eForms
- Andrew Colella
Analytics
Tendering
This article applies only to the module Tendering.
- 1 Publication waiting time
- 2 New publication notices
- 3 Use the checklist
- 4 Publishing in other languages
- 5 Unable to publish
- 5.1 Reasons:
- 6 Organisation types
- 7 Add tenderer in Results notice
- 8 Add Subcontractor in Results notice
- 9 Add consortium in Results notice
- 10 Notice status indicator
- 11 Add EU funds to Contract notice
- 12 Add EU funds to Results notice
- 13 Add Clean vehicle directive to Contract notice
- 14 Add Clean vehicle directive to Results notice
- 15 Types of fields in Notice editor
- 16 Add award criteria
- 17 Read field feedback
- 17.1 Front-end feedback
- 17.2 Back-end feedback
- 18 Link tenders to tendering parties in Result notice
- 19 Link tenders to contracts in Results notice
- 20 Link a change notice (eForm) to an old publication form (In progress)
- 21 Change notice (In progress)
Publication waiting time
In this support article you can find information regarding the duration of a publication in TED
Note: Please keep in mind that Mercell cannot expedite the process, as the publication is scheduled on TED. Therefore, it's crucial to consider the publication time while establishing the tender’s schedule.
The publication process is not immediate and can take up to [REPLACE with amount of time]. The notice will be initially sent to TED for publication. Once TED has published the notice, [REPLACE Mention national platform] will also publish it. Finally, the notice will be made available on [REPLACE mention Mercell’s platform.]
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New publication notices
In this support article you can find information regarding the change of publication forms, introduced by TED
Note: In order to be compliant with EU regulations Mercell’s eProcurement systems have implemented the publication notices in a module called Notice editor
Starting from October 25th, 2023, all eProcurement systems must incorporate publication notices as a mandatory requirement to comply with EU regulations. Publication notices represent an EU standard for procurement data, facilitating the publication of notices regarding intended and completed purchases by public buyers on Teders Electronic Daily (TED).
Source: European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, EForms – Policy implementation handbook, Publications Office, 2020, eForms : policy implementation handbook.
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Use the checklist
This article provides a comprehensive guide on utilizing My Checklist feature. Designed to assist you in accurately completing the form and efficiently navigating through relevant sections, this feature can be accessed during the form-filling process or at the end. Once all mandatory fields have been accurately filled out, you can proceed to validate the form.
Note: My Checklist feature can be utilized either on a per-section basis or for the entire form. By default, the system displays errors or incomplete fields for the entire form. However, you have the option to switch and view only the errors per section by using the slide button labeled Show errors for the current section located at the beginning of the My Checklist interface.
To use My Checklist: After opening the form
Click My Checklist, which will open a menu on the right side of the screen.
Select any action from the checklist, and the system will automatically take you to the corresponding mandatory field.
Fill in all the required information in the field.
Optional: To verify the correctness of your action, click the refresh button located in the My Checklist panel next to the title Actions Completed. You can also perform a comprehensive check at the end by clicking My Checklist again or validate notice in the panel.
Proceed to click on the next action in the checklist to continue.
Once you have accurately filled in all the mandatory fields, "My Checklist" will notify you that all actions have been completed. At this point, you can safely close the tab knowing that the form has been successfully filled out.
Publishing in other languages
In this support article you can find the steps to publish a notice in other languages
Note: It is imperative to fill in all mandatory fields for each additional language.
To add an additional language.
While in the form:
Click Notice settings on the left-side menu.
Scroll down to locate the section titled LANGUAGES IN WHICH THIS NOTICE IS OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE
In the Additional languages drop-down menu, select the language you wish to add.
The language has now been successfully added. As you navigate through the other sections, at the beginning of each page you can easily switch between the different languages.
Unable to publish
This support article provides insights into the possible reasons behind difficulties while publishing.
Note: The mandatory fields that need to be filled out may vary depending on the type of form. e.g., Modification, Planning, Result.
Reasons:
It appears that you have not completed all the mandatory fields. To identify the specific areas where the issue lies, please utilize My checklist for the entire form.
It seems that you have not correctly filled all the mandatory fields. To pinpoint the exact location of the issue, please utilize My checklist for the entire form.
It seems that you have not validated your form. After filling in all the fields, you should see a message on My Checklist indicating that you have completed all the necessary requirements and can exit the form.
If you have made edits to the form after previously validating it, please note that you need to validate it again. Without revalidating the form you will be unable to publish it.
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Organisation types
In this support article you can find information regarding the terms used for organisation types.
Note: The terms on this page are not Mercell's terms, but rather terms provided by TED.
Organisation type | Definition |
|---|---|
Buyer | Organisation that manages the budget allocated for the procedure and pays for the items being procured, aka contracting party. |
Tenderer / Tendering party (Only available by Results form) | Economic operators that submitted a tender, aka supplier. |
Subcontractor (Only available by Results form) | Organisation that performs parts of the work of a main contractor. |
Procurement service provider | Economic operator providing procurement services to contracting authorities |
Other (Review body, Taxation office) | e.g. Organisation dealing with review requests, Organisation providing information concerning the general regulatory framework for taxes applicable in the place where the contract is to be performed. |
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Add tenderer in Results notice
In this support article you can find the steps to add a tenderer (supplier/vendor) from scratch to a results notice
Note: With in the notice editor tenderer refers to any organisation alone or as part of a group which submits an offer, aka as supplier.
To add a tenderer.
While in the Results form:
Click Organisations on the left-side menu.
Click + Add organisation
Select Tenderer under the Type of the organisation’s options
Fill in the mandatory information marked with an *
Click Tendering parties, on the left-side menu.
Click +Add tendering parties
Select a tendering party in the dropdown menu on field Tendering party members (OPT-300).
The filled-in information has been automatically saved. You should be able to see the Tenderer added under the list of organisations and also added on the list of Tendering parties.
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Add Subcontractor in Results notice
In this support article you can find the steps to add a subcontractor to a results notice
Note: With in the notice editor subcontractor refers to an organisation that performs parts of the work of a main contractor.
To add a subcontractor.
While in the Results form:
Click Organisations on the left-side menu.
Click + Add organisation
Select Subcontractor under the Type of the organisation’s options
Fill in the mandatory information marked with an *
Click Back to Organisations, after successfully filling all mandatory information.
The filled-in information has been automatically saved. You should be able to see the Subcontractor added under the list of Organisations.
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Add consortium in Results notice
In this support article you can find the steps to add a consortium to a results notice
Note: To add a consortium, the suppliers with in the consortium must first be included as separate tenderers in the form. You can verify whether the parties are listed by navigating to the Organisation tab on the left side menu.
To add a consortium.
While in the Results form:
Click Tendering parties on the left-side menu.
Click + Add tendering party
Select the suppliers (at least 2) under the Tendering party members drop down
Select a Group leader
Click Tendering parties on the left side menu, after successfully filling the fields.
The filled-in information has been automatically saved. You should be able to see the Consortium added under the list of Tendering parties.
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Notice status indicator
In this support article you can find the statuses' list of a notice
Note: The status listed below are status visible on the top-right-corner within the notice editor.
Status | Definition |
|---|---|
Draft | Form has been created and start filling-in mandatory information |
Ready for publication | Validation has been successful, all mandatory information has been correctly filled (All My checklist tasks are completed), publish from system of origin. |
Dispatched for publication | The form has been sent to TED and if applies to the national entity as well. |
Published | The notice has been published on TED and national entity. |
Error | The notice has NOT been published, the buyer has received an email stating the reason(s) for the rejection of the publication. |
[Translate only for Norway] Norway has three extra statuses due to translations:
Status | Definition |
|---|---|
Ready for translation | Validation has been successful, all mandatory information has been correctly filled (All "My checklist" tasks are completed) |
Dispatched for translation | Translations are being fetched from Doffin using a dedicated API. |
Translation received | Once translations have been received, the original Norwegian texts and English translations are presented side-by-side. User can review the translations, edit them and approve them. |
After validating the translations, the status will change to Ready for publication and follow the statuses of the first table.
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Add EU funds to Contract notice
In this support article you can find the steps to add EU funds to a notice
Note: The optional step may be mandatory depending on the country specific legislation, you can recognize the mandatory field by a Required text and a * (asterisk) in the field.
To add EU funds in Contract notice:
While in the Contract notice form:
Click Object on the left-side menu.
Scroll-down to the EU funds page section, at the button of the page
Select Procurement Project fully or partially financed with EU Funds
Optional: Click +Add EU fund details to fill-in the non-mandatory information
The filled-in information has been automatically saved.
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Add EU funds to Results notice
In this support article you can find the steps to add EU funds to a results notice
Note: To add more detailed information about the EU funds you must first select at least one winner in the Results section for you to see the contracts tab on the left-side menu.
The optional step may be mandatory depending on the country specific legislation, you can recognize the mandatory field by a Required text and a * (asterisk) in the field.
To add EU funds to Results notice:
While in the Contract notice form:
Click Object on the left-side menu.
Scroll-down to the EU funds page section, at the button of the page
Select Procurement Project fully or partially financed with EU Funds
Click Contracts (sub-section) within the Results section on the left-side menu
Optional: If a contract has already been created, click the three-dot-menu on the right side of the contract and select Edit
Scroll-down to the button of the page
Click +Add EU fund details to fill-in the non-mandatory information
The filled-in information has been automatically saved.
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Add Clean vehicle directive to Contract notice
In this support article you can find the steps to include the Clean vehicle directive in a notice
Note: The optional step may be mandatory depending on the country specific legislation, you can recognize the mandatory field by a Required text and a * (asterisk) in the field.
To add Clean vehicle directive to Contract notice:
While in the Contract notice form:
Click Further information on the left-side menu.
Scroll-down to the Strategic procurement page section
Select Yes on Clean Vehicle Directive
Optional: Select the CVD Contract Type from the drop-down menu
The filled-in information has been automatically saved.
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Add Clean vehicle directive to Results notice
In this support article you can find the steps to include the Clean vehicle directive in a results notice
Note: To add more detailed information about the Clean vehicle directive you must first select at least a winner or no winner was chosen, whatever applies in your situation in the Results section for you to see the statistical information tab on the left-side menu.
The optional step may be mandatory depending on the country specific legislation, you can recognize the mandatory field by a Required text and a * (asterisk) in the field.
To add Clean vehicle directive to Results notice:
While in the Contract notice form:
Click Further information on the left-side menu.
Select Yes on Clean Vehicle Directive, under the Strategic procurement page section
Optional: Select the CVD Contract Type from the drop-down menu
Click Statistical information on the left-side menu.
Scroll-down to the CLEAN VEHICLE DIRECTIVE sub-header, at the button of the page
Click +Add vehicles to fill-in the non-mandatory information
The filled-in information has been automatically saved.
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Types of fields in Notice editor
This support article provides insights into reading the errors within the e-form fields
Note: Please keep in mind that these examples are provided for illustrative purposes. The fields displayed below, may be pre-filled, mandatory or locked depending on the country legislation and/or Mercell system.
Locked fields cannot be changed on the notice editor, neither by customer service agents, the changes must happen on the system of origin and the notice must be created again.
Field type | Characteristics |
|---|---|
Fields prefilled | The information in the form has been automatically pulled from the tendering system it looks as default text which can be edited within the notice editor. There is no characteristic to differentiate these fields from others. |
Fields prefilled and locked | The text is bold, the field is grey it out, you can hoover over the item but cannot edit. The locked information was retrieved from your system of origin. 
|
Fields not prefilled non-mandatory | The field is empty, the field borderline is grey 
|
Fields not prefilled mandatory | The field is empty, the header of the field has a red asterisk (*), the field’s borderline is red, under the field the red text Required appears. You won’t be able to publish unless all mandatory fields have been filled. 
|
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Add award criteria
In this support article you can find the steps to award criteria in a notice
To add award criteria to Notice:
While in the Notice form:
Click Object on the left-side menu.
Scroll-down to the Award criteria header.
Select the desired criterion type from the list
if Weighted, Prioritized list or Complex calculation was selected please fill in the follow up field.
Weighted: select the Criteria weight type from the drop-down menu.
Prioritized list: Write the justification for only indicating the award’s order of importance and not indicating the weighing of the award criteria.
Complex calculation: Description of the method to be used if weighing cannot be expressed by criteria (equation or description)
To add more award criteria click +Add award criterion and fill-in the mandatory information
The filled-in information has been automatically saved.
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Read field feedback
This support article provides insights into reading the field feedback/warnings within the e-form fields
Note: Please note that this is a generic example and does not encompass an exhaustive list of all possible warnings. The forms contain numerous fields, each requiring specific input, so consider this article as a guide to comprehend the feedback. Additionally, it's important to be aware that each mandatory field may have dependencies on other fields within the form, and the feedback may be interconnected.
Front-end feedback
Example: The expected format is an amount like 1234.56
The input of the field is invalid, the expected input is numeric, instead of text. Bear in mind that front-end errors have a simplified text and are quite straight forward, in this case you must enter a numeric value.
Let’s take a look at a more complicated field feedback, Back-end feedback.
Back-end feedback
Example: For a given lot, if 'Maximum number of candidates to be invited for the second stage of the procedure' (BT-51) was set, then 'The criteria will be used to select the candidates to be invited for the second stage of the procedure' (BT-40) must be 'yes' for at least one of 'Selection criteria' (BG-702) of lots (forms 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24)
In this instance, there is a correlation between field BT-51 in the Second stage (Procedure) and a field located within the Selection Criteria (Participation) subsection, specifically field BT-40.
You have two options: either include a Selection criteria, and select ‘Yes’ on field BT-40 (See image below). Or (Text continues under the image)
Modify the current selection within the Second Stage subsection, where field BT-51 is situated.
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Link tenders to tendering parties in Result notice
In this support articles you can find the steps to manually link a tender to a tendering party.
Tender refers to bid or offer submitted, and the Tendering Party is about the tenderer who submitted alone, or group of tenderers who submitted together, a tender.
Note: In order to execute this action, you must first navigate to the Results tab, make a selection within the ‘BT-142' field, and choose either ‘At least one winner was selected’ or 'The winner has not been chosen yet, but the competition is still ongoing.’
In order to link a tender to a tendering party, it is essential that you have already added a tendering party under the Tendering party tab.
To link tenders to tendering parties:
While in the Results form:
Click Tenders on the left-side menu.
Click +Add tender reference.
Select a tendering party from the dropdown on field Tendering party identifier reference (OPT-310), if there are no options showing in the dropdown you must first add a Tendering party, for more information click here (Delete this text, link the article to Add tenderer in Results notice)
The filled-in information has been automatically saved. You should be able to see the Tender added under the list on the Tenders’ tab.
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Link tenders to contracts in Results notice
In this support articles you can find the steps to link a tenders to contracts.
Tender refers to the submitted bid or offer, while the Contracts concern the awarded winning submission(s)
Note: In order to execute this action, you must first navigate to the Results tab, make a selection within the ‘BT-142' field, and choose either ‘At least one winner was selected’ or 'The winner has not been chosen yet, but the competition is still ongoing.’
In order to link a contract to a tender, it is essential that you have already added a tender under the Tenders tab.
To link tenders to contracts:
While in the Results form:
Click Contracts on the left-side menu.
Click +Add contract.
Scroll down to field Tenders (BT-3202), and select a tender from the dropdown, if there are no options showing in the dropdown you must first add a tender, for more information click here (Delete this text, link the article to link tenders to tendering parties)
The filled-in information has been automatically saved. You should be able to see the contact added under the list on the Contracts’ tab.
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Link a change notice (eForm) to an old publication form (In progress)
In this support article you can find the steps to link a new publication form (eForm) to an old publication form.
Note: When eForms become mandatory on October 25, 2023, [replace with name of tendering platform] will be required to send notices exclusively in eForms format for publication. This requirement also applies to follow-up notices of notices that have been published in the old format. The last day when the Publications Office will accept notices in the old format is October 24, 2023.
E.g., I used the previous forms to publish the tender now I want to publish a change or result using the new eForms
To link a change notice to a previously published notice:
While in the Change notice form:
Fill in all the information from the previously published notice, with the exception of the fields that are part of the actual change. They shall be filled in with the latest, updated information
The filled-in information has been automatically saved.
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Change notice (In progress)
In this support article you can find the steps to link a new publication form (eForm) to an old publication form.
Note: Following the introduction of eForms, changes to previously published notices will no longer be made through corrigendum. Instead, you must publish a new version of the previous notice that includes the latest updated information, along with a reason for the change and a written summary of the changes.
To add Clean vehicle directive to Results notice:
While in the Contract notice form:
Click Further information on the left-side menu.
Select Yes on Clean Vehicle Directive, under the Strategic procurement page section
Optional: Select the CVD Contract Type from the drop-down menu
Click Statistical information on the left-side menu.
Scroll-down to the CLEAN VEHICLE DIRECTIVE sub-header, at the button of the page
Click +Add vehicles to fill-in the non-mandatory information
The filled-in information has been automatically saved.
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