Starting a new round

After the envelope opens, ask the suppliers you choose for a better price. Who is called, what the supplier sees and which rules apply.

All topics for buyers

In a sealed bid, if after seeing the bids you think prices could go lower, you start a new round. The number of rounds is unlimited and is not set up front.

Step by step

  1. While the round's envelope is open, click Open New Round in the title.
  2. Choose the end date and time of the new round. It must be in the future.
  3. Optionally tick Show suppliers their rank. Suppliers do not see prices, only their rank in the previous round.
  4. Choose how many suppliers to call: if you leave the box empty, everyone who bid in this round is called; if you enter a number, only that many of the cheapest suppliers are called.
  5. Click Start. The called suppliers receive a "Round N Started" email.
"Cheapest N" in a tender with partial bids

If suppliers priced different items, "cheapest N" is applied separately for each item. A supplier in the top N on any item is called to the round, together with all the items it priced. That way the only bidder on a single item is not eliminated.

Rules for the supplier

  • Only a supplier that bid in the previous round and was called to the round can bid.
  • On each item, the new amount cannot exceed its amount in the previous round.
  • It must re-price every item it priced in the previous round; it cannot price an item in this round that it did not price in the previous one.
  • A supplier that does not want to take part in the round does not bid; its bid from the previous round stays in the evaluation.
  • The last bid of a supplier not called to the round also stays in the evaluation.

The new round's envelope

The new round's bids are sealed too, and open at the end date or when everyone expected has bid. When a new round starts, criterion scores are given again for the new bids.

Showing the rank also affects the result

If you selected Show suppliers their rank in any round, when the envelope opens and when the tender concludes each supplier sees its rank on its own result screen.

When a new round cannot be started

  • If the round's envelope has not been opened yet. Open the envelope first.
  • In an open auction. The auction itself is already a live race.
  • If no bids arrived in this round.
  • If the winner has been selected. The order is one-way: all rounds first, then the decision.
Related articles
How sealed bids workBids are not visible to anyone until the bid deadline, including you. When the envelope opens and what changes when it does.SuppliersNew round invitationAfter opening the envelope, the buyer can call you to a new round. The round tab, the price rules and what happens if you are not called.
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