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How to Add a Bid

Overview​

A Bid captures one supplier's prices for the items you asked about. This guide shows how a Bid reaches you and how to record a supplier's quote so it lines up with the others, ready to compare and award.

Two ways a Bid arrives​

You do not always type a Bid in yourself. It can reach you in three ways:

HowWhat you do
The supplier answers your RFQNothing to type — their reply comes in as a Bid you can open and compare
A quotation shared through DealFlowA supplier already on Bizconnekt shares their priced quotation; you file it as a Bid
You record it yourselfA supplier quoted you offline — follow the steps below to enter their prices

The rest of this guide covers the third case: recording a supplier's quote yourself.

Prerequisites​

Before recording a Bid:

  • Your role has permission to create Bids
  • The supplier exists in your Suppliers list
  • The items being quoted exist in your item list
  • Ideally, the RFQ this quote answers (so the Bid links back to it)

Step-by-Step Guide​

Step 1: Open the new Bid form​

  1. Go to Purchase from the sidebar
  2. Click Bids
  3. Click the Add button (green plus icon)
  4. The Bid form opens

Step 2: Fill the basic details​

Bid number

  • Filled in for you automatically
  • You can edit it if your business uses its own numbering

Bid date

  • Defaults to today
  • Change it using the date picker if the quote is dated differently

Valid until

  • The date the supplier's price is held until
  • After this date the Bid shows as Expired and should not be awarded

Step 3: Choose the supplier​

  • Select the supplier who gave you the quote
  • Their details (name, tax registration, address) fill in automatically
  • If they are missing, add them in Suppliers first
  • Choose the RFQ this quote is answering
  • Linking it keeps every supplier's Bid together for a clean comparison
  • A Bid can stand alone if there is no RFQ, but linking is best practice

Step 5: Set the department​

  • Choose the department this purchase is for
  • This decides who approves the offered rates later
  • A Bid must have a department, so approval routes to the right people

Step 6: Add the items and rates​

For each item the supplier quoted, add a row and fill in:

FieldDescriptionRequired
ItemThe product or service being quoted
QuantityHow many the price is quoted against
Unit PriceThe supplier's rate per unit
Tax RateThe GST rate on the line
DiscountAny discount percentage the supplier offeredOptional
AmountThe line total — worked out for youAuto

To add more items: click the plus icon below the row. To remove an item: click the delete icon on the row.

Step 7: Different rates for different conditions​

Suppliers do not always quote a single number. A supplier might say "₹100 each, but ₹90 each above 5,000 units" or "₹100 at 30 days, ₹97 if you pay in advance." Each of these is a separate offer you can accept or refuse on its own.

Kind of rateWhen it applies
Standard rateThe everyday price, at the supplier's usual terms and any quantity
Volume rateA better price once you buy a set minimum quantity
Payment-term rateA better price if you pay within a set number of days

Record each of these against the item so you and your approvers can weigh them separately. A plain single-price quote simply has one rate — nothing extra to do.

Step 8: Set the terms and totals​

  • Payment term — the payment terms the price is quoted under
  • Currency — set if the supplier quoted in another currency
  • Notes / Terms and conditions — anything the supplier attached to their offer
  • Totals — the sub-total, tax and grand total are worked out for you on the right

Step 9: Save the Bid​

  • Click Save (green button) to record the Bid
  • Click Cancel (grey) to discard without saving

After saving:

  • The Bid appears in your Bid list as an Offer, ready to compare
  • Nothing is ordered and nothing is posted to your accounts — a Bid is only an offer
  • When you are ready, send the offered rates for approval and award the winner — see How to Compare and Award Bids

Field definitions​

FieldWhat it means
Bid numberThe reference for this supplier's offer — filled in for you, editable
Bid dateThe date of the supplier's quote
Valid untilThe last date the quoted price is held; after this the Bid expires
SupplierThe supplier who gave this quote
RFQ referenceThe Request for Quote this Bid answers (optional but recommended)
DepartmentThe department the purchase is for — decides who approves
ItemA product or service the supplier priced
QuantityThe quantity the rate is quoted against
Unit PriceThe supplier's rate per unit
Tax RateThe GST rate on the line
DiscountAny discount percentage the supplier offered
Payment termThe payment terms the price assumes
Notes / TermsExtra conditions attached to the offer

Common Issues & Solutions​

Issue 1: The supplier is not in the list​

Solution:

  • Add them in Suppliers first, then return to the Bid.

Issue 2: The item is not in the list​

Solution:

  • Add the item to your item list first, then come back and select it on the row.

Issue 3: The total shows zero​

Solution:

  • Check that both the quantity and the unit price are filled in on each line, and that they are numbers.

Issue 4: You cannot save the Bid​

Solution:

  • Make sure a supplier, a department and at least one item with a price are entered.
  • Red messages on the form point to anything still missing.

Issue 5: The Bid will not go for approval​

Solution:

  • Check that an approval workflow is set up for the department on the Bid.
  • Confirm your role can send Bids for approval, or ask your admin to set the routing up.

Best Practices​

Tips for clean comparisons

Always link the RFQ so every supplier's Bid lines up against the same items

Record each supplier's volume and payment-term rates separately — a better price on a big order is easy to miss otherwise

Set the valid-until date so nobody awards a price the supplier no longer honours

Note anything the supplier attached — delivery time, warranty, minimum order — so the decision weighs more than price

Need help? Contact support at support@bizconnekt.com