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What is a Request for Proposal (RFP)?
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is an invitation for suppliers, through a bidding process, to bid on a specific product or service. A RFP is usually part of a sales process and typically involves more than quoting the price for a product or service. Other requested information may include basic corporate information and history, financial information, technical capability, product information such as stock availability and estimated completion period, and customer references that can be checked to determine a company's suitability. Detailed RFP information requirements are found in the requester’s detailed bid information.
How does nanoBIDS work?
nanoBIDS is Nanowerk's free service to facilitate the public posting of RFPs for equipment & services from procurement departments in the micro- and nanotechnologies community. nanoBIDS is open to all research organizations and companies.
nanoBIDS is not an auction site but was designed as an information service to create more visibility among buyers and suppliers of laboratory and manufacturing equipment and services.
Participating in nanoBIDS is easy! Organizations who want to invite bids can post their RFPs in the nanoBIDS database. Postings will be validated and approved by a Nanowerk administrator. Potential bidders can freely access the RFPs listed on nanoBIDS and submit bids directly - without going through nanoBIDS – to the bid issuing organization.
Like all other Nanowerk databases and directories, the nanoBIDS database is freely accessible. However, RFP issuing organizations can request that only nanoBIDS-registered bidders can access certain RFP and contact details.
Is using nanoBIDS free?
Yes, using nanoBIDS to post your projects or to gain access to projects is entirely free to both suppliers and RFP-issuing organizations. Nanowerk does not receive any commissions or other payments for this service from any party involved.
How can I post my organization’s RFP?
Posting an RFP is simple. If you are not yet registered, please do so here. We require registration because we will confirm the bid requestor’s identity and we monitor the contents of the RFP to avoid any misuse of the nanoBIDS service.
Upon registration you will be able to fill in the RFP information sheet.
RFP listings must be as complete as possible. Please put the title of the project, product or service in the title field, a description in the description field that is not a copy of the title, a direct-link to the project RFP or individual listing page in the URL field (and/or upload the file), and any categories that describe the products/services sought.
You will have the opportunity to check all your data and information before sending it to Nanowerk. A Nanowerk administrator will check your details and then approve the RFP for posting on the Nanowerk site.
How can I provide detailed RFP information and bid documents?
You can link your RFP on nanoBIDS to your own website or add a PDF document to your nanoBIDS RFP entry.
Can I make changes to my posted RFP or terminate it?
You can change all details of your RFP by checking into your user account. You can also terminate your RFP at any time or extend the bidding deadline.
How do I bid for a product or service listed on nanoBIDS?
The bidding process and the bidding requirements are stipulated by the RFP-issuing organization. Based on these requirements, bidders will contact the issuing organization directly. No bidding-related activity takes place on nanoBIDS.
Can you contact me whenever new RFPs are posted?
Yes. As an added service, registered bidders can request customized email notifications or customize their RSS feed.
Information Accuracy
Nanowerk does not verify the authenticity or current status of any RFP information. It is the bidders’ responsibility to contact the RFP-issuing organization to make sure that they have the most up to date information regarding this project. Project information may change and those changes may not be posted on nanoBIDS.
