ProServices
Identifying and substantiating categories

Information for suppliers about how to ensure that 'category substantiation' is correctly entered during a ProServices Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA) solicitation bid response. It does not describe all the other mandatory sections within the ProServices online response template and it is assumed that a supplier has followed the more detailed instructions available at Supplier Easy Steps: Data Collection Component regarding how to prepare an overall bid response.

The identifying and substantiating of categories is completed in the mandatory criteria section of the ProServices online response template.

Streams

• Your first step will be to indicate which streams you will be offering
• Select the "Stream Information" link
• Populate all dropdowns – select those you wish to offer ("Currently Offered" or "Newly Offered") and those you do not wish to offer ("Not Offered")
• Access the list of all ProServices: Streams And Categories for reference
• Select the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page
• Links will appear beside each stream being offered

Categories

• Choose specific categories
• Select "View Categories" for the stream(s) you wish to offer
• Populate all dropdowns, either offering the category ("Newly Substantiated" or "Currently Substantiated") or declining ("Not Offered")
• Select the 'Save' button at the bottom of the page
• Links will appear beneath each category being newly offered

References

• Enter category references
• Select "Substantiate Reference" beneath each category you are newly offering
• On the page marked "Category—Substantiation" enter the category reference information into all fields
• Each category has its own "Category—Substantiation" page, and each "Category-Substantiation" page can only hold one reference (but two e-mail addresses)
• When done entering the reference information select the "Update the Reference" button
• Select "Back to Categories" at the bottom of the page to return to the list of categories
• Repeat this process for each category that is being "Newly Substantiated" within a stream
• Select "Return to streams" at the bottom of the page to return to the "Streams and Categories" page. Repeat this process for the remaining offered streams if necessary
• When all relevant streams and categories have been substantiated, select "Return to Response Home Page" at the bottom of the page