What the Vendor Does

Use the instructions in this section to familiarize vendors with the Unifier interface so they can submit bids.

When a bidder is invited to bid for the first time, the system sends two emails simultaneously:

Invitation email, which contains the URL to log into Unifier.
Credential email, which contains the username and system-generated password.
Note: For best results, a bidder should change their password at the first log in, and then sign in using the newly set password.

About the Bid Due Date Time

Be aware that the due date and time for the bid reflect the time of the server on which Unifier is running. (Unifier servers operate on Pacific Standard Time.)

To sign in

If you received a bid invitation, you should also have received an email containing a link to Unifier, a user name, and a password.

Open the bid invitation, and click the link provided.
At the login screen, enter the user name and password provided in the email.
The Unifier home screen opens.

To submit a bid

In the left Navigator, click Request for Bid/Bids (or Request for Bid Private/Bids if you have been invited for a private bid). A bid log appears on the right pane showing a list of open bids you have been invited to submit.
By default, the system displays only open bids. If you want to see all the bids you have been invited to submit, use the View menu. Click the arrow and choose All from the list. The system will display all your bids, past and present.
In the Request for Bid log, double-click the name of the RFB you have received. The Request for Bid form opens.
Before you submit the bid, you can communicate with the requestor about any questions or issues that need clarification. The Request for Bid form provides a link to a Unifier Mailbox feature. To send a communication:
1. Click the Linked Mail tab at the top of the window. The Linked Mail tab shows a chronological list of any existing communications.
2. Click Add > New Mail. An email-type form opens, where you can send a communication to the requestor.
To participate in the bid, you must accept the request for bid using the Accept button in the upper-right corner.
Fill in the upper-form fields that are required.
Go to the Line Item List tab and add line items to the form through one of the following methods:
1. Click the Add button. Then, in the right pane, fill in the fields on the Line Item Details tab and click Save or Save & Add New. The line item detail you entered appears in the log on the left pane.
2. Use the Export button to export a CSV or Excel template of the line item form to be opened in a separate application that reads CSV or Excel files. After the correct information has been added to the CSV or Excel file, use the Import button to create line items based on the data in the CSV or Excel file. For more information about this process, see Importing Line Items to a Request for Bid.
(Optional) To add an attachment to the bid, open the Attachments tab in the right pane and click Attach Files > Browse. A file upload window opens.
1. Within this window, click Browse to search your system for files to attach. Alternatively, you can drag and drop files into the window.
2. Navigate to the file you want to attach and select it. Then click Open. The file name appears in the list
3. Click the Upload button. After the file has been uploaded, the window will close automatically.
  On the Request for Bid form, Unifier indicates the attachment in the lower-left corner of the window. You can click Attachments to verify that the attachment is correct, or rename or remove an attachment.
Click Submit Proposal to finalize the bid, or Save to save changes to the bid.

The following rules apply when a bidder accesses new forms:

If the Requestor has created the bid request in Classic view, the bidder will be able to perform all subsequent actions (such as View the request/Create Bids in Classic view).
If the Requestor has created the bid request in Standard view, the bidder will be able to perform all subsequent actions (such as View the request/Create Bids in Standard view).
After the bid is submitted and the due date is passed, Unifier opens the RFB form in Standard view.

To withdraw a bid

Sign in to Unifier.
In the left Navigator, click Request for Bid/Bids (or Request for Bid Private/Bids, if you were invited for a private bid). A bid log appears on the right pane.
In the log, double-click the name of the RFB you received. The Request for Bid form opens.
Click the Withdraw button in the upper-right corner of the window.

To view or print the bid after submitting it

Sign in to Unifier.
In the left Navigator, click Request for Bid/Bids (or Request for Bid Private/Bids, if you were invited for a private bid). A bid log appears on the right pane.
In the log, select the bid record that you want to view or print.
Click the Print button and select one of the following:
- Print
- Export To CSV
- Export To Excel