Usage recommendations

Bid characteristics

Permitted formats

Accepted formats:.doc, .xls, .ppt, .pdf, .rtf, .sxw, .abw, .jpg, .bmp, .tiff, .zip y .7z.

Only documents submitted in the specified formats shall be read and processed.

File formats in which the bid may be sent

Limitations on file sizes

The maximum size of files that can be submitted depends on the RAM installed in the computer. For guidance purposes, a computer with 2 GB of RAM memory can submit files of up to 15 MB.

GOOD PRACTICES IN DOCUMENT DIGITISATION

Limitations on the size of the files constituting the bids makes it necessary to use a series of basic techniques to prevent excessive or unnecessarily large files. These are basically techniques related to including graphics, because it is unlikely that files containing text and data reach a critical size for submission purposes:

Avoid including superfluous graphics.
Use formats that decrease the size of graphics (.jpg, .gif).
Rationalise the configuration of the number of colours.
Include graphics of a size adequate for the surface occupied by the presentation.
Use templates that include graphics repeated throughout the document.
If catalogues must be submitted, limit their content to that specifically related to the product or service that the administration wishes to contract.
In the case of scanned documents, limit scanner resolution (in most cases a resolution of 300 ppp is sufficient) and use formats that reduce size while maintaining adequate resolution, such as, for example, .pdf).

Size limits for attached files

Reducing the size of the files prepared

Hard copies attached to a bid

If the dossier so requires or the Procurement Desk gives its express consent, hard copies of any document or content may be submitted as attachments to the electronic bid.
Hard copies should be submitted to the Official Registry of Contractors within the bid submission period. The outside of the envelope will clearly indicate that it contains documentation complementary to an electronic bid, the company name and dossier code

Need to introduce just one file in each envelope section

Depending on the technical and administrative requirements of the tender in question, the Procurement Desk will determine the number of files to submit and what each must contain. The Electronic Tendering System will present a single loading tray for each file requested.

How to generate a single file with several files:

1) If they all have the same format. Merge all the files into a single file.

2) If the files have different formats. Compress the files generated into a single compressed file (the Basque Government's Public Electronic Procurement Model permits the use of .zip and .7z compressed files).

If the bidder requests the files included in compressed format that are to be read and interpreted in a specific order, it must name them in a clear, sequential order.

Batches

If the tender dossier has batches, the bidder may only submit the documentation relating to the batches offered, ignoring the message warning that not all possible documentation has been submitted.

Bank guarantees and financial solvency reports from banks

The System is able to receive guarantees and financial solvency reports in digital format. In order for these to be fully valid, the electronic document must have been signed using a recognised electronic signature certificate.

If the dossier requires the submission of provisional guarantees or financial solvency reports from banks, the system will expressly request this document when the bid is submitted. The final guarantee will be submitted as an attachment to a subsequent email.

The guarantee may be submitted in any of the formats permitted by the Electronic Tendering System. The electronic signature can be incorporated into the document file or be presented as a separate file. In the first case, the user must have the computer system that enables the document to be signed for the format selected. In the second case, the user must include both files (the document and electronic signature) in a compressed file (.zip or 7zip format).

Print quality of bids submitted electronically

The Bid Printing Quality Commitment intends to guarantee that documentation submitted to technicians for evaluation has the same level of quality, independent of whether submitted on paper or electronically.

Printout quality

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Viruses

Bidders are responsible for ensuring their offers do not contain viruses. However, the mere presence of a virus does not mean the bid will be excluded, provided its content can be accessed. The Procurement Desk staff will take this decision.

Recommendations for minimising the presence of viruses:
1)Have up to date antivirus software.
2)Use the .pdf, .rtf, .sxw, .jpg y .tiff formats.

Having an updated anti-virus

Legal and practical aspects

Types of tender for which electronic bids are possible

The electronic procurement system allows offers to be submitted for the following types of tender files:

Open procedure
Negotiated procedure with publicity
Negotiated procedure without publicity

A corto plazo será posible presentar ofertas a expedientes de contratación que se enmarquen dentro de Sistemas Dinámicos de Contratación.

A medio plazo el Sistema de Licitación Electrónica permitirá acceder a Subastas Electrónicas.

Exclusively electronic bids

In the case of certain procurement procedures, the Basque Government may demand that bids be submitted exclusively through the Electronic Tendering System in any of the following circumstances:

When the interested parties are companies or groups of individuals who, because of their economic or technical capacity, profession or other certified reason have guaranteed access and availability of the necessary technological resources.
When the type of procurement used so demands. This is the case with Dynamic Procurement and Electronic Auctions.

Bid submission deadlines and treatment of non-working days

The deadline is considered to have been complied with when the transmission is successfully completed before it expires. Bids received on a non-working day are recorded at zero hours and one second of the next working day.

Availability and deadlines

Connection duration limits

For operational and security reasons, the maximum time established by the Basque Government for the duration of external connections to its applications is approximately 2 hours. There may be other limits to the duration of the transaction due to technical or commercial reasons imposed by your internet service provider.

Real dossiers and test dossiers

The Electronic Tendering System makes it possible to use test dossiers for training and experimentation purposes. Every month, the e-Procurement Model Technical Secretariat creates between 10 and 15 test dossiers, which can be used freely by companies to practice with the System and to test its performance, for example, checking the maximum size of files it is possible to submit to a certain computer or with a certain internet connection.

These dossiers are handled by the Electronic Tendering System in exactly the same way as a real dossier. The difference is that beyond the Electronic Tendering System itself, test dossiers do not exist, in other words, they are not processed.

The system differentiates between real and test dossiers to prevent any confusion that might arise. The difference is also included in the System’s main menu, where one of the main options (my tenders) is broken down into two sub-options: Real dossiers and test dossiers.

System unavailability

AVAILABILITY ALERT
If possible, access to an electronic tender will be announced by a message on the web page. If access to the e-procurement model web pages is not available, the standard error messages will be generated in the user’s browser on these websites.

WHAT TO DO IF ACCESS TO THE WEB PAGE IS NOT AVAILABLE
Notify technical support.

RESUMPTION OF SERVICE
It is not possible to give notice of service resumption; bidders should attempt to access the system based on the information provided in the service disruption notice.

Availability and deadlines

Bid security and confidentiality

simple, accessible and secure

The Electronic Tendering System guarantees bid inviolability. It does this by using two mechanisms:

The system gives access to external computers via the Secure Socket Layer protocol (or SSL protocol). This protocol guarantees server authenticity and bid confidentiality.
Before bids are submitted, they are encrypted with the Procurement Desk member’s private codes. This means that to be able to decipher the bids, all the members of the procurement desk must be present. In other words there must be a session of the Procurement Desk, and they must identify themselves in the system by entering their private codes.

In order to guarantee the security of documents and the protection of personal data, data storage is included under the Basque Governments General Security, based on Public General Act 15/1999 for the Protection of Personal Data.

User Support Centre

zuzenean 012

To respond to the questions and difficulties put by users of the Electronic Tendering System, a User Support Centre has been made available. It is organised on different levels:

Zuzenean is the general gateway to the User Support Centre. Zuzenean (the Basque Government's Citizens Support Service) provides users with information about the administrative requirements of the electronic tendering process. Zuzenean will transfer calls involving queries of a different nature to the entity or organisation qualified to provide a response.
Telephone 012 and 945 018 000.
If the question or problem relates to the Official Register of Contractors, Zuzenean transfers the call or sends the communication to this department. However, the Official Register of Contractors also has a public information desk.
Telephone: 945 018 932. EMail: roc@euskadi.eus y keo@euskadi.eus.
If the problem involves the topic of Electronic Signatures and Certification. Zuzenean will transfer the call or forward the communication to Izenpe, the certification services provider sponsored by the Basque Government and the Provincial Councils of Alava, Biscayne and Gipuzkoa. Izenpe also has a public information desk.
Telephone: 902 542 542. EMail: cau-izenpe@izenpe.net.
SIf the question is regarding IT, Zuzenean refers it to second level support, which comprises support technicians from Ejie, the Basque Government Information Society.
Complex calls or calls on subjects that cannot be dealt with by any of the aforementioned levels of user support, will be transferred to the Technical Secretariat for developing administrative procurement processes. Telephone: 945 016 380. EMail: kontratazioa@euskadi.eus.

User Services

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Last modified date: 11/17/2016