Open Training Guide – Competitive Flexible Procedure v 1.0 07/08/2026
1.To start creating your Competitive Flexible Procedure Project- within the My Projects section of your Dashboard, click on +New Project.
BUYERS GUIDE
COMPETITIVE FLEXIBLE PROCEDURE RTM 2.Enter the Project Details and at the Select Route to Market option, choose Competitive Flexible Procedure.
Select Framework and Contract from the Project Type options. Set the Call Off Mechanism to Any.
3.Add the Contract Dates, Extension length and VAT to be Recovered if known. (This is optional at this Stage. You can always add this information later).
This User Guide has been developed to help buyers to understand how to use the Competitive Flexible Procedure route to market
Audience: Buyers Pre-Requisites: • Ensure you are logged into Open, and the dashboard is displayed
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To start creating your Competitive Flexible Procedure Project- within the My Projects section of your Dashboard, click on +New Project.
Enter the Project Details and at the Select Route to Market option, choose Competitive Flexible Procedure. Select Framework and Contract from the Project Type options. Set the Call Off Mechanism to Any.
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Add the Contract Dates, Extensions available, length of extension/s and VAT to be Recovered if known. (This is optional at this Stage. You can always add this information later). Assign a Procurement Officer and the Responsible User. Select Yes to publish the contract to the Contracts Register.
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Choose the Procurement Officer and the Responsible User, select Codes and Categories and the Delivery Areas. Click Create.
Assign Lots if required. The system will pull through a relevant Workflow as it follows the Route To Market that has been selected.
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Assign the Competitive Flexible Procedure Workflow from your library by clicking on Select Workflow. The Workflow can always be edited once within the Project, to add or delete any extra Stages or events as required. NB: Remember that once the Workflow has been assigned, it cannot be removed, although it can be edited.
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As the Competitive Flexible Procedure has a phased approach, the Workflow is preset with three E- tendering Stages. All Workflow Stages must consist of one Publish Event, one Evaluation event and one Issue Award event. 3
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The final Stage of the Workflow allows you to finalise the selection process and pull through only the awarded Supplier/s to the Contract Management Stage. If you think there may be two Stages, you will need to remove the middle Workflow Stage but not the final Stage. The Workflow has a default of three E-tendering Stages, so the first Stage for initial bids and the final Stage for finalising the tender must remain. You can delete Stage 2 if required. You can also add extra Stages in between Stages 1 and 3.
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Each Stage of the Workflow shortlists successful Suppliers. The Route to Market dictates this specific procurement process. Please ensure the Workflow is configured to the amount of Stages you will need.
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For further guidance on Workflows please refer to the Admin Guide and the Create and Edit a Workflow Guide which can be found on the Buyer Hub: Training Please see the next page, Step 9, for how to publish the first event in the process. 4
Stage 1 of the Competitive Procedure 4
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Click on the Upcoming tab. Click on Start Event on the first Publish Event. This will move the event across to the Current tab.
Now that the Publish Event is in the Current tab, you can assign a Questionnaire.
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Click on Manage Questionnaire.
Click on Select Questionnaires. Search for the Questionnaire/s intended for the first Stage of your Project. Click on Select Questionnaire and scroll to the top of the page to see your selection/s the click on Confirm.
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Within the Publish Event, click on Manage Questionnaires and then Edit and double check that the Questionnaire/s are set up correctly- i.e. weightings, scoring mechanisms, response types, titles, sections and questions etc. You can do any editing at this point before Publishing. NB: a Tender Questionnaire must have at least one scored element to it. Click Update to save your edits.
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For further guidance on Questionnaires please refer to the Admin Guide and the Create a Questionnaire Guide which can be found on the Buyer Hub: Training
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Back at the Workflow, click on Publish to make the opportunity is visible to Suppliers.
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Enter the Expression Of Interest start and end dates and Submission Deadline start and end dates and click Publish.
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The first event in Stage 1 of the Project is now published. Once the Submission Deadline has passed, you will need to evaluate the Supplier Submissions.
In the Upcoming tab, click on Start Event for the Evaluation Event.
To access the Evaluation Summary, the user will be required to add themselves to the Steering Group as Evaluator.
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Click on Evaluation Summary in the Evaluation Event. Evaluate each Submission and submit for approval.
For further guidance on Evaluation, please refer to the Evaluation of Questionnaire Responses which can be found on the Buyer Hub: Training
If the same user is awarding the Suppliers, remove name from the Steering Group as Evaluator to access the Award Event. In the Upcoming tab, click on Start Event in the Award Event. 7
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Once the submissions have been scored, submitted for approval and approved, you will be able to mark the responses as Successful or Unsuccessful.
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After marking the responses Successful or Unsuccessful, the Upload Award Letter area will be accessible. As this is the first Stage of the Project, ensure the content of the first Stage letter reflects this.
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Upload the Award Letters and then click on Submit for Approval or Send Award Letters depending on how your Project is set up.
You will see the Draft Contract pop- up. NB: No Contract will be sent to the Suppliers at this point, although the system will ask you to create a Contract at this Stage.
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Click on Draft Contract, complete the necessary fields within the Contract and click Create.
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Next, click on Send Award Letters and Confirm at the next Are you Sure? pop up.
The system will pull through all successful Suppliers to the next Stage- Stage 2. All Suppliers will be notified by email of the outcome of this Stage.
Successive Stages replicate the steps of Stage 1 (Steps 9- 23)
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All Workflow Stages consist of one Publish Event, one Evaluation event and one Issue Award event. You may have an idea at this point how many Stages of the Workflow you will require to the point of final award.
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Tips for using this route to market
If there are three Stages from initial applications to the final Stage of awarding the Supplier, the Workflow does not need to have any Stages removed- awarded Suppliers will be pulled through to Contract Management Stage (A Contract Management Stage should be added to the Workflow).
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If there are two Stages from initial applications to the final Stage of awarding the Supplier, the Workflow needs to have Stage 2 removed. If you need to add another E- procurement Stage, add this before making a start on the final Stage.
You have now successfully awarded Supplier/s using the Competitive Procedure with Dialogue Route to Market.
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