Bidder FAQ

General event questions

Business-related queries

Business-related queries focus on the strategic and logistical aspects of the sourcing event, such as tender start times or buyer requirement clarifications. For these questions, contact the event organizer through the Messages tab in Keelvar or via email. Contact details are often available in the Overview tab. This includes questions about documents, specifications, items in the bid sheet and feedback settings.

• Contact the event organizer via the Messages tab or email. Contact details are located in the Overview tab.
• Contact the event organizer via the Messages tab or email.
• Contact the event organizer via the Messages tab or email.
• Contact the event organizer via the Messages tab or email.
• Contact the event organizer via the Messages tab or email.
• Only the event organizer can extend a round, reopen a round or reopen bids. Keelvar Support cannot grant an extension. Contact the event organizer through the Messages tab or by email. Once a round has closed, a bidder cannot edit submitted bids.
• No. Keelvar Support is not authorized to modify, delete or withdraw submitted bids. In an RFQ event, a bidder can edit bids online or upload a new bid sheet while the round is active, and the new submission replaces the previous one. In the offline bid sheet, set the Withdraw column to Yes for an item and upload the sheet to withdraw that bid. Some events do not allow withdrawing bids submitted in previous rounds. After the round closes, contact the event organizer through the Messages tab.
• No. Keelvar Support cannot add a user to an event. The event organizer can invite the email address, or a colleague who already has access can add the user with Add a Team member on the Overview tab.

Technical queries

Technical queries involve the use of the Keelvar tool, including software functionality issues or troubleshooting. If the answer is not in the Bidder User Guide, contact support@keelvar.com.

Access queries

This section provides guidance on Keelvar registration and sourcing event access.

• The account creation process is detailed in Creating a Keelvar bidder account. An invitation email contains a registration link. If the email is missing, follow these steps:

  1. Check the spam or junk folder.
  2. Whitelist the Keelvar domain. Detailed instructions: Whitelisting the Keelvar domain.
  3. Escalate the issue to the internal IT department.

  After registration, a second email facilitates password setup. Refer to: Troubleshooting: Not Receiving Password Reset Email.

• If a password reset was requested but no email was received, an account might not yet exist. A password reset link only arrives if the email address is already associated with a registered Keelvar account.
  1. Locate the original event invitation email.
  2. Click the link in the invitation to complete the registration process.
  3. Create the account before attempting a password reset.

• The token for login is located in the Authenticator app used during the original setup (e.g., Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, or Authy). Keelvar does not send tokens via email or text. The app displays a 6-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds.

  If the app was deleted or access is lost, contact support@keelvar.com for a 2FA reset. Identity verification through security questions is required.

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  1. Navigate to the Overview tab.
  2. Click Add a Team member in the Team members section on the right.
  3. Enter the full name and email address.
  4. Click Add to team.

  The invited member must accept the invitation via email. If they have an existing account, they must accept the invite to join the team. For more information: Managing event invitations as a Bidder.

• Forwarding an invite requires approval from the event organizer. Access is granted once approved. To avoid delays, add colleagues directly via the Add a team member button on the Overview page.

• Gating questions (Event or Bid sheet) are located in the RFI tab in the bottom horizontal bar.

  

RFI questions

Refer to these articles for RFI completion: Answering the RFI online and Answering the RFI offline.

• Individual questions are saved automatically upon submission and are visible to the event organizer. There is no global "Submit" button for the RFI section. Gating questions must be confirmed via the Confirm gating responses button to unlock subsequent questions. Once confirmed, gating responses cannot be altered.

  

• Use a modern browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox. Ensure files do not exceed the 500MB limit. If the issue persists, email support@keelvar.com with a screenshot of the error.
• This typically indicates the round is closed. Contact the event organizer for status updates.
• If the Bid Sheet tab is absent after confirming gating responses, the round is RFI-only. Contact the event organizer for clarification.
• Click Respond offline and select Download. Complete the Excel file and upload it back into the system.
• Supporting documents are uploaded under a file upload question on the RFI tab, when the event organizer has added one. If attachments are allowed for the event, a file can also be attached to a message in the Messages tab. If neither option appears, ask the event organizer how to submit the document.
• Gating responses cannot be altered once confirmed. If the event or bid sheet stays locked, contact the event organizer through the Messages tab. The event organizer can unlock gating from their side.

Bid sheet questions

Guidance for bid submission: Submitting your bids online, Submitting your bids offline, and Bidding rules.

• The bid sheet is found in the bottom horizontal menu.

  

• Successive submissions replace previous ones within a round. Submit a consolidated bid sheet for the entire organization rather than separate sheets for different items.
• The dot symbol (.) is the required decimal separator. The system automatically applies commas for thousands (e.g., 1000 is formatted as 1,000.00).
• Bids are editable or withdrawable during an active round. Post-round withdrawal depends on the event organizer's settings.
• Asterisks (*) denote mandatory columns. If not bidding on a lot, leave all yellow input cells in that row empty. The Complete Bid column in the offline sheet highlights incomplete rows with a red "No" indicator.

• This optional button is an additional notification for the purchaser. Bids are visible to the purchaser upon submission regardless of whether this button is clicked.

  

• The bid sheet is available only while a round is open and the event is not paused, and after any gating questions on the RFI tab are answered and confirmed with Confirm gating responses. If the Bid Sheet tab stays locked after confirming, the answer may not match the response the event organizer configured. If the Bid Sheet tab is absent after gating responses are confirmed, the round is RFI-only. If the I'm finished bidding button was clicked, click Resume bidding to unlock the sheet. If Decline to bid was clicked, click Undo decline while the round is open. The event organizer controls the round and the event status; contact the event organizer through the Messages tab.
• Downloaded bid sheets are protected to keep the structure consistent. Only the yellow bidder input cells and the Withdraw column can be edited. Do not rename tabs, change column headers or move columns, because the upload is rejected.
• A later round is part of the same event. Bids from the previous round carry over automatically and can be updated or left as they are. Any bidding rules set by the event organizer, such as a limit on how much a bid can change, still apply to updated bids.

If the answer to an access query is not available in the FAQ or Bidder User Guide, contact support@keelvar.com.