Welcome to the Profile Search Results Help
This help document is intended to assist you with reviewing, interpreting, and responding to the bid opportunities and other procurement-related articles that display in your bid match profile search results. The following topics are covered:
- Reviewing Search Results. Discusses the basic components and formatting conventions used in your profile search results.
- Identifying Procurement Data Sources. Describes the Softshare-monitored procurement data sources that can contribute to your search results.
- Responding to Solicitations. Gives a high-level overview of the proper methods for obtaining more information about and responding to the different types of solicitations that can appear in your search results.
For information on topics not addressed or covered in detail in this help, consult your Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) or the buyer or informational point of contact listed in the specific solicitation to which you want to reply.
Reviewing Search Results
This section covers the various components of the profile search output that you receive from either your PTAC or Softshare and indicates how to identify and interpret each of them. Note that if you receive your profile search e-mails in a different format from that shown in the next graphic (for example, abbreviated HTML or plain text), or if you receive your search results via a method other than e-mail (such as the Softshare-maintained mybidmatch.com Web site), some formatting aspects may differ slightly from those shown and described here.
The following graphic shows a sample article from a profile search results e-mail. Each of the numbered components in this graphic is identified and described in the following table.
| # | Information Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Database Header | Indicates the source of the articles that follow. See the Identifying Procurement Data Sources section of this help for a complete list of the data sources that can contribute to your profile search results. |
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2 |
Buying Agency | Usually lists the government agency publishing the article, along with related general contact information. |
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3 |
Federal Supply Group (FSG) | The government-maintained Federal Supply Group code identifying the product or service sought by the buyer. Alphabetic codes denote services while numeric ones denote supplies. Click here to access a complete list of FSGs. |
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4 |
Solicitation Number | The unique, external identification code for the solicitation, which you will use to identify the solicitation to outside parties such as government buyers and may also use to access the solicitation on government-maintained Web sites. |
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5 |
Solicitation Closing Date | This is the deadline by which a response must be received in order to be considered for a contract award. |
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6 |
National Stock Number (NSN) | The 13-digit National Stock Number identifying the product sought by the buyer, included in many federal, defense-related solicitations. Each NSN consists of a 4-digit Federal Supply Classification (FSC) code followed by a 9-digit National Item Identification Number (NIIN). Note that NSNs apply to products only and not to services. |
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7 |
Matching Search Term(s) | The profile search term(s) that caused the article to match against your search profile display in bold, blue text in HTML-formatted search results e-mails and on the mybidmatch.com Web site. In the case of non-e-mail or plain text search results, matching search terms are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the left margin of the line in which they occur. |
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8 |
Web Link(s) | Most solicitation articles contain links to the specific Web site where the solicitation can be searched for or, in some cases, a direct link to the posted solicitation itself. Some solicitations may also include links to Web sites where related drawings and/or specifications can be downloaded. |
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9 |
Softshare Article Number | The code used by Softshare to uniquely identify the article, containing the following three components: article post date; source database abbreviation; and a unique, Softshare-generated identification code. Note that this internal code is significant only to your PTAC and/or Softshare; when identifying an article to an outside party such as a government buyer, use the solicitation number listed in the article itself rather than the Softshare article number. |
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10 |
Matching Keywords | Lists the specific search term(s) in your profile that caused the article to match and be included in your search results. |
Identifying Procurement Data Sources
The articles that you receive in your profile search results can come from a wide variety of database sources or a more limited range of sources selected specifically for your business. If your profile search results contain data from sources that you do not want to include in future searches, you can contact your PTAC (or Softshare if you receive your results directly from us) to request that those sources be removed from your profile.
Solicitation Databases
The following table alphabetically lists the Softshare-monitored solicitation sources that can contribute to your profile search results. For each solicitation article that you receive, the article source is indicated by (1) the heading above the solicitation and (2) the source database abbreviation in the associated Softshare article number (e.g. 021115/PROCURE/0112). Both the complete solicitation source names and their corresponding Softshare abbreviations are listed in the next table.
| Solicitation Source | Softshare Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Defense Automated Addressing Service Center | DAAS | The EDI hub for the Department of Defense, which handles EDI bids for the U.S. Navy and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Bid opportunities from this database and FACNET are considered EDI solicitations and have special quotation requirements. |
| DLA Procurement Gateway | PROGATE | A DLA-maintained Web site intended to provide unified management of procurement data from the various DLA supply centers. |
| Defense Supply Center Columbus | DCSC, DESC, DSCC | The DLA supply center responsible for maritime and land weapon systems support. |
| Defense Supply Center Philadelphia | DISC, DSCP | The DLA supply center responsible for purchasing and managing food, clothing, medical, general, and industrial supplies and services for the DLA. |
| Defense Supply Center Richmond | DGSC, DSCR | The DLA supply center responsible for aviation support. |
| FACNET | NEP | Abbreviation for Federal Acquisition Computer Network, the EDI network representing the majority of Department of Defense agencies, including many Army, Navy, and Air Force agencies and a small number of civilian agencies such as the National Institute of Health (NIH). Bid opportunities from this database and the DAASC are considered EDI solicitations and have special quotation requirements. |
| FedBizOpps Procurements | PROCURE | The U.S. federal government's Federal Business Opportunities database, which represents the single source for federal government procurement opportunities with award amounts exceeding $25,000. Bid opportunities from this data source are classified under the "Procurements" subcategory, while the other four subcategories that fall under FedBizOpps do not represent direct bid opportunities. |
| Foreign Trade Opportunities
Canadian and Other Foreign Bids |
FTX, TOPS | Softshare-maintained databases consisting of bid opportunities from a variety of non-U.S. sources, including Canada's Internet-based electronic tendering service, MERX. |
| Other Federal Purchases | SMALL | A Softshare-maintained database consisting of federal government bid opportunities from a variety of sources, including agencies such as the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Also included in this database are federal funding opportunities from the FedGrants Web site. |
| Softshare USABID State and Local | USABID | Softshare's database of bid opportunities from city-, county-, and state-level government agencies. For a complete list of the resources monitored by Softshare for entry into this database, go to http://www.softshare.com/wincats/usabid/. |
Note: In addition to data from the Softshare solicitation sources listed previously, the profile search results sent by some PTACs may also include solicitations from proprietary, state-specific databases. If included, these will be listed under a "State Procurement" heading in your search results. Refer to your PTAC for more information on state-specific procurement opportunities.
Non-Solicitation Databases
Articles that you receive from the data sources listed in the following table do not represent direct bid opportunities or requests for quotation. They are used for locating subcontracting opportunities as well as for reference and competition monitoring purposes.
| Data Source | Softshare Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Tops | BLUETOPS | U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) award notices for major contracts of $5 million or more, called "blue tops" after the blue stripe that appears at the top of their printed counterparts. These award notices provide a key source for subcontracting opportunities. |
| FedBizOpps Awards, Foreign Standards, Surplus Sales, and Special Notices | AWARDS, FOREIGN, SURPLUS, SPECIAL | These sources represent various types of non-solicitation articles from the FedBiz Opps database, including contract award notices, foreign government standards, surplus property sales notices, and special notices. |
Note: In addition to the other non-solicitation data discussed in this section, special broadcast notices sent by your PTAC may also occasionally display at the top of your search results, under the heading "Important Notice."
Responding to Solicitations
This section gives some general guidelines for responding to the following types of solicitations that you may receive in your profile search results:
- FedBizOpps solicitations
- DLA solicitations
- USABID and Other Federal Purchases solicitations
- EDI solicitations
- Foreign solicitations
While this section includes high-level information about evaluating and responding to solicitations from various sources, it is not intended to cover the specifics of the quotation process for any particular solicitation type. If you have questions in this regard, we recommend that you contact the buyer or informational point of contact listed in the solicitation that you are responding to or your PTAC. Also, many procurement Web sites include online help and FAQs to assist you with the solicitation interpretation and response process.
Note: This section only discusses how to respond to direct solicitations. To inquire about subcontracting opportunities related to any award announcement from the Blue Tops or FedBizOpps database, we recommend that you contact the buyer listed in that announcement.
FedBizOpps Solicitations
Clicking the Web link that displays at the bottom of any FedBizOpps article opens the listing page for that article on the FedBizOpps Web site. In the case of a solicitation, this page lists everything posted under that article's solicitation number, including the presolicitation notice (under the Synopsis link), associated documents available for download (under the Solicitation link), and any relevant amendments or modifications.
It is recommended that you review the synopsis first since it gives a basic description of the bid opportunity along with point of contact information. Also, be sure to check the Additional Information section at the bottom of the synopsis page; in some cases, it includes a link to another Web site where you can download the complete solicitation, submit a response to it, and/or download any related drawings or specifications. (For example, many of the synopses published by the Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC) include a link to the DSCC Internet Bid Board System.)
Note: The fact that you receive a particular solicitation in your profile search results does not guarantee that you will also receive future modifications and amendments published for that solicitation unless your profile search terms specifically match on those postings as well. For this reason, it is recommended that you register at the FedBizOpps site to be notified by e-mail when additional postings are made to any solicitation that you are interested in. You can do this by clicking the Register to Receive Notification button that displays in the FedBizOpps listing or synopsis screen and following the directions in the registration screen that displays.
The methods that you will use to respond to FedBizOpps solicitations will differ depending on the solicitation type and requesting agency. For specific information on how to respond to a solicitation, we recommend that you carefully review the synopsis and any related materials and contact the listed buyer or informational point of contact with any questions you have.
DLA Solicitations
For each solicitation published by the Defense Logistics Agency, the solicitation terms and the method you should use to respond to it depend on the specific solicitation type that it represents.
A DLA solicitation's type is indicated by the letter that appears in the ninth position of the solicitation number--for example, a solicitation with the identifier SP0500003T1234 represents a "T" solicitation, while a solicitation with the identifier SP054003Q1234 represents a "Q" solicitation. The following table lists the key solicitation types published by the DLA along with their associated ninth-position solicitation ID codes.
| Ninth Position | Description | Response Method |
|---|---|---|
| T or U | A DLA request for quotation (RFQ) that is valued at under $25,000. "T" solicitations (identified by a "U" in the ninth position if no unique "T" solicitation number combinations are available at the time of publication) are automated, meaning that they are generated automatically by the system and not created manually by the buyer. | You must respond electronically--either using the DSCC Internet Bid Board System at http://dibbs.dscc.dla.mil/ for DSCC solicitations, the Internet Quoting System (IQS) at https://iqs1.dscp.dla.mil/ for DSCP and DSCR solicitations, or EDI (ANSI X12 843 transactions). |
| Q | Either (1) an RFQ that falls under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures outlined in Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 13 and is valued at less than $100,000 or (2) a commercial acquisition valued at between $100,000 and 5 million dollars which meets the requirements outlined in FAR Part 13.5. | You must respond electronically--either using the DSCC Internet Bid Board System at http://dibbs.dscc.dla.mil/ for DSCC solicitations or the Internet Quoting System (IQS) at https://iqs1.dscp.dla.mil/ for DSCP and DSCR solicitations. |
| X | An Indefinite Delivery Purchase Order (IDPO) bid opportunity that falls under the FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. The terms of an IDPO solicitation specify not only the item quantities currently required in order to fulfill the needs of the buying agency, but also define a period of time (such as a year) during which that agency can place additional orders under the same terms and conditions specified in the original fulfillment order. | You must respond electronically--either using the DSCC Internet Bid Board System at http://dibbs.dscc.dla.mil/ for DSCC solicitations or the Internet Quoting System (IQS) at https://iqs1.dscp.dla.mil/ for DSCP and DSCR solicitations. |
| R | A special type of solicitation called a request for proposal (RFP), generally for an acquisition valued at over $100,000. The award resulting from an RFP is called a contract and is binding since it must be signed by both the contracting officer and the awardee. | See the the specific RFP that you are responding to for information on submitting a reply. You cannot submit an electronic response to an RFP. |
| Z | An EDI solicitation targeted at suppliers who have a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) established at the Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR). | You must have a BPA and be EDI capable in order to respond. If you do not currently have a BPA with the DSCR, you can contact the DSCR at (804) 279-4135 to begin the process. |
Note: For further information on doing business with the Department of Defense, we recommend you take advantage of the various Web resources published by the DoD and its supply centers. For example, the Defense Supply Center Phildelphia Small Business Office's acquisition Web pages provide some good introductory information on doing business with the DoD.
USABID and Other Federal Purchases Solicitations
In order to populate its exclusive USABID and Other Federal Purchases (SMALL) solicitation databases, Softshare regularly monitors hundreds of procurement Web sites, bulletin boards, and other sources maintained by various U.S. city, county, state, and federal government agencies. Articles from either of these databases always include a link to a Web site where you can review more information about the solicitation and/or the requesting agency.
Because the USABID and Other Federal Purchases databases group bid opportunities from a wide variety of sources, the methods that you will use to request more information about and respond to solicitations from these sources will vary depending on the solicitation type and buying agency. For information on how to respond to a specific solicitation, we recommend that you carefully review the article and any additional information posted on the source Web site, then contact the listed buyer or informational point of contact for additional details as needed.
Note: All USABID and Other Federal Purchases articles end with Softshare-generated boilerplate text that recommends calling the buyer directly for more information about the bid opportunity. However, if the text of the article specifies an alternate point of contact or specifically requests that prospective contractors not contact the buyer, you should obey the instructions in the article and ignore the boilerplate text.
EDI Solicitations
All solicitations from the DAASC and FACNET databases are considered EDI solicitations. If you have Softshare Vista, Softshare Athena, or another application that allows you to exchange EDI (electronic data interchange) documents with the government, you can respond to these solicitations using ANSI X12 843 (response to request for quotation) EDI transactions.
However, even if you do not have an EDI solution in place, you may be able respond to some EDI solicitations via alternative methods:
- You can respond to U.S. Navy solicitations in the DAASC database from the Navy Electronic Commerce Online (NECO) Web site at http://www.neco.navy.mil. For more information on submitting bids on this Web site, we recommend that you review the Web site FAQ at https://www.neco.navy.mil/Faq/faq.cfm.
- You can respond to many FACNET bid opportunities via fax. For information on submitting non-EDI responses to a FACNET solicitation, we recommend you contact the listed buyer or informational point of contact.
Note: Be aware that, in the case of non-Navy DAASC opportunities and some FACNET bid opportunities (those without listed points of contact), you must use EDI 843 transactions if you wish to submit responses. This will require you to be EDI compliant.
Foreign Solicitations
Bid opportunities from Softshare's Foreign Trade Opportunities and Canadian and Other Foreign Bids databases should be handled similarly to those from Softshare's USABID and Other Federal Purchases databases. Each solicitation from these sources contains a link to a Web site where you can review further information about the items requested and/or the buying agency. For information on how to respond to a specific solicitation, we recommend that you carefully review the article and any additional information posted on the source Web site, then contact the listed buyer or informational point of contact for additional details as needed.
Note: In order to qualify as a potential bidder for most Canadian MERX opportunities, you must purchase associated document components from the MERX Web site. For more information on this topic and other topics relevant to MERX bid opportunities, we recommend that you review the MERX Supplier Guide available by clicking the Help link on most MERX Web pages.