Where do I input my answers in a sourcing event? How do I submit a response to a sourcing event?

To respond to a sourcing event, make sure the timer in the upper-right corner of the event is active. You can only respond to an event if it is in Open status and the timer is active. If the timer is not active, see here for what each status means.

On the left, you will find the Checklist. You must follow the steps in the Checklist to respond to the event. The Checklist is as follows:

1. Review event details
   • At this stage, buyers provide basic information regarding the event, such as the start and end date, the project owner name, and the description of the event.
   • You will not see any answer fields in this step of the checklist.
2. Review and accept prerequisites
   • Depending on how the buyer has set up the event, some may require you to click the Intend to respond button before proceeding to Review and accept prerequisites.
   • In this step, you will need to review the Bidder Agreement and Accept the terms of this agreement, check if there is any field marked with a red asterisk and make sure you fill it in before pressing OK.
   • A submission confirmation will be displayed and you must confirm it. Remember: what is being sent is just your agreement with the prerequisites. The fields for you to attach your files will be displayed in another step.
   • If there is a small orange door icon in this step, it means that there is an access gate requiring buyer approval before you can proceed. For more information, please check What are prerequisite questions in sourcing events?
3. Select lots/line items
   • Within the same event, the buyer may be requesting a quote for more than one service or product. In the Select Lots/Line Items step, you need to select the items you will quote for and click Confirm selected lots.
   • Some buyers may require you to provide a reason for not selecting certain lots/line items. Make sure you select one of the options in the dropdown field.
4. Submit response
   • In this step, all content will be displayed. You will need to respond to all fields marked with a red asterisk before clicking on Submit entire response to send your answers to the buyer.
   • If there is any doubt about how to fill in a certain field, you can communicate with the buyer by clicking on the Compose message button.
   • You can click the Save draft button to save your responses as you work.
   • To download any files your buyer has attached, click the file name and either select Download this attachment to download only that specific attachment, or Download all attachments to download all the attached files in the event.

Some events may not contain all the steps described depending on how it was set up by the buyer (eg. you might not have to select lots). Make sure you follow all the steps outlined in the event checklist and click Submit entire response once you are finished. Wait for the confirmation that it was sent to the buyer to appear on the screen before closing the event.

Strategic Sourcing > Sourcing Events