Work with the Bid Grid

The Bid Grid is a Microsoft Excel workbook based on RFP data. Vendors fill in a bid grid to respond to your associated RFP.

Vendors:

1. Receive a bid grid from a provider user and download it.
2. Open the downloaded bid grid in Microsoft Excel.
3. Read and understand the instructions for using the bid grid that are included on the first sheet of the workbook. Vendors are instructed:
   • To not alter the workbook structure or format. If they do, it can't be imported by the provider user.
   • That the workbook is password protected.
4. Complete each sheet of the workbook, following the instructions on the first sheet.
   • Only cells that are shaded light blue can be edited.
   • The currency that must be used for the bid appears on each worksheet.
   • Default mapping keys are included in the bid grid and you can edit these values to map back to your client grids in internal/other costing tools/systems.

   The bid grid format and metadata are preserved even if bid grid changes occur in the next ClearTrial release. This allows you to continue to produce bid grids for negotiations that span multiple releases.

5. After filling in the bid grid, email it to the provider, who then imports it into ClearTrial and uses ClearTrial features and tools to evaluate and compare the bids received.

• Default Bid Grid Structure
  The Bid Grid contains default instructions for your vendors to follow to complete their bids.
• Elements of the Bid Grid
  A summary worksheet exists that provides subtotals by location and an overall total of fees and costs. You enter the vendor name on this worksheet and it is automatically populated on all other worksheets of the bid grid.

Elements of the Bid Grid

A summary worksheet exists that provides subtotals by location and an overall total of fees and costs. You enter the vendor name on this worksheet and it is automatically populated on all other worksheets of the bid grid.

You can also enter any applicable bottom line discount to be applied against the total fees on this worksheet.

There is a separate worksheet for every location (country or region) included in the clinical trial. Activities that occur in locations where sites and patients are not involved, such as biostatistics, appear in the worksheet named BidGrid_Centralized.

• The first worksheet includes instructions to bidders.
• The Bid Grid Summary page is generated after you have entered your detailed bid.
• The Bid Grid Centralized page is populated with the number of expected units per task, based on the assumptions in the plan. The specific assumptions that led to those numbers of units are in the Plan Assumptions report.

• Column headers and input fields
  Password-protected headers describe the data in each column of the bid grid.

Column headers and input fields

Password-protected headers describe the data in each column of the bid grid.

• Cost Type—Either Labor or Cost, depending on the row. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.
• Location—Centralized or the plan's location. This column indicates the location of the sites/patients related to this task. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.
• Major Task/Cost—Name. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.
• Task—Name. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.
• Resource—Resource Name. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.

• Mapping Key—Prepopulated with a ClearTrial-defined key for mapping tasks and costs between the RFP, bids, and plans. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.

• Unit of Measure—Definition of the unit of activity for this task. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.
• # Units—Number of units of activity. This column is populated based on the RFP and is not editable.
• Resource Location—Defaults to a blank, blue input field. You can select from a defined location.
• Base Billing Rate— The base billing rate is the non-inflated billing rate based on the agreed-upon rate card or, if no agreed-upon rate card exists, the vendor's standard or discounted rates. Defaults to a blank, blue input field. Enter the RFP currency format with two-decimal point precision.
• Inflated Billing Rate—Inflated billing rate for the ClearTrial-defined resource. If no inflation is included, the base billing rate and inflated billing rate are the same value. Defaults to a blank, blue input field. Enter the RFP currency format with two-decimal point precision.
• Unit Hours—Unit hours for the applicable task and resource. Unit hours reflect the effort for the resource to complete one unit of activity for the task. Defaults to a blank, blue input field. Enter the unit hours with three-decimal point precision.
• Total Hours—This column is calculated based on the vendor's input and the number of units. Enter the total hours with three-decimal point precision.
• Unit Cost—This column is calculated based on the vendor's input. Enter the RFP currency format with two-decimal point precision.
• Total Cost—This column is calculated based on the vendor's input and the number of units. Enter the RFP currency format with two-decimal point precision.
• Comments—Column for vendors to add an explanation or clarification for each activity in the Bid Grid. Comments are only available to be viewed in exported Bid Grids. Comments are not available for viewing within ClearTrial.