FAQ
| Frequently Asked Questions |
What is Tasmanian Government Tenders Online?
Site management
Why do I need to register?
How do I register?
What if I forget my password?
What if I forget my User Name?
How do I change my password?
How do I delete my registration?
How do I receive email notifications for tender opportunities?
How do I stop receiving email notifications of new tenders?
How do I lodge my tender response electronically?
How secure is electronic lodgement?
Do I have to lodge my tender over the Internet?
How do I submit more than one bid for a tender?
Can I submit separate or part responses to a tender?
How long does it take to lodge a bid through eLodgement?
What if I don’t lodge my tender over the Internet before the closing time?
What if I need help submitting my electronic tender?
My browser won’t display the information properly / I have an old browser and can’t access the site.
What if I can’t download a copy of the tender from your website?
What is a Future Opportunity?
What does RFT stand for?
I am a small business unable to do big jobs. Can I still participate in Tasmanian Government Tenders Online?
How will I know of changes or developments to Tasmanian Government Tenders Online?
If my business is not Internet-enabled, am I out of the running regarding supplying to Government?
Are we going to be forced to be on Tasmanian Government Tenders Online to do business with Government?
Will my competitors be able to see my prices?
How can I become pre-qualified?
What other assistance or information is available to businesses?
What is Tasmanian Government Tenders Online?
Tasmanian Government Tenders Online provides a consolidated listing of Tasmanian Public Sector tendering opportunities on one convenient website. The site also offers secure electronic lodgement of responses to selected tenders.
Site management
The Tasmanian Government Tenders website is centrally managed by the Procurement and Property Branch, Department of Treasury and Finance, but specific tender information is managed by the individual agency responsible for the tender opportunity.
If you have any questions or require further information about the operation of this site, please contact:
Why do I need to register?
You need to register to:
- download tender documents,
- submit electronic bids using eLodgement, and
- receive notifications of new tenders of interest.
There is no charge for registration.
You do not need to register to browse the tender notices.
How do I register?
To register go to eTendering System User Registration and click on the “New registration” link. Follow the directions and fill in the forms to complete the registration process. When you have finished it will take our system up to 30 minutes to process your registration.
What if I forget my password?
If you forget your password you can retrieve it yourself by going to the Registration page and clicking the Forgot Your Password link. On the Forgotten Password Request page enter your user name and email address in the relevant fields (remember, the fields are case-sensitive), then click Submit. A new password will be sent to you by email.
What if I forget my User Name?
If you forget your user name you can retrieve it yourself by going to the Registration page and clicking the Forgot Your User Name link. On the Forgotten User Name Request page enter your email address in the relevant field, and click Submit. Your user name will be sent to you by email.
How do I change my password?
You can change your password or other registration details at the Registration page. Click the Update Your Registration link, which will direct you to the Registration Update page. Enter your user name and password and you will be able to amend your details, including changing your password (at the bottom of the page).
How do I delete my registration?
To delete your registration send an email with your user name to tenders@treasury.tas.gov.au with the subject “Please remove me from the eTendering System”.
How do I receive email notifications for tender opportunities?
If you have not yet registered, then you must do so to receive email notification for tender opportunities. You can do this at the Registration page.
During the registration process you can opt to receive email notifications by selecting Yes when asked “Do you want to register your business under specific categories of interest and receive email notification of tender opportunities in these categories?”. You will then be presented with a list of the tender categories to which you can subscribe.
Registered users can update their registration and select further categories, or deselect already selected categories, by going to the Registration page and clicking the Update Your Registration link.
How do I stop receiving email notifications of new tenders?
To stop receiving email notifications of new tenders go to the eTendering System User Registration page, and click the Update Your Registration link. You can choose to change the categories you have selected for notification, or stop receiving notifications completely.
How do I lodge my tender response electronically?
To respond electronically to a tender, you must be a registered site user.
If an RFT is seeking electronic responses you will see a Lodge a Tender Electronically link at the top right-hand side of the detail page for that RFT.
Click that link when you have your response files ready and follow the instructions on-screen. The process is very similar to attaching files to an email.
For more detailed instructions, see the Business User Manual.
How secure is electronic lodgement?
When you lodge a response electronically it is automatically encrypted using a digital certificate (VeriSign – up to 128-bit depending on the browser version) and transmitted via a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) transmission session to our secure server.
If you want to ensure the maximum security, we recommend that you use the latest version of your browser software. If you wish to download the latest Microsoft or Netscape browser, visit their respective websites.
When your response is received, the response is time- and date-logged, re-encrypted (PGP – up to 2048 bits) and then stored in a tender-specific electronic tender box that is time- and date-locked.
Each tender has a separate electronic tender box and none of the responses submitted can be accessed until after the closing date and time of the tender.
Your electronic submission will be held by the Department of Treasury and Finance until the closing date for the tender is reached. Then, three witnesses from the Agency owning the tender sign on with their passwords to open the eTender box. The eTendering system records the opening time of the eTender box, a copy of the bids and the agency witnesses.
Do I have to lodge my tender over the Internet?
In some cases, electronic lodgement may be preferred, but their are always alternative options provided.
It is recommended that you carefully read the tender documentation to ensure that your response complies with the requirements.
How do I submit more than one bid for a tender?
You must submit each bid separately. When you have completed the eLodgement process for one bid you will receive a receipt number in a confirmation email. To submit multiple responses you will need to go through the eLodgment process again separately for each bid, and receive a receipt number for each bid. Alternative responses should have “Alternative_Offer” in the file name.
Documents submitted with the same file name as another already submitted document will be replace the original submission.
Can I submit separate or part responses to a tender?
Yes, you are able to submit multiple electronic responses to the same tender.
How long does it take to lodge a bid through eLodgement?
The time it takes to lodge your bid will depend on the size of the files you are uploading and the speed of your Internet connection. Most bids take from 30 seconds to approximately 25 minutes to send. You should always start your lodgement process well before the closing time to allow for any delays.
What if I don’t lodge my tender over the Internet before the closing time?
Once the specified closing time has passed, the Internet Lodgement System will not allow you to lodge your tender electronically. You will then need to telephone the Officer nominated in the RFT to make alternate arrangements for your late tender.
What if I need help submitting my electronic tender?
If for any reason you are having difficulties lodging your tender over the Internet please contact the Procurement Systems Officer directly (during Hobart business hours) by:
Or, if there are special contact directions on your copy of the tender, you may need to contact the Officer nominated in the Request for Tender (RFT) directly.
Alternatively you can complete the feedback form provided in the Tools & Help section of the main navigation menu on this website.
My browser won’t display the information properly / I have an old browser and can’t access the site.
To use this website the web browser you are using may need to be updated.
The minimum system requirements for using the eTendering System are:
- Internet Explorer 5 or
- Netscape Navigator 7 (Netscape Navigator cannot run some of the programs on the site and so cannot be used for all site functions) and
- a 28 kb/s modem.
Note: Other Windows browsers may function correctly but we can only assist people using the above browsers.
A minimum 800 x 600 pixel screen resolution is recommended.
You will need software to read the downloadable document. If you do not have the software needed, contact the Tender Document Enquiries contact listed on the Tender Notice.
Encryption
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer and still have problems you will most likely need to upgrade to a Cipher Strength of 128 bits. To do this in Internet Explorer, on the Help menu choose About Internet Explorer. The window that appears will show the cipher strength of your browser, together with a link to the Microsoft website if you are not currently using 128 bits. If you are unsure about these matters please bring it to the attention of your chosen computer support provider.
The web browser must be set to allow cookies. You can use the Help menu on your browser to find out how to allow cookies.
The reason for this is that we use 128-bit SSL encryption, which provides the most secure method of transmitting sensitive information, such as tendering related material.
Please email tenders@treasury.tas.gov.au if you have any questions or feedback on this subject.
What if I can’t download a copy of the tender from your website?
If you are having trouble downloading a copy’ of the tender from the Internet, please contact the Procurement Systems Officer directly (during Hobart business hours) by:
For more detailed instructions, download the Business User Manual from the Help menu.
What is a Future Opportunity?
A Future Opportunity is a planned tender that is not yet open for bids. The information is supplied to assist businesses and government to plan future work. The majority of these are for large building and construction works.
Advertising an anticipated tender is not a guarantee that the tender will be opened for bids in the future.
What does RFT stand for?
RFT stands for Request for Tender. Throughout this system it may be used interchangeably to refer to Requests for Quotation (or RFQ), Expressions of Interest (or EOI), etc.
I am a small business unable to do big jobs. Can I still participate in Tasmanian Government Tenders Online?
Definitely! If you consider the wide range of goods and services procured throughout Government, it is highly likely an agency has a need for goods and services just like yours – no matter how big or small your business.
Tasmanian Government Tenders Online is designed to make the public tender process more accessible to all businesses.
How will I know of changes or developments to Tasmanian Government Tenders Online?
We are committed to keeping you informed of any Tasmanian Government Tenders Online changes or future developments. We will contact you regarding any fundamental changes to the system that will affect your registration. You can also contact the Procurement Systems Officer directly (during Hobart business hours) by:
Phone: (03) 6233 8389
Fax: (03) 6233 3681
Email: tenders@treasury.tas.gov.au.
If my business is not Internet-enabled, am I out of the running regarding supplying to Government?
No. All tenders will have alternative arrangements for receiving and lodging tender documentation in hard copy. All tenders are advertised in at least one local Tasmanian newspaper.
However, having the internet is an advantage, as you can use this website to browse for all existing opportunities. You also must have a current email address to register on this site and receive notification of new tenders. Also, if you have an email address your buyers will be able to send you requests for information and requests for quotes quickly and efficiently, and you can respond quickly, decreasing the time and cost of each transaction.
Are we going to be forced to be on Tasmanian Government Tenders Online to do business with Government?
While it is recommended that suppliers wanting to do business with Government do register on Tasmanian Government Tenders Online, there is no compulsion to do so. That is a business decision that a supplier will need to make, remembering that many agencies have progressively moved to Tasmanian Government Tenders Online for their purchasing needs.
Will my competitors be able to see my prices?
It is Government policy that all contracts valued above $50 000 will be made public through the Tasmanian Government Tenders Online, so the system will show the winning contractor’s name and business address and the value of each contract. If it is a lump sum contract, this will be the tendered price, so all competitors will see the price. If it is a schedule of rates contract, an estimated contract value will be shown. Details of unsuccessful bids will not be published.
How can I become pre-qualified?
Pre-qualification is required for Building Construction and Roads and/or Bridges consultants and contractors. For information on how to become a pre-qualified consultant or contractor see the pre-qualification section of the Winning Government Business website.
What other assistance or information is available to businesses?
The Winning Government Business section of the Department of Treasury and Finance purchasing website at http://www.purchasing.tas.gov.au/winninggovernmentbusiness/ has information on finding and winning government business and on how government purchasing works. |
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