Vendor Guide.pdf
PDF 385 KB Posted
- Attached to
- RSA SECURID, FOB & SOFT TOKENS
- Solicitation number
- RFQ - 18B - 19122700000000000194
- Issued by
- Maine
About this file
This is a Vendor Guide document issued by the State of Maine describing enhancements to its Vendor Self Service (VSS) system, effective October 15, 2019. The guide outlines two significant operational changes affecting how vendors interact with the procurement process. The first enhancement establishes a formal clarification question procedure whereby buyers may request additional information from vendors after bid submission, with vendors receiving email notification and a specified due date to respond through their VSS account. The second enhancement addresses the reopening of solicitations, allowing buyers to reopen bids if no qualifying bids were received or if specifications have changed, requiring vendors who previously responded to the original solicitation to submit new responses to be considered for the reopened opportunity.
The guide provides step-by-step procedural instructions for vendors to access clarification requests through their VSS accounts, locate relevant responses using the Solicitation Response tab, and submit clarification responses within established timelines. Vendors are informed that reopened solicitations will display with a status of "REOPENED" on the Business Opportunities tab and can be viewed and responded to like standard solicitations. No pricing terms, set asides, funding sources, or contract-specific details are addressed in this procedural document, as it functions solely as operational guidance for the State of Maine's vendor management system.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Response Sheet.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| HowtoSearchBidsandRespond_VSS3.9.pdf | ||
| RFQ Specifications.docx | DOCX document |
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Text version
Vendor Self Service (VSS) Enhancements
State of Maine 1
Introduction On October 15, 2019, State of Maine’s Vendor Self Service (VSS) system will be upgraded with several new features.
Two of these changes may have an impact on how vendors respond to bids, and should be reviewed.
This guide covers both of these enhancements in detail:
1. Clarification Questions – the buyer on a solicitation may request a clarification on the response submitted by the vendor. When this occurs, the vendor will have a chance to review the clarification question and submit a response.
2. Solicitations Re-opening for Bid – if the buyer does not receive any qualifying bids on a solicitation, or have changed the specifications, they may choose to re-open the solicitation after it has closed.
Clarification Questions
When the Buyer receives a bid for a solicitation, they may determine they need additional information from the vendor. If this occurs, you may receive an email requesting that you provide a clarification.
1. An email is received with the subject:
ADVANTAGE SELF
SERVICE
CLARIFICATION
REQUESTED ON
YOUR RESPONSE
The Response Status of your response under the Solicitation Response tab in your VSS account will also show as “Clarification Requested”
State of Maine 2
2. Log into your VSS account and go to Solicitation Responses tab
3. All responses will show by default.
If necessary, use the Keyword Search box to narrow the results and find the response you are looking for
4. Open the response by clicking on the SR number
5. If a clarification has been requested, you will see:
a. Clarification
Due Date
b. Clarification
Details
5a
5b
State of Maine 3
6. Respond to the clarification request using the Response field.
7. Submit your response.
Your clarification response will be sent back to the buyer.
You will receive an email confirming that the response was submitted.
Re-opened Solicitation A Buyer may choose to re-open a solicitation after it has closed if no bids were received, or if none of the submitted bids were selected. If this occurs, you will be able to submit a bid on the re-opened solicitation as you would with any other.
If you previously responded to the original solicitation, you will have to submit another response to the Re-Opened bid in order for your bid to be considered.
1. A solicitation is posted to
VSS, and the status is set to CLOSED once it expires.
State of Maine 4
2. The buyer chooses to re-open the solicitation. It is now available on the Business Opportunities tab with a status of
REOPENED.
3. The solicitation can be viewed and responded to like all other solicitations. To view or respond, click Details.
| Introduction |
| Clarification Questions |
| Re-opened Solicitation |
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