SW-Legal Matters Management-PR0019935

How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
Submitting Offers online using eResponse. (Only available for IFB, RFP and RFQS Solicitations)
Internet Explorer is not supported - please use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox
1. Create an eResponse. Find the Solicitation you wish to respond to in Austin Finance Online (AFO), located at:
https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitations.cfm. If the Solicitation
includes the "eResponse" function, it will have a "My Response" section in the Solicitation's Detail page. Click on
"Create Response" to start an eResponse (Fig. 1).
(Fig. 1)
a. To create, edit, or submit an eResponse, you must be logged in to your vendor account as the primary contact.
You are eligible to submit an eResponse after creating a user account and providing the business information of
your organization. If selected for award, you must complete and submit your registration for approval.
Register Here: https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/afo_content.cfm?s=17
If you are not the primary contact of your account, the Create Response button will not appear after you have logged
in. Please contact Vendor Registration for assistance at vendor@austintexas.gov, and inform them that you are unable
to submit an eResponse. Vendor Help Phone: 512-974-2467
b. If you click on "Create Response" but you have not yet logged into AFO, the system will redirect you to a login
screen (Fig. 2). Once you have logged into AFO, the system will take you back to the Solicitation.
eResponse Instructions Page 1

How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
(Fig. 2)
c. Once you click "Create Response", you will now see a Response ID, Vendor Name, the date, and time that you
created your eResponse, the date and time you last revised your eResponse and the status of your eResponse,
which should be "DRAFT" initially. The field at the top of the section will be shaded red and will list the types of
documents that are required to submit your eResponse. Please refer to the solicitation instructions for a list of
all required documents for that solicitation. If you make a mistake or attempt to add an unsupported file, an
error message will appear in this red field (Fig. 3).
(Fig. 3)
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How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
2. Adding Files to Your eResponse. To upload files to your eResponse, click on the blue "+ Add Files" button (Fig. 4).
(Fig. 4)
a. After clicking the "+ Add Files" button, a pop-up window will open displaying files on your computer (Fig. 5).
(Fig. 5)
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How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
b. Navigate on your computer to where your files are located. Select the file or files you wish to upload and click
"Open". The blue indicator bar moving from left to right will show your file being uploaded. The blue box will
indicate how many files you have uploaded and remind you that you can only upload 25 files. (Fig. 6)
(Fig. 6)
c. Repeat this step to add additional files to your eResponse.
3. File Types Accepted. The eResponse functionality in AFO accepts the following electronic file types (Fig. 7). Please
note that your Price Offer cannot be in a .ZIP file format. It is recommended that your Price Offer be in a .XLS or
.XLSX file format.
.PDF .DOC .DOCX
.TXT .ZIP .XLS
.XLSX
a. Only use numbers, letters, underscore, period, spaces, and hyphens in your file names. No special characters.
A warning message will display in the red notice box and the file will not be accepted.
(Fig. 7)
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How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
4. Number and Size of Files Allowable. AFO accepts no more than twenty-five (25) files in an eResponse. eResponse
will not accept a single file greater than 40 MB.
5. eResponse Only Accepts One Submission per Vendor per Solicitation. If alternate offers are being accepted, you
will need to submit those along with your primary submission. Alternates can be multiple pages in a single "Price
Offer" file or uploaded as a separate document by selecting "Other" from the drop down.
6. Identify Your Files. As you add files, you will see a dropdown menu to the right of the Filename, under "Type". Use
this dropdown menu to select the appropriate type of file. (Fig. 8).
a. For Invitations for Bids (IFB), the following files must be included:
i. Select the "Offer and Certifications" type for the file which contains your signed Offer Sheet and all the
certifications in that attachment which require completion and signature. You can only identify one (1)
file as your "Offer and Certifications."
ii. Select "Price Offer" type to identify your price submission. You can only identify one (1) file as your
"Price Offer." *Please note, this submission becomes publicly available on the Closed Solicitations page
of Austin Finance Online once solicitations have been opened. Any documents that are not related to
your price submission should not be included in the same document file as your "Price Offer". For this
reason, your Price Offer cannot be in a .ZIP file format. It is recommended that your Price Offer be in a
.XLS or .XLSX file format. Please provide all non-price related documents in a separate upload from your
"Price Offer" and categorize it appropriately. The City of Austin is not responsible for the inadvertent
release of any proprietary information included in a Price Offer document.
iii. If required, select "Compliance Plan" type to identify the file that includes your compliance plan. You
can identify multiple files as "Compliance Plan" types.
iv. Select the "Technical Offer" type for any files that contain any information required to be submitted
other than the Offer and Certifications and Price Sheet. You can identify multiple files as "Technical
Offer" types.
v. You will not be able to submit your eResponse if you have not identified at least one file as "Offer and
Certification" and another as "Price Offer". Once you do, the red warning bar across the top of the My
eResponse section will turn blue and read "Your eResponse is ready for submission".
b. For Requests for Proposals (RFP), the following files must be included:
i. Select the "Offer and Certifications" type for the file which contains your signed Offer Sheet and all the
certifications in that attachment which require completion and signature. You can only identify one (1)
file as your "Offer and Certifications."
ii. Select "Price Offer" type to identify the file that includes your price submission. You can only identify
one (1) file as your "Price Offer." Your Price Offer cannot be in a .ZIP file format. It is recommended that
your Price Offer be in a .XLS or .XLSX file format. The City of Austin is not responsible for the inadvertent
release of any proprietary information included in a Price Offer document.
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How to Submit Offers Online
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eResponse Instructions
iii. If required, select "Compliance Plan" type to identify the file that includes your compliance plan. You
can identify multiple files as "Compliance Plan" types.
iv. Select the "Technical Offer" type for any files that contain any information required as part of the
proposal submittal requirements in the instructions section. You can identify multiple files as "Technical
Offer" types.
v. You will not be able to submit your eResponse if you have not identified at least one file as "Offer and
Certification" and another as "Price Offer". Once you do, the red warning bar across the top of the My
eResponse section will turn blue and read "Your eResponse is ready for submission".
c. For Requests for Qualifications Statements (RFQS), the following files must be included:
i. Select the "Offer and Certifications" type for the file which contains your signed Offer Sheet and all the
certifications in that attachment which require completion and signature. You can only identify one (1)
file as your "Offer and Certifications."
ii. If required, select "Compliance Plan" type to identify the file that includes your compliance plan. You
can identify multiple files as "Compliance Plan" types.
iii. Select the "Technical Offer" type for any files that contain any information required as part of the
qualification's submittal requirements in the instructions section. You can identify multiple files as
"Technical Offer" types.
iv. You will not be able to submit your eResponse if you have not identified at least one file as "Offer and
Certification". Once you do, the red warning bar across the top of the My eResponse section will turn
blue and read "Your eResponse is ready for submission".
(Fig. 8)
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How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
7. Submitting your eResponse. Once you have uploaded and identified the types of all the files you need to for your
eResponse, click the Authorized representative certification button (Fig. 9). A popup window will appear (Fig 10).
(Fig. 9)
(Fig. 10)
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How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
a. After you certify your submission, click the Submit eResponse button, the field at the top of the section
will turn green and it will display your unique eResponse submission number and the date and time your
eResponse was submitted. This field will also display two links to the "My eResponse page" and to a PDF
copy of your submission receipt (Fig.11). An automated confirmation email will be sent to you with your
eResponse information (Fig. 12).
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How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
(Fig. 11)
(Fig. 12)
a. You can return to the Solicitation or your eResponse through the Response History page, or by
navigating directly to the solicitation through the Open Solicitations page in AFO. When you return to
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How to Submit Offers Online
Revised: 6/9/2023
eResponse Instructions
the Solicitation, you will notice that your Status (upper right corner of the My eResponse section) will
say "SUBMITTED". Your Last Revised date and time will update to the date and time you clicked on
the "Submit" button.
i. If you start an eResponse and don't click "Submit eResponse", your eResponse will
stay in "DRAFT" status. Before the Solicitation's Due Date and Time, you can navigate
back to your draft eResponse and submit it.
ii. eResponses that are still in "DRAFT" status at the Solicitation's Due Date and Time will
not be received by the City.
b. Withdrawing or changing an eResponse after it has been submitted. Prior to the Solicitation's Due
Date and Time, you may withdraw or modify your eResponse. Click on the "Edit/Withdraw
eResponse" button (Fig. 13). A pop-up window will appear listing your eResponse ID number and
asking if you are sure you want to move your eResponse back to draft. You may select "Yes /
Withdraw" to move your eResponse back to draft, or "No / Cancel" to leave your eResponse
submitted (Fig. 14).
(Fig. 13)
eResponse Instructions Page 10