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Operation | Description |
|---|---|
subscribe | By calling this operation, a bidder can subscribe a tendering procedure. After subscription, he is able to retrieve messages concerning the procedure by calling getMessages. |
sendMessage | By calling this operation, a bidder can send messages to the platform. Such messages include offers and inquiries (see Table 2). |
getMessages | By calling this operation, a bidder can retrieve all messages from the platform directed at him concerning a specified tendering procedure. A message may contain a reference to a document file that the bidder can download via getDocument. |
getDocument | By calling this operation, a bidder can download binary documents from the platform (tendering documents, answers to inquiries, ...…). |
getTenderIDs | Returns a list of the IDs of all tendering procedures the bidder has subscribed for. These IDs are needed to call the other operations. |
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- The bidder subscribes to an open tendering procedure he is interested in. The client calls the subscribe operation on the platform to make his interest known. The platform registers his subscription in its database.
- The bidder synchronizes his local data with the platform's platform’s data to become up to date. The client calls the getMessages operation to retrieve all messages directed at the client's client’s user. The list of messages returned contains a TenderMetaInformation and an InvitationToTender for the tendering procedure he previously subscribed for. The TenderMetaInformation message contains all the data about the procedure the client needs. The InvitationToTender message contains the IDs of the tendering documents among other information.
- The client recognizes that the InvitationToTender message contains IDs of tendering documents and calls getDocument with these IDs to download the documents from the platform. After the download, the bidder can review the downloaded tendering documents.
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Exchanging Questions & Answers
The scenario in Figure 5 shows how a bidder can send questions concerning a tendering procedure and receive the answers to the questions via the Bidder Interface.
- The EO composes a set of questions (for example in the form of a PDF document) concerning a tendering procedure he previously subscribed for. These questions are sent to the platform by a call of sendMessage. The message is a ClientInquiry containing the questions document. The platform stores the questions document to be answered by the CA.
- The contracting authority answers the questions and stores the answers in another document (again, this might be a PDF document) on the platform. Afterwards, the EO synchronizes his client to the platform. The client calls the getMessages operation and receives a ServerInquiry message (potentially among other messages). The ServerInquiry contains the ID of the answers document.
- The client recognizes that the ServerInquiry contains the ID of a document and calls getDocument to download the document from the platform. The bidder can then review the answers.
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