Define the work and control which suppliers can compete.

Competitive Bid subcategories define the type of work at a more detailed level within the CB process. When used with supplier subcategories on the template, they determine which suppliers can participate in a specific bid. This ensures that only qualified suppliers receive the opportunity, improving bid quality, speed, and overall sourcing outcomes.

Why it matters

• Ensure only qualified suppliers receive each bid
• Reduce irrelevant submissions and rework during sourcing
• Standardize how work is defined and competed
• Improve decision-making with structured bid data
• Enforce compliance through rule-based bid participation

Who it’s for

• Program managers running Competitive Bid events
• Procurement teams managing bid quality and supplier participation
• Administrators configuring CB structure and controls
• Hiring managers creating competitive bids or SOWs

How it helps

• Define work precisely so bids align to specific skills or services
• Control supplier participation by limiting bids to matching subcategories
• Improve bid quality by ensuring suppliers receive relevant opportunities
• Enable accurate benchmarking by comparing bids within the same work type
• Provide clearer insights by tracking bid activity and performance by subcategory
• Apply the right governance by triggering rules and workflows based on work type

Action steps

• Competitive Bid functionality is enabled
• You have permission to create and manage subcategories
• Templates are already configured

How to steps

Subcategories bring precision to sourcing, pricing, and insights—turning broad workforce data into actionable intelligence

1. Select Preferences > VMS Settings > Competitive Bid. A Competitive Bid page displays.
2. Select Competitive Bid Subcategories. A Subcategories page displays.
3. Select Add New. An Add New Subcategory page displays.
4. In the Name field, enter a label for your subcategory.
5. In the Code field, enter an abbreviation for your reason.
6. Optional. In the Description field, enter an explanation for when the subcategory should be chosen.
7. Select the Active checkbox.
8. Select OK.
9. Repeat steps 3 through 8 to create additional subcategories.

The subcategories you created are available to users when they create a competitive bid.

What happens next

• The subcategory becomes available when creating a Competitive Bid
• When selected in a CB, it filters the supplier list to those aligned through the template
• Supplier participation is automatically limited to relevant vendors