How to Use VectraBid

VectraBid helps organisations analyse tender opportunities, review evidence, record human decisions, manage team workflows, and prepare auditable tender information.

Your organisation works as a shared workspace. Depending on your role, you may upload and analyse tenders, review findings, request changes, approve tenders, or manage your organisation and team.

The main dashboard is your starting point. From there you can access Team Activity, Organisation, Analytics, Active Tenders, and the tender workspace.

The dashboard provides the main overview of your VectraBid organisation and its tender activity.

Team Activity shows outstanding activity and notifications requiring attention.

Organisation provides access to organisation and team management, including invitations and team roles where your permissions allow.

Analytics provides an organisation-wide view of tender readiness, recommendations, approvals, outcomes and other tender statistics.

Active Tenders provides basic information about analysed tenders. Expand a tender to see additional information, or select Open tender to enter the full tender workspace.

Tender-specific work should be carried out inside the opened tender, rather than from the dashboard.

During the VectraBid Beta, every organisation receives one controlled free test tender so that you can experience the VectraBid workflow before entering your own tender information.

The controlled test tender uses VectraBid-provided test information. It is designed to let you see how analysis, evidence review, recommendations, review and approval work.

The controlled test tender is organisation-level access. It is not intended to be reused as a way of processing additional test tenders through different team members.

Start by entering the tender information requested by VectraBid and uploading the tender documentation and supporting information needed for analysis.

Check that the documents you provide are the correct and complete versions before starting analysis.

VectraBid uses the supplied tender information as the basis for its AI analysis. The quality and completeness of the information supplied can therefore affect the usefulness of the results.

If analysis cannot proceed because your organisation does not have enough AI credits, VectraBid gives you the option to purchase additional credits or Save Tender for Later. Saving the tender for later lets you return to it when you are ready to continue with analysis.

Your supplier information provides the organisational context needed when preparing tender responses.

Complete your supplier information carefully and keep it current. Information about your organisation should be accurate before it is relied upon in a tender submission.

Supplier information should complement, rather than replace, the evidence required by an individual tender.

The Evidence Vault is intended to provide a central place for your organisation's supporting evidence and information.

Use evidence that is relevant, current and appropriate to the requirement being addressed. Keep supporting documents organised so that the team can identify and verify evidence efficiently.

Evidence should always be checked by the appropriate person before a tender is submitted. VectraBid's AI analysis is an aid to the process and does not replace human verification.

AI credits are used when VectraBid processes tender analysis.

The initial tender analysis uses AI credits. The number of credits required can vary depending on the tender and the information being analysed. VectraBid calculates the required credits before analysis is completed.

Once a tender has been analysed, subsequent re-analysis of that same tender does not use additional AI credits.

Your organisation has an organisation-level credit balance. The dashboard shows the additional AI credits currently available to the organisation.

If there are not enough credits, VectraBid shows the required credits, available credits, and the additional credits needed before analysis can proceed.

Additional credits can be purchased from the subscription area when available to your role and organisation.

Once the tender information and supporting documents are ready, VectraBid can analyse the tender using the available AI credits.

Analysis considers the tender requirements and the evidence supplied to determine the status of individual requirements and produce an overall bid-readiness assessment.

Analysis may take some time. The dashboard can show a tender as In progress while processing is taking place.

If analysis cannot proceed because there are insufficient credits, VectraBid identifies the credit requirement and allows you to return to the subscription area to purchase credits or save the tender for later.

The analysis results provide an overall picture of the tender and the organisation's readiness to respond.

The results include an AI bid readiness score and an AI recommendation. The recommendation is supported by a rationale explaining the assessment.

The analysis also provides an executive summary, potential knockout requirements, and recommended next actions.

Use these results as a starting point for detailed human review. They should help your team identify where attention, evidence or further investigation is required.

Each tender requirement can have an evidence status showing how well the available information supports the requirement.

• Verified — the available evidence supports the requirement.
• Partially Verified — some supporting information has been identified, but further evidence or clarification may be required.
• Unverified — the requirement has not been sufficiently supported by the available evidence.
• Failed — the available information indicates that the requirement has not been adequately satisfied.

VectraBid also shows the original AI status and, where a human review has been completed, the reviewer's status.

Human reviewers should use the available evidence and their professional judgement when confirming or overriding an AI status.

Open the tender to review each requirement identified by the AI analysis.

Each requirement shows its category, risk level, question, mandatory status, status reason, evidence found, evidence needed and missing information where applicable.

Review the findings against the original tender documentation and your organisation's actual evidence.

Do not assume that an AI finding is automatically correct. The purpose of human review is to confirm the evidence and make the appropriate decision.

VectraBid identifies requirements where evidence is partially verified, unverified or failed.

The Missing Evidence area shows the number of requirements needing attention and provides risk information.

Individual findings can show:

• the tender requirement
• the risk level
• missing information
• evidence needed

Use the Recommended next actions provided by the analysis to help prioritise the work required before submission.

Before sending a tender for review, check the analysis findings, evidence, draft responses and any outstanding issues.

Add any general notes or instructions that the next team member should see.

Select the team member who should receive the tender. VectraBid allows one team member to be selected as the recipient for the workflow action.

Select Submit for Review when the tender is ready for the next stage.

A reviewer should examine the tender findings, evidence, responses and notes before the tender progresses.

Human review can record a reviewer status, reviewer name and review note for individual requirements.

Comments can also be added to individual requirements to communicate questions, concerns or instructions to other team members.

If work is required, use Changes Requested and provide appropriate notes and instructions for the person receiving the tender.

When requested changes have been completed, the workflow can record that the changes have been implemented.

Once the tender has been reviewed and the required changes have been addressed, it can be submitted for approval.

Before requesting approval, make sure the evidence and responses have been reviewed and that the submission details are complete.

The approval workflow is separate from the initial AI analysis. Approval represents the organisation's human decision to approve the tender for submission.

Select Submit for Approval when the tender is ready for the appropriate approver.

Approval is carried out by an authorised user with the appropriate role and control of the tender.

Before approving, the approver should review the tender information, evidence statuses, responses, submission details and any relevant review history.

The Approve Tender action records the approval and changes the tender status to Approved.

Owners and approvers can remove an existing approval where the workflow requires the tender to return to an earlier stage.

Each opened tender has access to its activity archive.

The Tender Archive is a read-only history of activity recorded against that tender.

Activity can show what happened, who performed the action, who received it, any associated note, and when the activity occurred.

Use the archive when you need to understand the workflow history or audit the actions taken on a tender.

VectraBid provides several export options from the opened tender.

• Download matrix (CSV) — downloads the tender matrix in CSV format.
• Download review (Word) — prepares a Word review document.
• Download Approved Tender — available once the tender has been approved and is available to authorised users.

When Download Approved Tender is available, you can select whether the approved tender document is prepared in Word or PDF format.

The download is provided as a ZIP file. The ZIP contains the selected approved tender document, the original tender that was uploaded for analysis as a PDF, and the additional documents relating to that tender in a separate Supporting Evidence folder/file set within the ZIP.

The approved tender export can include the submission details recorded in VectraBid, including the authorised signatory, role, signature and date.

The ZIP is downloaded through your web browser to the workstation used to start the download, subject to the browser's normal download settings.

Always review an exported document before using it as an external submission.

The VectraBid Subscription area shows your current plan, subscription status and available additional AI credits.

Available plans can be viewed from the subscription area. Monthly and annual billing options can be selected where offered.

Our full pricing structure is shown below. All subscription plans allow unlimited team members.

During the VectraBid Beta, organisations can purchase additional credits if required and can purchase a subscription at any time during or after the Beta.

Subscription Cancellation

If you cancel your subscription, it does not end immediately. The subscription will expire on the 1st of the following calendar month, subject to the terms that apply to an annual subscription described below.

For a monthly subscription, cancellation means that the subscription remains available until the applicable expiry date, after which the organisation moves to the PAY AS YOU GO option.

For an annual subscription, the annual price includes a discount compared with paying the standard monthly price for twelve months. The annual discount is intended for organisations that remain subscribed for the full 12-month period.

If an annual subscription is cancelled during months 1 to 9, VectraBid calculates the refund by charging the months already used at the standard monthly subscription rate and refunding the remaining eligible prepaid amount.

The annual subscription reaches its refund break-even point after month 9. This is because the discounted annual price is equivalent to ten months of the standard monthly subscription price. Once ten months of service have been reached, the amount already paid is therefore equal to the standard monthly cost for the period used, and no annual subscription refund is available.

If an annual subscription is cancelled after month 9, the subscription remains active until the end of the already-paid 12-month contract period. The organisation continues to receive the service for the remaining prepaid period, but no refund is due.

Purchased Additional AI Credits

Any purchased additional AI credits belong to the organisation and remain available on the organisation's account when a subscription is cancelled.

When the subscription ends and the organisation moves to PAY AS YOU GO, purchased additional AI credits are not automatically cancelled or refunded. They remain available for future tender processing, subject to the applicable VectraBid terms.

Closing Your Organisation Account

Cancelling a subscription is different from permanently closing your VectraBid organisation account. Subscription cancellation does not remove your organisation or its information.

If you choose to permanently close your organisation account after cancelling your subscription, VectraBid will carry out the applicable refund calculations as part of the account-closure process.

This can include a full refund of qualifying unused purchased additional AI processing credits. Any money due will be refunded on the 1st of the following calendar month. Refunds are processed before the organisation and its records are permanently deleted.

Free, promotional or included AI credits have no cash value and are not refundable.

Your organisation remains in place after the 30-day Beta period. The end of the Beta does not remove your organisation or its information.

Organisation management is available according to your role and permissions.

Team members have roles within the organisation. These roles determine which organisation and tender actions they can carry out.

User Roles and Permissions

Owner— The Owner has the highest level of organisation access. Owners can manage the organisation and its team, including inviting team members and selecting their workflow role. Owners can also manage the organisation's subscription and purchased AI credits, and carry out organisation and tender actions available to the Owner role.

Approver — An Approver is responsible for reviewing tenders at the approval stage. Approvers can carry out approval actions assigned to them and can work with tenders according to the permissions available to their role. An Approver does not have the organisation ownership and management capabilities of an Owner.

Reviewer — A Reviewer is responsible for reviewing tenders at the review stage. Reviewers can carry out review actions assigned to them and can work with tenders according to the permissions available to their role. A Reviewer does not have the approval capabilities of an Approver or the organisation management capabilities of an Owner.

The three roles have different responsibilities. The Owner manages the organisation and its team, the Approver handles approval-stage work, and the Reviewer handles review-stage work. A user's role determines the actions and permissions available to them.

Changing User Roles

Role or ownership changes are requested through Help & Support → Contact Us. VectraBid uses this route for verified requests involving organisation roles and ownership.

Requests can include:

• changing a Reviewer to an Approver
• changing an Approver to an Owner
• adding an Owner or additional Owner
• removing an Owner
• changing or removing users as appropriate
• other organisation role or user amendments

VectraBid must verify the requester and the organisation before making sensitive role or ownership changes. This helps protect organisation access and prevents unauthorised changes to ownership or permissions.

Owners can invite organisation team members by entering their email address and selecting the appropriate team role.

Invitations show whether they are pending or accepted, and an Owner can revoke an invitation where appropriate.

Existing permissions and tender assignment controls determine which users can carry out particular tender actions.

Team Activity helps team members keep track of important workflow events.

Outstanding notifications appear on the dashboard. Notifications can identify the relevant tender and describe the activity that requires attention.

When the organisation owner or current tender possessor submits a tender for an action such as review, approval or re-analysis, control of the tender is passed to the selected recipient. The recipient becomes the current tender possessor.

While another user has possession, other organisation members can view the tender and the tender archive. They can archive existing team activity notifications, but they cannot carry out any other tender or team activity actions.

Possession is passed to the next person through the tender's team notification and messaging workflow. This keeps the working tender under the control of the person currently responsible for the next stage.

Team members can receive tender workflow activity when work is sent to them.

Completed team activity can be archived and removed from the outstanding activity list, keeping the dashboard focused on unresolved work.

VectraBid uses tender statuses to show where a tender is in the workflow.

• Draft — the tender is still being prepared and has not entered the review workflow.
• In Review — the tender has been submitted into the review workflow.
• Submitted for Re-analysis — a reviewer or approver has sent the tender to the selected recipient for re-analysis. The workflow status itself remains unchanged while the request is handed over.
• Submitted for Approval — the tender has been sent to the selected approver for approval. The workflow remains in the review stage until the approver acts on it.
• Changes Requested — a reviewer has identified work that needs to be addressed before the tender can progress.
• Approved — the tender has received the required approval.

Analysis status is separate from the workflow approval status. A tender can also show analysis as awaiting analysis, in progress, complete, failed, or awaiting credits.

The tender outcome is separate from the approval status and can be recorded as Pending, Won, Lost, or Withdrawn.