Do I need to register?

To access and bid for tenders on the CirrusTenders system you need an account. To create an account you need to register via the registration page. CirrusTenders Registration

How do I register?

Registration is free via the registration page CirrusTenders Registration

You need to submit some basic information about your organisation and some contact details including a valid e-mail address.
You also need to choose a username and password. The password must be a minimum of six characters.
To complete registration you are required to enter the characters displayed in an image, this is a necessary security measure.
If your browser is not displaying the image please contact us at CirrusTenders via tenders@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

Please note that the email address you provide must be valid and active, otherwise registration will not be able to be completed.

Once you have completed the registration form click on “create account” and you will be emailed a confirmation email. This email contains a web link that you must follow to activate your account. If you do not receive this automated e-mail within 15 minutes please check your spam filter. You will not be able to log in using your new account until you have followed the instructions in this email.

Once you have activated your account you will be in a position to submit bids against tenders on the CirrusTenders system.

What are the costs?

CirrusTenders is designed as a free service for bidders so there are no costs attached to submitting bids.

What systems is CirrusTenders compatible with?

Browser and Operating System Compatibility
CirrusTenders is an AJAX-enabled ASP.NET and can be viewed using most modern browsers.

The following lists show compatible browser versions and operating systems.

Supported Browsers
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later versions
Mozilla Firefox version 1.5 or later versions
Opera version 9.0 or later versions
Apple Safari version 2.0 or later versions

Supported Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed
Microsoft Vista
Apple OSX (Intel architecture only)

Security and Privacy Settings:
The following list shows required browser security and privacy settings for successful access to CirrusTenders.
In all cases, the recommended settings are the default settings for that browser.

Internet Explorer 6: Make sure that the Internet Zone in the Security Zones settings is set to Medium.
Internet Explorer 7: Make sure that the Internet Zone in the Security Zones settings is set to Medium-High.
FireFox 1.5 or later versions: In the Tools menu under Options, make sure that Enable JavaScript is selected.
Opera 9.0 or later versions: In the Tools menu under Quick preferences, make sure that Enable JavaScript is selected.
Safari 2.0 or later versions: Click Safari, Preferences, Security, and then Web Content and make sure that Enable JavaScript is selected.

Please Note:
If browser security and privacy settings are set too high, JavaScript might be disabled. In that case, the browser cannot run the client-side functionality of an AJAX-enabled ASP.NET application. For example, an AJAX-enabled ASP.NET page would display; however due to javascript being disabled, it would interfere with functionality of site.

How do I complete and submit a tender?

First you will need to register as a bidder via the registration page CirrusTenders Registration

Once you have registered you will be able to log in to view and complete tenders online.
When logged into CirrusTenders select “My Tenders” from the main menu.
On the “My Tenders” screen you can see and search all the active tenders on the system.
Hover your cursor over the tender of your choice and a number of options to choose from will appear to the left.
Selecting the option ‘View tender’ will take you into the first page of the tender where there is an overview and background to the tender in addition to the first question.

Tenders are in the form of an online questionnaire. Question types will range from simple ‘Yes or No’ request, through to specific questions requiring you to enter a detailed answer.

All questions in a tender can be navigated to directly from the expanding bar on the left hand side of the tender screen.

Where you see a “Save Work” button it must be clicked once you have completed the question to ensure your answer is stored on the central server before navigating to another question.

The website also has a ‘time-out’ security feature which means you should save your work if you are leaving your desk for longer than 10 minutes.

Once all questions have been answered submission is completed by clicking the ‘Validate/Submit Tender’ button. Please note that failure to respond to all questions within a tender will prevent submission from being finalised. Partially completed tenders on the system will not be carried through to evaluation.

Do we need to complete the tender in one session?

No. CirrusTenders is designed to be flexible and allows bidders the freedom to complete the tender as and when they need to, from any Internet enabled PC. Such flexibility allows users to complete their bids over multiple sessions, from work or from home.

Do we need to save our progress as we go?

Yes. Where you see a “Save Work” button it must be clicked once you have completed the question to ensure your answer is stored on the central server before navigating to another question. The website also has a ‘time-out’ security feature which means you should save your work if you are leaving your desk for longer than 10 minutes.

What is “Validate/Submit Tender”?

Validate/Submit Tender is a button that you must click to submit your tender. Doing so checks through your tender response to ensure you have responded to all the questions asked. If you have answered all questions when you click on “Validate/Submit Tender” you will be taken to a declaration screen that you must complete to finish your submission process.

Please note that failure to respond to all questions within a tender will prevent submission from being finalised. Partially completed tenders on the system will not be carried through to evaluation. Equally, completed tenders which have not been validated/submitted will be treated as unsent and will not be received or evaluated.

What happens when I have completed my tender?

Once you have clicked on “Validate/Submit Tender” and agreed to the terms and conditions you will be emailed a pdf version of your completed submission. If you do not receive this email shortly after your submission it will be in your spam filter. You will be informed in due course of the outcome of your tender submission.

I keep on getting a “session timeout screen”, what is this?

With security and confidentiality in mind CirrusTenders is configured to automatically close sessions after a period of inactive time – a “session timeout screen” will be displayed.

Close your internet browser and then log back into CirrusTenders to continue.

If you are accessing CirrusTenders using Mozilla Firefox then please close all instances of Firefox that you may have open.

Is there a limit on file sizes when uploading supporting information?

Yes, there is a limit on file sizes for upload. Maximum acceptable file size for upload is 7mb, please ensure files for submission are below this size, zipped or compressed files are acceptable.

Is there a limit on the number of files I can upload?

Only one file can be uploaded for each question, if you need to upload multiple files to answer a question please zip these files together and upload them as one zipped file.

Please note, there is a limit of 7mb per file.

How can I change a file I have uploaded?

As long as you have not yet submitted your tender by clicking on “Validate/Submit Tender” you can simply alter the file on your pc and then upload the altered file to the question. The new file will replace the existing one.

Do I get confirmation of submission?

Your tender submission is confirmed online once you have completed all questions and clicked on the “Validate/Submit Tender” button and agreed to the declaration. A pdf version of your submission can be downloaded at any time during the tender process and stored for your records.

Do I need to send a hard copy also?

Hard copies are not required. CirrusTenders has been designed to remove the need for paper and postage throughout the Tender process.

A pdf version of your submission can be downloaded at any time during the tender process and stored for your records.

If we make a mistake can we resubmit a tender?

Answers to questions can be altered as many times as necessary prior to submission. Once a tender is submitted alterations and amendments cannot be made.

After submission any alterations should be emailed to tenders@cirruspurchasing.co.uk clearly detailing the tender and question to which they relate. Please note that purchasers reserve the right not to consider additional alterations to tender submissions so you should check your tender response before submitting your online tender.

What if I forget my password?

If you forget your password, select the ‘Forgot Password’ option on the CirrusTenders homepage. A new password will be generated and emailed to your registered email address. Once you have logged in using the newly generated system password you can select ‘Reset Password’ to choose a more memorable password of your own.

PLEASE NOTE: If you attempt to login 10 times unsuccessfully (e.g. wrong password) your account will be locked. Further attempts to access your account, even with the correct password or a newly requested password, will be unsuccessful. You will only be able to unlock your account by contacting the CirrusTenders administration team at tenders@cirruspurchasing.co.uk stating your username.

Where can I access clarifications for tenders?

Any clarifications are made available in the first section of the tender. There will be a pdf file called “Tender Clarifications”. Click on this file to download and read any clarifications that have been made for the tender.

Can our staff have training in completing tenders?

Cirrus Purchasing can provide professional support for organisations wishing to develop how they respond to tenders. For further information please contact sreed@cirruspurchasing.co.uk

CirrusTenders seamlessly integrates with existing processes; it is an improvement for buyers and bidders and has a definitive impact on the resource, costs and outcomes associated with tendering.