Tender help

The Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) is provided free to all users by MBIE. Public sector organisations are encouraged to use the service to advertise procurement opportunities, currently Government Departments, the New Zealand Defence Force and Police are required by cabinet to use GETS. GETS is a web based service which allows you to view current tenders, subscribe to notices, download tender documentation and where allowed, submit your response online.

1. GETS
2. Supplier Account
3. View a Current Tender
4. Select Tenders
5. Subscribed Tender Notices
6. Subscribe to a Notice
7. Download Files and Addenda
8. Q&A
9. Respond to a Tender
10. General Information
11. Contact Us

1)  GETS

The GETS system provides two services:

1. tender advertising service: a single website for public sector organisations (the purchasing organisation) to advertise contract opportunities to interested suppliers
2. eTender functionality: that allows suppliers to electronically (through GETS) ask questions and submit responses and proposals to advertised contract opportunities. However, a public sector organisation must elect to enable GETS eTender functionality. Note Suppliers must follow the instructions in the RFx documents relating to how to ask questions and submit responses.

You can create your supplier account and login as well as view the list of organisations and tenders (current, late, closed and awarded). The default view is for all current tenders displayed by closing date, earliest at the top. This page shows the following tender information:

• GETS RFx ID (a unique Id for each tender)
• Purchasers Reference (if any)
• Tender title
• Tender type (e.g. RFP, RFT, etc.)
• Closing date and time
• Purchasing organisation

Additional views of other categories (Late, Closed and Awarded) can be accessed from the menu tabs on the left of the page. You can sort the display by clicking on the title of a particular column, for example if you want to view all tenders grouped by purchaser. You can search for a particular tender by entering the text you want to find in the search box at the top of the page. If you want to refine your search use the advanced search option by clicking on the link below the search box. [An individual organisation’s tender box can be accessed by clicking on its name.]

2)  Supplier Account

You must create a supplier account before you can subscribe to a notice.

To create a new supplier account:

1. Click on the Create New Account link.
2. Take time to read the “Register as a Supplier“ section and then click the Register link at the bottom of the page.
3. Complete the Create supplier account form and then click NEXT. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.
4. You will then be taken to the RealMe login page. If you have an existing RealMe logon you are encouraged to use it with your GETS account. If you don’t have a RealMe login create one here.
5. Once you have entered your RealMe login or created your RealMe account you must return to GETS by clicking the CONTINUE link at the bottom of the page.
6. You must then enter your personal details and accept the Terms and Conditions. Fields marked with an asterisk are required.

Note: Please ensure your email details are correct as this is where your activation email will be sent. You will need this email to complete your account activation.

To activate your account:

You will receive an Account Activation email from GETS.
Click on the link and you will be taken to GETS with a message that your account has been created successfully.
You can then login to your account using your RealMe username and password.

To login to your supplier account:

1. Click on the Supplier Log in link.
2. Enter your RealMe username and password. If you forget your username or password click on the link above the entry field on the RealMe login screen. Enter the email address for your RealMe account to initiate the “forgotten password” or “forgotten username” process.

The details of a supplier account can be updated by clicking on the Update account link when logged in.

Note: Your RealMe email address may be different from your GETS account address.

Selecting Category Codes and Regions

Note: In order to receive automatic tenders’ notifications which may be of interest you must select relevant category codes and regions. You do this from the Update Account tab on the left hand menu bar – you must be logged in.

1. Scroll to the bottom of the “Update Supplier User Account” screen.
2. Click on the Manage Tender Notification Subscriptions link and a screen will open where you will be able to select categories and regions of interest to you. To see more information on a particular category click the show/hide link next to the category title.
3. You limit your notifications to tenders for a particular region by selecting the box next to the regions of interest. If you leave this blank you will be notified of all tenders which match your selected categories.

The details of a supplier account can be updated by clicking on the Update account link when logged in.

Note: A supplier account can have more than one user, but each user account must have a unique email address.

Multiple GETS Accounts

Some users may work for more than one organisation or have other interest in GETS. Each GETS account is unique, if you require more than on account you will need to create a separate RealMe username for each.

3)  View a Current Tender

Select the tender from the tender list or search using the title or reference number. Clicking on the tender opens the Tender Details screen. The Tender Details screen includes the following information:

• Tender Name
• Reference #
• Open Date
• Close Date
• Type (e.g. ROI, RFT, RFP)
• Categories
• Regions
• Required Pre-qualifications
• Contact
• Overview

4)  Select Tenders

A select tender is one that is only open to invited respondents selected by the purchasing organisation.

When an organisation releases a select tender through GETS you will receive notification of the tender via email. Follow the link in the email and log into GETS. You will then be directed to the tender details screen.

When you are logged in select tenders can also be accessed from the Select Tenders tab on the left hand menu bar, you will see a list of all of the select tenders you have been invited to respond to.

5)  Subscribed Tender Notices

Once you have subscribed to a tender notice you can access the tender from the Subscribed Tender Notices screen (saving time searching for it through the tender lists). Refer to Subscribe to a Notice for more information.

6)  Subscribe to a Notice

You must subscribe to a notice before you can download files and/or submit a response. To subscribe to a tender notice:

1. From the tender details screen click Subscribe to this Notice. You are required to be logged in before you can continue.
   

   Note: If you do not have a supplier account you will need to create one, refer to Supplier Account for further details.

2. You must complete the Subscribe to this Notice form, fields labelled in bold are mandatory. Some fields will automatically be filled out using data from your supplier account.
3. When completed click Submit.

7)  Download Files and Addenda

Once you have subscribed to a tender notice you can access all associated files and addenda from the bottom of the tender details screen. For each file the following details are displayed:

• File Name
• Size
• Checksum
• Virus Check Status

To download a file click on the download icon to the right of the file details.

8)  Q&A

Suppliers may ask a purchasing organisation questions about an advertised contract opportunity.

RFx requirements

The purchasing organisation's RFx document will contain instructions on how suppliers are to ask questions, e.g. submit your question by email to a named procurement officer. Check the RFx document for details of how to submit your question.

GETS eTender functionality

A purchasing organisation may elect to use the GETS eTender box as the method for suppliers to ask questions. This will be stated in the purchasing organisation's RFx document. Check the RFx document. Where a purchasing organisation states that this is allowed, follow these instructions:

To ask a question click Raise Question Here on the Tender Details screen. Enter a title and the question then click Submit. An email will be sent to the purchasing organisation with your question. Your question is displayed on your tender details screen and is private unless the purchasing agency determines that the question and answer would benefit all subscribed suppliers. The purchasing agency should advise you if they intend making your question and answer public, your details will not be published. If you want the answer to be kept private you should state this in your question. How each agency handles questions and answers should be stated in the tender documents.

You will be notified by email when your questions have been answered. The email will include the question and answer and the answer will also be displayed with the question on the Tender Details screen.

9)  Respond to a Tender

The purchasing organisation's RFx document will contain instructions on how suppliers are to submit their responses or proposals. Please check the RFx document to see what the purchasing agency requires. For example, the purchasing agency may want hard copies delivered to a specified address, or soft copies submitted to an email address, or through an e-procurement system.

The purchasing agency may elect to use the GETS eTender box. This means that suppliers can submit their responses or proposals through GETS. Check the RFx document. Where a purchasing organisation states that this is allowed, follow these instructions:

Note: To respond to a tender you must subscribe to the notice. Refer to Subscribe to a Notice for further details.

1. Click Tender a Response at the bottom of the tender details screen.
2. You should then complete the Tender Response form with the following information:
   • Response Title - GETS automatically generates a title for your response for your supplier account details or you can choose your own title. For example, if your company intends to submit more than one response it is important that the titles identify each response, particularly which is your most recent submission.
   • Cover Note (Optional) - this field should be used for minor details regarding your response, such as, file handling or replacement.

     Note: The Cover Note is not part of your response and is not considered for evaluation.

   • Contact Details - these are the details of the primary person responsible for this tender response. This person will be contacted for the clarification of any issues and notification of the success or failure of your response. The fields are automatically filled with the details supplied at subscription to the notice. Please change if necessary.
   • Attached Files - displays the following details for all files attached to your response; File Name, Size, Checksum and Virus Check. Refer to General Information for more information on checksums. In addition this section displays the amount of remaining space available for your response. To attach a file click Browse. Locate file and click Open, the file is uploaded to GETS and details displayed in this section. The tender notice displays the maximum size for your response in Megabytes (MB).
   • The tender notice displays the maximum size for your response in Megabytes (MB).

     Tip It's a good idea to compress or 'zip' your response to save space and reduce upload time. The number of files you can upload is unlimited as long as their total size is less than or equal to the allocated space.

     Tip: Until the response has been committed files can be removed. To remove a file click on the Delete link associated with the file.

Once a file is uploaded it is attached to your response and saved in GETS unless deleted. Therefore, you can build your response over a number of visits to GETS. Once your response is finalised it must be committed.

When using the GETS eTender box to submit your response or proposal you must commit your response for it to be considered for evaluation. Uncommitted responses are deleted once the tender closes and cannot be accessed.

To Commit a response:

1. To be able to commit your response you must agree to the Terms and Conditions. To view the Terms and Conditions click on the Terms and Conditions link.
2. Click Commit and then OK to confirm your intention to commit your response.
3. Once your response is committed you are provided with both an online and an email receipt of submission. Please keep a copy for your records. The receipt contains the following information:
   • Tender Name
   • Reference #
   • Receipt number
   • Response title
   • Received (date, time)
   • Qualified (if applicable)
   • Response Files - including file name, size and checksum

Warning: It is your responsibility to ensure you allow enough time to upload and commit your response. Large files may take a while to upload and GETS may experience a high traffic load leading up to the close date and time.

Tip: It is advisable to upload each individual file as it is finalised rather than waiting for the last minute to upload all files at once.

10)  General Information

Closed Tenders:

After the close date a tender will be displayed in the Closed Tenders lists.

Late Tenders:

In some circumstances an organisation may choose to set a Late Date for a tender. The Late Date is a period after the Close Date during which GETS will continue to accept responses but mark them as late. Tenders that have a Late Date are displayed in the Late Tenders list during this period. To submit a response to a tender during the late period you must have subscribed to the tender notice before the Close Date. How each purchasing organisation handles late submissions will be in the tender documentation. Purchasers are under no obligation to accept and/or consider late responses.

Awarded Tenders:

After the evaluation of a tender an organisation may choose to display the result on the Awarded Tenders list, this is a requirement for all purchasing agencies covered by the Government Rules of Sourcing. This list displays the awarded tenders and the successful supplier(s). If a tender was not awarded the reason may be displayed here.

Checksum:

The checksum is a unique fingerprint of the files attached to your response. Any change to a file will alter its checksum.

It is good practice to compare the checksums of your attached files with ones generated from the files on your local machine. This gives you confidence that your files were not corrupted during the upload process. To verify your files click on the Verify Uploaded Files link.

11)  Contact Us

GETS is an information and tender management resource only. GETS staff have no involvement in running or evaluating tenders/offers.

Please submit all questions, responses and proposals relating to published opportunities as directed by the purchasing agency in its RFx documents.

Critical Problems

Critical problems will generally be related to:

• Service related difficulty in submitting a response by the tender close date.
• If you believe your response will be late – for whatever reason – you should advise the purchasing agency immediately.
• Matters threatening the security of a response
• Problems with the authentication of a response
• GETS system issues

Phone: 0508 GETS HELP (0508 438 743)
International: +64 4 901 3188

Non Critical Problems

• Problem resolution that is not urgent
• Operational advice
• Training
• Software development
• User group support

email: info@gets.govt.nz
or use the Contact Us section on the web page