Maricopa County bids.

ONLY RESPONSES THAT ARE SUBMITTED THROUGH BIDNET DIRECT WILL BE CONSIDERED.

For assistance with the e-procurement platform, contact BidNet Direct Vendor Support during regular business hours, Phone: 1-800-835-4603 or Email: support@bidnet.com. The BidNet Direct Support Department is available Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST.

FINDING A SOLICITATION

Solicitations can be found by using the search bar if you know the name or number of the solicitation. If you are unsure of those, use the filter function on the left side navigation panel.

Select Arizona, then Maricopa County from the Location filter.

Select Member Agency Bids from the top tabs to see only Maricopa County bids.

The solicitation title and closing date/time will be displayed. Once you select the title, the solicitation will open and display basic information like the contact, purchase type and relevant dates. If a pre-bid conference is scheduled you will see that on this page.

The left side navigation panel will display tabs.

Select he DOCUMENTS tab to display all relevant documents. Be sure to read all documents in their entirety as these will provide specific submission instructions.

If you are asked to provide pricing in a specific document, be sure to download the pricing document from the document list. You are required to download or read all documents prior to submission.

SUBMITTING YOUR BID (bid/proposal/offer):

Select the PLACE BID icon from the top right corner of your screen. A new window will pop up asking you to select PLACE A NEW BID or PLACE NO BID.

o If you select Place No Bid, you will be prompted for a reason prior to submitting.

o If you select Place New Bid, you will be routed to a page where you will upload all relevant documents.

o If there are line items associated with the bid, you will be asked for line-item pricing.

Once you have provided pricing through the requested document or through the line-item pricing, Select NEXT. A window will open where you can take exceptions to any aspect of the bid requirements. If you have exceptions, please describe them here. If you do not, scroll down to Compliance & Authentication.

Please note if you have not read all the solicitation’s related documents you will be prompted to read them all or risk non-compliance. You will enter your full name and password, then select SUBMIT BID. You will be asked if

BidNet Direct Electronic Submission Instructions you are sure you want to proceed, if you select yes, you will be taken to a Bid Conformation page which states that your bid has been submitted.

You can print the confirmation or download a pdf of your submittal. You may withdraw or modify your proposal until the date/time the bid closes. You will receive a notification if any questions are asked or if any changes are made to the solicitation. You may be required to submit an Acknowledgement of any addenda.

A RESPONDENT’S BID OFFER WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS RESPONSIVE BY THE COUNTY UNLESS ALL

REQUIRED INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED. THIS INCLUDES VIEWING/ACCEPTING ALL

DOCUMENTS, UPLOADING REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS, AND PROVIDING AN

OFFER/PROPOSAL.

MARICOPA COUNTY QUALIFICATIONS

If you provide A&E services or other related professional or construction services under Article 5 of the Maricopa County Procurement Code, please select the qualifications that you wish to be considered for under the Available Qualifications section. You will provide responses to the questions and upload the Pre-Qualification Application for each discipline.

ASKING A QUESTION:

In order to ask a question, select Ask Question from the available options on the right side. This will open a dialog box where you will input a subject, ask your question, and select SUBMIT. The contact will receive a notification that a question has been asked. Once the answer to the question has been published, anyone who has downloaded the documents related to the bid will receive notice that an answer has been posted, and will be able to view all Q&A.

Inquiries about the solicitation must be submitted via the e-procurement platform by the question deadline posted in the Bid Details.

Inquiries may be submitted by telephone to the procurement officer for the solicitation but must be followed up in writing for the answer to be binding. No oral communication is binding on Maricopa County.

Questions about the e-procurement platform’s functionality must be directed to BidNet Direct. Phone: 1-800- 835-4603, Email: support@bidnet.com;

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

When the respondent clicks “Confirm and submit response,” they acknowledge that the information and documents entered in the e-procurement platform are accurate and represent the supplier’s actual proposal, quote, or bid.

The e-procurement platform registers the date and time the offer has been received. Receipt of a respondent’s offer does not necessarily mean that an offer is finalized. ACCEPTANCE OF A RESPONDENT’S OFFER BY THE E-

PROCUREMENT PLATFORM IS NOT AN INDICATION THAT THE COUNTY HAS ACCEPTED A

RESPONDENT’S OFFER. THE COUNTY WILL EVALUATE THE RESPONSES RECEVIED AND MAY

DETERMINE A RESPONSE IS NON-RESPONSIVE IF THE RESPONDENT HAS FAILED TO INCLUDE ALL

REQUIRED INFORMATION, INCLUDING ATTACHMENTS, WITH THEIR SUBMISSION.

Be aware that entering information and uploading documents into the e-procurement platform may take considerable time. Allow sufficient time to complete the online forms and upload documents. It is recommended that suppliers submit responses a minimum of 24 hours prior to the closing deadline. The deadline for submitting information and documents will end at the closing time indicated in the solicitation. All information and documents must be fully entered, uploaded, acknowledged (Confirm) and recorded into the e-procurement platform before the closing time or the system will stop the process and the response will be considered late and will not be accepted.

Responses submitted in the e-procurement platform are completely secure. No one (including County purchasing staff) can see responses until after the deadline. Suppliers may modify or change their response at any time prior to the closing deadline. However, all modifications or changes must be completed and acknowledged (Confirm) in the e-procurement platform prior to the deadline. The e-procurement platform will post a notice that the modification/change (new offer) has been received. This notice from the e-procurement platform MUST be recorded prior to the closing date and time MST or the response will be considered late and will not be accepted.